Netflix Streaming on 1/26/12
I was expecting this to be a different story than it is. It's not about the US Border Patrol or about the influx of illegal immigrants into the United States - it's actually about the journey of illegal immigrants from Central American going through Mexico on their journey to get here. And, it focuses entirely on children traveling alone. It's heartbreaking to see parents telling the stories of their children who died of exposure while trying to get to America. It's short and mostly subtitled, but worth watching.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 130
Showing posts with label Documentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Documentary. Show all posts
Friday, January 27, 2012
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Oceans (2009)
Netflix Streaming over 10/7/11 and 10/8/11
This is Disney's latest addition to their version of Planet Earth, but their camera work and wow-factor just doesn't live up to PE. Some of the underwater shots were really cool, and the satellite images of pollution spilling out of rivers into the ocean was effective, but technically, the rest is a little mediocre. The one truly moving/heartbreaking scene was when the freshly-hatched turtles make their break for the ocean and half of them get eaten by seabirds. Even some of the babies that make it to the ocean aren't safe. Overall, interesting but not mind-blowing.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 94
This is Disney's latest addition to their version of Planet Earth, but their camera work and wow-factor just doesn't live up to PE. Some of the underwater shots were really cool, and the satellite images of pollution spilling out of rivers into the ocean was effective, but technically, the rest is a little mediocre. The one truly moving/heartbreaking scene was when the freshly-hatched turtles make their break for the ocean and half of them get eaten by seabirds. Even some of the babies that make it to the ocean aren't safe. Overall, interesting but not mind-blowing.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 94
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011)
Netflix DVD on 9/10/11
This is a very interesting concept that unfortunately isn't as interesting on screen as it is on paper. Basically the whole movie is Morgan Spurlock in meetings with executives of major brands trying to get them to finance the movie. It's a movie about itself that never has a finale or a climax, because it is the climax all along. We know that the movie gets made, because we're watching it. Even documentaries need storytelling. And Spurlock is a good filmmaker - this is just a misstep.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 87
This is a very interesting concept that unfortunately isn't as interesting on screen as it is on paper. Basically the whole movie is Morgan Spurlock in meetings with executives of major brands trying to get them to finance the movie. It's a movie about itself that never has a finale or a climax, because it is the climax all along. We know that the movie gets made, because we're watching it. Even documentaries need storytelling. And Spurlock is a good filmmaker - this is just a misstep.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 87
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Trouble the Water (2008)
Netflix DVD on 8/24/11
I'm honestly surprised that there aren't more documentaries about Katrina. This one is not as successful as it sets out to be, I think. The filmmakers are very self-centered, largely ignoring those whose plights were far worse than theirs, and focusing heavily on the unfairness of FEMA's relief efforts. While I whole-heartedly agree that it was unfair that not everyone got the money they were promised, a lot of people didn't even make it that far. Those are far more heart-wrenching stories than a couple who can't get their money in time.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 81
I'm honestly surprised that there aren't more documentaries about Katrina. This one is not as successful as it sets out to be, I think. The filmmakers are very self-centered, largely ignoring those whose plights were far worse than theirs, and focusing heavily on the unfairness of FEMA's relief efforts. While I whole-heartedly agree that it was unfair that not everyone got the money they were promised, a lot of people didn't even make it that far. Those are far more heart-wrenching stories than a couple who can't get their money in time.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 81
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Living Goddess (2007)
Netflix DVD on 6/28/11
First of all, I'm surprised there was never any backlash about the handful of goats and cows they sacrifice onscreen by very graphically chopping their heads off (I understand that it's a part of religious/cultural ritual, but you know how extremist groups jump on anything and everything that they can...) This story is really frakked up. They seclude these young girls because they think that they are reincarnates of a Hindu goddess and spoil her to the point where she believes that she is entitled to things like her parents and siblings bowing before her and kissing her feet. This practice goes back thousands of years, apparently. And then, once the girl gets her period, she's not a goddess anymore. It's an odd religious blend, as the girl says, since she's a Buddhist who is the reincarnate of a Hindu goddess. The story is fascinating and disturbing at the same time.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 54
First of all, I'm surprised there was never any backlash about the handful of goats and cows they sacrifice onscreen by very graphically chopping their heads off (I understand that it's a part of religious/cultural ritual, but you know how extremist groups jump on anything and everything that they can...) This story is really frakked up. They seclude these young girls because they think that they are reincarnates of a Hindu goddess and spoil her to the point where she believes that she is entitled to things like her parents and siblings bowing before her and kissing her feet. This practice goes back thousands of years, apparently. And then, once the girl gets her period, she's not a goddess anymore. It's an odd religious blend, as the girl says, since she's a Buddhist who is the reincarnate of a Hindu goddess. The story is fascinating and disturbing at the same time.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 54
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The Most Dangerous Man in America (2009)
Netflix DVD over 6/20/11 and 6/21/11
This documentary does not do a good job in expressing just how big a deal it was when the Pentagon Papers were released. In today's world, when people share the most inane thoughts that pass through their head (there's a great line about that in Easy A) and in the age of things like WikiLeaks, the impact gets lost in translation somewhere. However, as a film, this is a well-made documentary. It's not too long, the story has a flow, and it's a nice balance of historical footage and interviews. I find the stuff relating to the Vietnam War far more interesting than Daniel Ellsburg and why he did what he did.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 51
