JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI

The documentary opens with an introduction to the restaurant and archival photographs of Jiro Ono who was told to leave home at nine years old. He gets a job as an apprentice in a sushi restaurant. Early in the film he talks about, picking an occupation that you fall in love with. “ You have to love your job.”  Once you learn the craft, your own talent takes you to the next level.” Jiro’s words go beyond the art of making sushi as well as his basic approach to life. In passing the documentary also introduces insight into Japanese culture.

Courtesy Magnolia Pictures

JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI explores Jiro’s relationship with his two sons, both of whom have worked with him starting as apprentices. The eldest son Yoshikazu seems caught in the shadow of his father who is not ready to retire. Jiro does not feel he, himself, has reached perfection yet. Yoshikazu believes that it his duty as eldest son to stay with his father to carry on his tradition. The second son was helped by the father to leave the family business and start his own restaurant.

Jiro explains that while he gets  credit for creating the sushi, because he is at the counter with the customers, most of the work is done by his staff including apprentices who must train with him for ten years, a chef and Jiro’s son who is accomplished in his own right. The documentary provides a look behind the scenes in the preparation of the sushi and selection of fish at the Tsukiji Fish Market. Jiro and his son Yoshikazu have special relationships with certain fish sellers and also with a person they buy their rice from.

Sukiyabashi Jiro is the only sushi restaurant to ever be awarded the Michelin Guides three star rating. Reservations for the restaurant are made a year in advance. The cost of the full course serving of sushi is about $300. It seems like Jiro Ono and his family must be doing well however we don’t see any of their life outside the business. Gelb focuses entirely on Jiro Ono, his sons, their relationships with vendors and customers. Jiro seems to have no other life than making sushi. You wonder if his sons might have spontaneously materialized right there at Sukiyabashi Jiro one night.  It’s to the director’s credit that the focus of the documentary doesn’t drift, but it might have been interesting to know, for sure, if there was any other part of their lives. Does Jiro Ono sleep on a cot in a small room some where for a few hours before coming back to the restaurant?  What sacrifices must one make to achieve perfection?

JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI is well shot but obviously in a digital video format that seems a bit grainy in the theater. This is only a factor because you want to see all the sushi creations in fully saturated colors accompanied by the lush Philip Glass score. The pace of the editing keeps the documentary moving and the film ends just about the time you think it should, but not before becoming a bit redundant. Even if you are not a lover of sushi, or an aspiring chef, there are many elements in this story that are universal to any creative endeavor.  If you do enjoy sushi you will enjoy this documentary.

Currently in theaters, Netflix, DVD release in July 2012. Jiro Dreams Of Sushi 2012 – 81 Minutes – Directed by David Gelb – Magnolia Pictures

REVIEW BY J R MARTIN director of Emmy nominated, Wrapped In Steel, a documentary about the Industrial community  on the Southeast side of Chicago and Emmy award winning Fired-up- Public Housing Is My Home, both documentaries aired nationally on PBS.  AUTHOR CREATE DOCUMENTARY FILMS, VIDEOS AND MULTIMEDIA — See other documentary reviews by J R Martin at http://www.jrmartinmedia.com/reviews

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There have been many documentaries produced that advocate justice for a person or person’s accused of murder and/or other grievous crimes. None of them can compare to this story of obvious gross injustice.  Paco Larrañaga is still in prison thirteen years later. The story is bizarre in so many ways it’s hard to believe there isn’t something you’re not being told. By the end of GIVE UP TOMORROW you can’t help but feel strongly that Paco is innocent and caught in some Kafkaesque novel.

GIVE UP TOMORROW, directed by Michael Collins, begins with a medium shot of Paco, years after he was arrested,  in jail making a statement of his innocence. The documentary then methodically puts together a story that clearly shows that there has been a tragic mistake made. All sides are included in interviews that help piece together this tale of governmental bureaucracy and media frenzy Philippine style. The story moves from a local one, to the Philippine Supreme Court, to Spain and then the United Nations!

With years of footage the filmmakers still manage to keep the pace of events and issues moving at a good clip. However, there sometimes seem to be questions that never get answered. The mother of the Chiang sisters becomes an activist against Paco, at times possibly making up things to convince others of his guilt.

This is a well-made, suspenseful documentary with all the emotion and conflict you might find in a fiction story. The twists, turns and discoveries will keep your interest. With the exception of a short recreation clip that seems totally out of place, GIVE UP TOMORROW, sticks to actuality footage. It falls into the Advocacy category of documentary films. Camera work is good considering the range of situations shot. Editing works well including graphics that help clarify the timetable of events.

