It's about some people in Scotland who are trying to not get kicked out of their homes by Donald Trump who is building a golf course nearby and doesn't like their houses spoiling his view. It was a good watch.
My favourite documentaries I've seen so far this year are...
The House is Black
Iranian poet and documentarian, Forugh Farrokhzad, only made one film before her untimely death at the age of 32. Although it would have been fascinating to see what else she may have created her lone film, The House is Black, is a striking work of documentary filmmaking: a poetic study of the human condition in the confines of an Iranian leper colony.
In twenty short minutes Farrokhzad juxtaposes the sad disfigured features of the community with their inherent humanity as they find joys in the same things we all do from playing board games to listening to music. Their appearance deemed too shocking for society, they are locked away and ghettoised yet their spirit remains unbowed and unbroken. Beautifully edited belying the director’s inexperience, and accompanied by her own poetry, this is a powerful document on the cruelty of society yet beauty of the human spirit expressed with clarity and genuine compassion.
Inspiring, moving, profound and unforgettable.
The Imposter
Having already seen the disappointing fictional film, The Chameleon, which also dealt with the same story I think it may have slightly impacted my enjoyment of this documentary as I was familiar with the many twists in this remarkable and often unbelievable story. However, that doesn’t change the fact that this documentary from debut feature director, Bart Layton, is an incredibly accomplished film that brilliantly weaves a story that raises far more troubling questions than answers.
It is best to go in knowing as little as possible about the events of the film which means I will avoid talking about specifics in my review and try and be as general as possible. However, if you still haven’t seen it just stop reading this or any other review about the film and get it watched - you’ll be shocked that such a story could ever be true. Layton smartly blends traditional talking head confessionals with stylised and atmospheric recreations. Normally I’m not a fan of the latter as it distorts the authenticity of the story and the peoples’ testimonies yet it seems entirely appropriate here seeing as the film is about a fantasist and his elaborate stories.
Each new twist and turn in this story of lies and untold truths will leave you aghast at both the audaciousness of the tall tales and the stupidity and willingness of the people that believed them. Documentaries tend to deal in truths but The Imposter deals in lies which means you are never truly trusting of anything that is said. It provides the film with a strange quality as you question each and every new piece of juicy information Layton slowly teases. Frédéric Bourdin is a fascinating individual, he is charismatic, disturbed and a rather tragic figure whilst the American family at the heart of this sorry story are equally conflicted.
The Imposter is one of the most shocking, baffling, implausible and brilliantly edited documentaries of recent years and would have been a shoo-in for my top twenty of 2012 if I had managed to watch it a day earlier.
The House I Live In
The House I Live In is a detailed and ambitious documentary about America’s failed war on drugs and its repercussions on society, particularly the demographic it most directly impacts: the lower classes. Eugene Jarecki’s film may be traditional in execution - a heavy reliance on expert talking heads coupled with case studies and stock footage - yet its flat and uninspired style allows the content to come to the fore and is all the more powerful for its unshowy approach.
In the last 40 years $1 trillion has been spent combating drugs yet drug use has failed to be reduced during this period. In any other walk of life such a failed experiment would be adapted or scrapped yet the war blindly continues with the same hardline approach and no sign of an end in sight or hint of success (unless overflowing prisons are a sign that the policy is working). Jarecki explores the history of drugs in America and the way African Americans, and later all lower classes, were targeted in this war and how the draconian measures have perpetuated an institutional discrimination that has done nothing but decimate communities rather than prohibit drug use and dealing.
It is a sprawling but always focused documentary that tries to give a broad view of the situation from those incarcerated by their involvement with drugs to police officers that are at the front line of this conflict. However, whilst Jarecki interviews both sides there is a common complaint that the punitive laws on users achieves little by themselves, particularly when the punishments are so severe and devastating.
It’s a sobering and often eye-opening look at an issue most people would probably feel they already know about and that is perhaps the documentary’s key strength: the war on drugs is a sound bite we are now so familiar with that people have become complacent about its effectiveness and its wider impact on society. The House I Live In demonstrates clearly that the war is fundamentally flawed and may well be causing as much damage as the drugs it is trying to combat.
The Queen of Versailles
The Queen of Versailles is a riches-to-rags documentary chronicling the demise of a wealthy family attempting to build their own Palace of Versailles in Florida. The Siegel family are perfect fodder for a documentary filmmaker. Via their vulgar levels of wealth they are utterly removed from the common man and everyday problems. They live in a world of excessive consumerism where everything can be bought but nothing has any value. When the 2008 financial crisis hits the family have to readjust their privileged way of life.
It is very easy to mock and be disgusted by a family like the Siegels. They are seemingly utterly unaware of anything other than their perfect manufactured and opulent bubble. They have nannies, maids, drivers and every other conceivable help distancing themselves from a ‘normal’ family life. Yet they are also a picture of the American Dream, their wealth may be dramatically magnified but their quest for a better life as demonstrated by their material possessions is something that is a far more common problem beyond merely the super rich. They may be at the pinnacle of consumer excess but they are not alone in always wanting more and living beyond their means.
When the recession bites the Siegel business (built on the type of loans that helped caused the collapse) lays off thousands of employees, the half-finished house is put up for sale to please the banks and their way of life is drastically affected. Of course their wealth is still significantly greater than 99% of the population but the crash threatens to damage their privileged paradise forever. Director, Lauren Greenfield, probably could never have foreseen this dramatic twist in the tale when she began making the film. Yet the fact the film goes beyond mere mockery of this filthy rich and blindly unaware family is very welcome. Although it is never quite possible to empathise with these people there is a human story here that makes it a far richer and more rewarding experience, not least as it gives a real world context to their previously closeted way of life.
I saw The Imposter recently too. Seriously bizarre. I knew nothing of the story, and like you say the stupidity of some people is quite incredible. Worth a watch for sure as it's a fascinating story.
Proto, ma mayne! SfSM is a hell of a film. I saw Man on Wire lately, about some French lad and his crew doing trapeze walks over landmarks around the world, culminating in the World Trade Centre. The guy is so charismatic, it's insane.
I'd also like to add my support to The Imposter - as tense and intriguing as any fictional thriller.
also recommended:
West of Memphis - a horrific tale of injustice in Bible-belt America and a long wait for freedom, Grizzly Man - about a man with an unhealthy love for bears. Beautiful and bizarre in equal measure. Werner Herzog. Into the Abyss - another Werner Herzog, this time about the death penalty, concentrating on one case.
Ironhide wrote:TT: Closer to the edge is worth watching even if you don't really like motorbikes, these guys must have balls of steel to do what they do.
I just watched American Movie, and by golly it was good. I thought it was just going to be a bit of a freakshow with a load of idiots trying to make a stupid film, but Mark had such an amazing passion and work ethic. I know next to know one like that. I even thought it was a mockumentary after seeing Mike for the first time, but nope, it was just a great film. Seeing these guys working hard trying to live their dream in amongst all the staples of small town America while being dragged down by bad influences or a lack of money or alcohol. So good.