This documentary does not do a good job in expressing just how big a deal it was when the Pentagon Papers were released. In today's world, when people share the most inane thoughts that pass through their head (there's a great line about that in Easy A) and in the age of things like WikiLeaks, the impact gets lost in translation somewhere. However, as a film, this is a well-made documentary. It's not too long, the story has a flow, and it's a nice balance of historical footage and interviews. I find the stuff relating to the Vietnam War far more interesting than Daniel Ellsburg and why he did what he did.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 51
Friday, March 25, 2011
The Parking Lot Movie (2010)
Netflix DVD on 3/24/11
This had the potential to be really interesting, but it screwed itself by trying too hard. If it had just been a simple doc about the comings and goings of this one particular parking lot, I think that it would have been a fascinating look at our society. However, what it actually is is a bunch of employees showing their worst face - goofing off, yelling at and insulting customers, and expressing their bitterness at the world. Could have been awesome, but unfortunately wasn't.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 19
This had the potential to be really interesting, but it screwed itself by trying too hard. If it had just been a simple doc about the comings and goings of this one particular parking lot, I think that it would have been a fascinating look at our society. However, what it actually is is a bunch of employees showing their worst face - goofing off, yelling at and insulting customers, and expressing their bitterness at the world. Could have been awesome, but unfortunately wasn't.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 19
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Waste Land (2010)
Netflix DVD over 3/17/11 and 3/18/11
This documentary is confused. It starts as a story about art, becomes a story about the "pickers" in one of Brazil's largest landfills who pick recyclable material out of the rubbish, then again becomes about art. I think that it would have been far more effective if it had stuck to one or the other. The story of the pickers is touching by the end, but it felt like too little, too late. As a technical note, the subtitles are printed far too small on the screen - it makes them intrusive and distracting as opposed to normal subtitles that just become part of the watching experience.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 14
This documentary is confused. It starts as a story about art, becomes a story about the "pickers" in one of Brazil's largest landfills who pick recyclable material out of the rubbish, then again becomes about art. I think that it would have been far more effective if it had stuck to one or the other. The story of the pickers is touching by the end, but it felt like too little, too late. As a technical note, the subtitles are printed far too small on the screen - it makes them intrusive and distracting as opposed to normal subtitles that just become part of the watching experience.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 14
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Restrepo (2010)
Netflix DVD on 3/11/11
The "other adaptation" is loose here, since no writers are listed on the film. However, it was made while Sebastian Junger was on assignment to write an article for Vanity Fair. It follows a platoon stationed in one of Afghanistan's most dangerous valleys as they spend a year at Outpost Restrepo (named for their KIA medic). Sort of like a real-life, modern-day version of Platoon (which, by the way, is the only time I have actually liked a performance by Charlie Sheen). It should be riveting, but it just isn't. I think that's probably a flaw with the editing - too much downtime where nothing happens and too much confusing camera work when something DOES happen, all at the same time. I will say that the testimonials given by the soldiers are pretty heartbreaking.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 12
The "other adaptation" is loose here, since no writers are listed on the film. However, it was made while Sebastian Junger was on assignment to write an article for Vanity Fair. It follows a platoon stationed in one of Afghanistan's most dangerous valleys as they spend a year at Outpost Restrepo (named for their KIA medic). Sort of like a real-life, modern-day version of Platoon (which, by the way, is the only time I have actually liked a performance by Charlie Sheen). It should be riveting, but it just isn't. I think that's probably a flaw with the editing - too much downtime where nothing happens and too much confusing camera work when something DOES happen, all at the same time. I will say that the testimonials given by the soldiers are pretty heartbreaking.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 12
Monday, March 7, 2011
Waiting for "Superman" (2010)
Netflix DVD on 3/5/11
This is a very subtly upsetting film. The lack of quality education in this country is a problem that is easily ignored unless it directly affects you - in other words, most parents aren't concerned as long as their child's school is doing okay. Here, we follow a handful of children (six or seven maybe?) whose schools aren't doing okay as they and their parents struggle to get them better options - charter schools, private schools, college prep schools. The audience gets attached to each child and - spoiler alert - not all of them get accepted. You're left with a feeling of helplessness as the kids go back to what they had, suddenly out of options. Definitely makes you think. Also, this is much more visually interesting than this team's last doc, An Inconvenient Truth.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 10
This is a very subtly upsetting film. The lack of quality education in this country is a problem that is easily ignored unless it directly affects you - in other words, most parents aren't concerned as long as their child's school is doing okay. Here, we follow a handful of children (six or seven maybe?) whose schools aren't doing okay as they and their parents struggle to get them better options - charter schools, private schools, college prep schools. The audience gets attached to each child and - spoiler alert - not all of them get accepted. You're left with a feeling of helplessness as the kids go back to what they had, suddenly out of options. Definitely makes you think. Also, this is much more visually interesting than this team's last doc, An Inconvenient Truth.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 10
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
Netflix DVD with Lauren on 2/27/11
This is really interesting, considering that the main character of the film is still a huge mystery. No one knows what Banksy looks like or sounds like, and though he appears on the film, he's in complete shadow and speaks through a vocoder. The film itself is really interesting, mostly because I've never given much thought to graffiti as an artform. It's short, but there's a nicely-wrapped mystery in those 80 minutes. Happy Oscar Day everyone!
