Re: Categories One-by-One: Documentary Feature
Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 1:32 pm
Well, I've seen what I'm going to see pre-show -- skipped Free Solo because 1) I didn't want to pay IMAX prices and 2) I feared the film would kick off my acrophobia (if I watch at home later, at least I can stop it if it makes me nauseous). Of what I've seen, I can say my top choice for the year is...Three Identical Strangers. Still bitter about that.
I guess I'm too dumb to appreciate Hale County, This Morning, This Evening. I found it shapeless and rambly -- everything people hated about Roma times ten. I'd be shocked if this won.
Of Fathers and Sons had its affecting moments. I particularly liked the father's ruminations on how the ultimate jihad will go -- it was wrong-headed, and wildly blithe about the carnage involved, but you could see he was clinging to an almost childlike idealism, that this would bring about a better, just world. It was a flash of insight into a world-view otherwise totally foreign to me. The film's main problem was a certain monotony of structure -- time after time, we'd jump from a scene of the father expressing his zest for war to one of the kids playing war games. You could just about hear the director nudging the audience -- "you see? They're passing on the war-lust" -- and, in case we missed it, he repeated this trope over and over. Between that -- and the fact that, as you note, Academy voters aren't likely to be enthusiastic about hearing jihadis trumpet the righteousness of their cause -- I doubt this has much chance.
The other three are all in the race, but, having missed the one that seems to have popular support, I'm at a loss as to how to call it. I like RBG well enough, and it's no worse than some winners of recent vintage. It may well be that voter affection for the lady herself -- and concern about her health till at least January 2021 -- may move some to cast a ballot as a show of solidarity.
Of the four I've seen, Minding the Gap covers the most interesting material, and also, by me, shows the most cinematic talent. Bing Liu shapes his narrative in powerful ways...only slowly revealing the deepest (and most horrifying) commonality among the three main guys. He also shows a real visual knack -- editing his footage in inventive ways; presenting some details in ways that have added power because of the way they're displayed. This one will have my rooting interest.
As for my bet? I may take the advice of the crowd and say Free Solo. I still have about 48 hours to finalize.
I guess I'm too dumb to appreciate Hale County, This Morning, This Evening. I found it shapeless and rambly -- everything people hated about Roma times ten. I'd be shocked if this won.
Of Fathers and Sons had its affecting moments. I particularly liked the father's ruminations on how the ultimate jihad will go -- it was wrong-headed, and wildly blithe about the carnage involved, but you could see he was clinging to an almost childlike idealism, that this would bring about a better, just world. It was a flash of insight into a world-view otherwise totally foreign to me. The film's main problem was a certain monotony of structure -- time after time, we'd jump from a scene of the father expressing his zest for war to one of the kids playing war games. You could just about hear the director nudging the audience -- "you see? They're passing on the war-lust" -- and, in case we missed it, he repeated this trope over and over. Between that -- and the fact that, as you note, Academy voters aren't likely to be enthusiastic about hearing jihadis trumpet the righteousness of their cause -- I doubt this has much chance.
The other three are all in the race, but, having missed the one that seems to have popular support, I'm at a loss as to how to call it. I like RBG well enough, and it's no worse than some winners of recent vintage. It may well be that voter affection for the lady herself -- and concern about her health till at least January 2021 -- may move some to cast a ballot as a show of solidarity.
Of the four I've seen, Minding the Gap covers the most interesting material, and also, by me, shows the most cinematic talent. Bing Liu shapes his narrative in powerful ways...only slowly revealing the deepest (and most horrifying) commonality among the three main guys. He also shows a real visual knack -- editing his footage in inventive ways; presenting some details in ways that have added power because of the way they're displayed. This one will have my rooting interest.
As for my bet? I may take the advice of the crowd and say Free Solo. I still have about 48 hours to finalize.