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 9
This is really interesting, considering that the main character of the film is still a huge mystery. No one knows what Banksy looks like or sounds like, and though he appears on the film, he's in complete shadow and speaks through a vocoder. The film itself is really interesting, mostly because I've never given much thought to graffiti as an artform. It's short, but there's a nicely-wrapped mystery in those 80 minutes. Happy Oscar Day everyone!
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
New Movies in Year Three: 9
Sunday, October 10, 2010
127. October 7/9, 2010 - Babies (2010)
This is a very hard movie to sit through all at once, because there's barely any sound at all. No dialogue, only ambient sound effects, hardly even any music. It does make me really want to have a baby, or at least someone I know to have one, because all four children that the documentary follows are absolutely adorable. It's funny the kinds of things that show up in the film - even the most mundane activities become cute. I also find it interesting that the parents are hardly ever shown. If they do appear on camera, they are nearly always shown from the waist down or from behind. The four children are clearly the stars of the show.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
Friday, September 10, 2010
116. September 9, 2010 - Ghosts of the Abyss (2003)
This is the James Cameron that I like. Not the self-obsessed, blue alien-worshipping pop culture cancer glutton that he's become, but the serious film-obsessed (and I'm sure still self-obsessed but not as obnoxious about it) director who was truly passionate about something. This documentary is about his voyages down to the wreck of the Titanic and their quest to learn as much about it as possible. Through the course of the movie, audiences are treated to views of the ship that normally would never be accessible - things like Captain Smith's bathtub or the remains of Molly Brown's bed. As the tiny explorer robots (named Jake and Elwood) wind their way through the promenades and rooms, the crew members share their favorite stories about the ship and her passengers. This is a nice testament to the power that the story of the Titanic seems to have over people even today. Also, in a touching gesture, it's dedicated to Walter Lord, who wrote A Night to Remember - still the greatest book to be written about the tragedy.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
Friday, June 18, 2010
75. June 13/14, 2010 - Into the Arms of Strangers (2000)
As documentaries go, I found this to be pretty uninspired, creatively speaking. Anyone can film interviews and insert archival footage and photographs in between. The focus of the film is the Kindertransport - a program that sent Jewish children away from Nazi Germany to live with foster families in Allied nations and the stories themselves are moving, especially the woman who made it onto the transport train only to have her father pull her off and end up in a concentration camp. But boring filmmaking detracts from the overall power.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
47. April 26/27, 2010 - The Way We Get By (2009)
This documentary is surprisingly moving and powerful. The three subjects of the film - a widow with two grandchildren being deployed to Iraq, a WWII veteran with cancer, and an elderly man of the community - are tireless in their goal of meeting all of the soldiers returning from overseas as they return to the US through the Bangor International Airport in Maine. They each have their own issues to deal with, but they don't let them stop them from shaking hands and giving hugs at 3:40 in the morning. Would have made me cry had I not been showing it to a class full of teenagers.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
Sunday, April 4, 2010
32. April 4, 2010 - The Betrayal - Nerakhoon (2008)
The major problem with this documentary is that it doesn't know what it's about. The first segment is about the consequences of the US occupation of Laos during the Vietnam War, but then it shifts into a story about Laotian immigrants living in New York. That's nice and all, but the two stories don't really go together and frankly, the first one was more interesting. There are a lot of interviews, most of them subtitled, and very little story. Picture quality is also lacking. How did this get nominated?
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
7. February 17, 2010 - Food, Inc. (2009)
This is one of those movies that, knowing myself, I knew I should never have watched. However, I do try to see everything that gets nominated for an Oscar - even documentaries and foreign films (and occasionally atrocious films that sneak in like Norbit) - so I added this to my Netflix queue and forgot about it until it came in the mail yesterday. Super Size Me was horrifying, but I already don't eat that kind of food, so the effect is different - this movie talks about all food. I know that all documentaries are biased and that that has to be taken into consideration when watching them, but this one was definitely very powerful in its message.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
Saturday, December 12, 2009
December 10, 2009
The Cove (2009)
Wow. I don't know what to think after watching this movie. It's a heavily-slanted story about the annual mass slaughter of dolphins and whales in a single lagoon in Japan and as with every polarizing documentary, it cares little for both sides of the story. That being said, I can't imagine how the fishermen would defend themselves and their actions. Watching this makes me never want to go anywhere where they keep tame dolphins ever again. The aerial shot of the killing cove running bright red with dolphin blood is one that stays with you for a very long time. My only question was, how do they keep sharks out of the cove with that much blood in the water? Oscar Nominations aren't even out, but if this doesn't get nominated and win, something is very wrong.
My Netflix rating: 5 stars
Wow. I don't know what to think after watching this movie. It's a heavily-slanted story about the annual mass slaughter of dolphins and whales in a single lagoon in Japan and as with every polarizing documentary, it cares little for both sides of the story. That being said, I can't imagine how the fishermen would defend themselves and their actions. Watching this makes me never want to go anywhere where they keep tame dolphins ever again. The aerial shot of the killing cove running bright red with dolphin blood is one that stays with you for a very long time. My only question was, how do they keep sharks out of the cove with that much blood in the water? Oscar Nominations aren't even out, but if this doesn't get nominated and win, something is very wrong.
My Netflix rating: 5 stars
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
November 3, 2009
This Is It (2009)
When I was younger, the way I knew Michael Jackson was the guy who sang the Free Willy song and had the ridiculous grabbing-his-crotch dance move. (And speaking of Free Willy, they taunted us at least twice in this movie with shots of a killer whale and never sang "Will You Be There." Tease!) This doc, though, makes it clear how passionate he was about music and performing and how much energy he had. It shows in all of his movements - this twitchy passion just itching to get out. It's also really sad because it's nearly impossible to watch the movie without thinking every minute of how it's going to end. The choreography is amazing and I can't help but think that this would have been an amazing concert to see. It's interesting how much footage they got, since they never really intended this to be seen this way. I know that some of the clothes that were shown were costumes for the show, but not all of them were and nearly everything he wears is absolutely 80s ridiculous.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
When I was younger, the way I knew Michael Jackson was the guy who sang the Free Willy song and had the ridiculous grabbing-his-crotch dance move. (And speaking of Free Willy, they taunted us at least twice in this movie with shots of a killer whale and never sang "Will You Be There." Tease!) This doc, though, makes it clear how passionate he was about music and performing and how much energy he had. It shows in all of his movements - this twitchy passion just itching to get out. It's also really sad because it's nearly impossible to watch the movie without thinking every minute of how it's going to end. The choreography is amazing and I can't help but think that this would have been an amazing concert to see. It's interesting how much footage they got, since they never really intended this to be seen this way. I know that some of the clothes that were shown were costumes for the show, but not all of them were and nearly everything he wears is absolutely 80s ridiculous.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
Monday, September 28, 2009
September 26, 2009
The Garden (2008)
I cannot fathom why in the world this didn't win Best Documentary last year, because it's one of the most affecting docs I've seen in a long time. I was absolutely enraged after watching it and hearing the story about the 14-acre urban garden in Los Angeles that was threatened and (spoiler!) ultimately destroyed by a developer. I have very definite feelings about said developer, which I will not share here, but you can probably guess what they are. This lost to Man on Wire, which I thought was pretty boring. I don't understand that decision at all.
My Netflix rating: 5 stars
* Remember that my Top 100 list is only for fictional films - although this would definitely be on there if I included documentaries.
I cannot fathom why in the world this didn't win Best Documentary last year, because it's one of the most affecting docs I've seen in a long time. I was absolutely enraged after watching it and hearing the story about the 14-acre urban garden in Los Angeles that was threatened and (spoiler!) ultimately destroyed by a developer. I have very definite feelings about said developer, which I will not share here, but you can probably guess what they are. This lost to Man on Wire, which I thought was pretty boring. I don't understand that decision at all.
My Netflix rating: 5 stars
* Remember that my Top 100 list is only for fictional films - although this would definitely be on there if I included documentaries.
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