GIVE UP TOMORROW is currently making the rounds of festivals. It can be seen at the Florida Film Festival and other places worldwide. For the schedule check http://www.pacodocu.com/

REVIEW BY J R MARTIN director of Emmy nominated, Wrapped In Steel a documentary about the Industrial community  on the Southeast side of Chicago and Emmy award winning Fired-up- Public Housing Is My Home, both documentaries aired nationally on PBS. AUTHOR CREATE DOCUMENTARY FILMS, VIDEOS AND MULTIMEDIA — See other documentary reviews by J R Martin at http://www.jrmartinmedia.com/reviews

GIVE UP TOMORROW – 2011 – 90 MINUTES – DIRECTED BY MICHAEL COLLINS – PRODUCED BY MARTY SYJUCO – THOUGHTFUL ROBOT PRODUCTIONS.

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Gary Hustwit who also directed Helvetica and Urbanized sets out to answer a number of questions he has considered.  Among the questions; “why is an object shaped the way it is and how does that shape affect its function? What’s my relationship to the objects I buy and use and to the people who design them? Why do we have an emotional connection with certain objects in our lives?”

Objects of all kinds fill our homes and this documentary takes a look at how they are designed, why we buy them and make them part of our lives. Objectified opens with the pictures and sounds of a manufacturing plant where machines move, click and whirr as they work on building some unknown object. Robot arms move until it is revealed that a chair is being manufactured. “Every object manufactured speaks to who put it there,” a voice over informs us.

Objectified is beautifully shot with lighting that allows you take a close look at objects as simple as a comb or toothbrush. Objects that you might take for granted in everyday life become industrially designed pieces that you use or see everyday without even thinking about the design or functionality that is built into the object you are using. Interviews with designers and others are mixed with an ongoing montage of manufactured objects you will no longer not notice.

“Every object tells a story if you know how to read it” – Henry Ford. This quote leads us into a look at the process of designing a potato peeler. Not just an old fashioned peeler but one that would also be comfortable for a diverse number of people, some of whom might have arthritis or a lot of peeling to do. Before you start thinking that this is a mundane task you should reconsider all the parameters the designers consider as the documentary points out. Even a pair of shears needs to be designed in such away that it is functional and comfortable to use.

Aside from great cinematography Objectified uses excellent editing and pacing to keep things moving though out the film. First person interviews and often,  just observing designers working together while they discuss the requirements of the design are used, giving you the feeling that you are sitting there with the designers while they’re involved in the process. When Dieter Rams, former Design Director for Braun in Germany talks about good design being “innovative, making products useful, aesthetically pleasing, understandable and honest,” examples of the types of things he feels meet these standards are seen. There is a segment on Apple products that gives an excellent example of how these ideas can lead to great products and objects that are desirable

Objectified, like Hustwit’s other documentaries, tells a story about a subject you might take for granted but that has an impact on your life in ways you may not always be aware of. In Objectified you begin see some of the objects around you as part of the environment you live in.

Objectified will surprise you in how interesting, informative and entertaining a documentary about “objects” can be.  Seen in conjunction with Helvetica and Urbanized the series offers a broad view of the “designed” environment that humans have created for themselves.

REVIEW BY J R MARTIN director of Emmy nominated, Wrapped In Steel a documentary about the Industrial community  on the Southeast side of Chicago and Emmy award winning Fired-up- Public Housing Is My Home, both documentaries aired nationally on PBS. AUTHOR CREATE DOCUMENTARY FILMS, VIDEOS AND MULTIMEDIA — See other documentary reviews by J R Martin at http://www.jrmartinmedia.com/reviews

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Joyce McKinney’s account of what happened is much different than Kirk Anderson’s.  Morris lets Joyce tell her story from the beginning through an interview he conducted with her. Both accounts are told in parallel, although Anderson is not interviewed for the film. Newspaper reporters, archival material and other sources are used tell the public side of the story.

Morris uses a number of novel techniques in TABLOID  to help tell the story.  The first scene of the documentary is an actual home video where a young Joyce McKinney reads aloud from a book she is writing about the “fairy tale” life she envisions for herself as a princess who is swept away by a prince on a white horse. The prince then marries her and they live happily ever after. The home video is presented in its original standard definition on a black screen combined with some opening credits. This scene sets the tone for the rest of the documentary, which is Joyce’s  version of reality in juxtaposition with what the rest of the world seems to have experienced.

Archival footage of an interview with with Joyce done at the time of the alleged abduction is framed by a period style TV against wallpapered wall in a room.  In a Present day interview conducted by Morris,  Joyce is seen full frame.  Joyce narrates her story starting with her growing up in North Carolina. Occasionally, in much the same way as he interviewed McNamara in “The Fog Of War”  Morris is heard asking a question or responding off camera,  like he’s in another room.  Joyce is articulate and this interview is used throughout the entire documentary giving her point of view of her life and details of what happened in a chronological fashion.  Joyce’s story, told in her own words, is set in strong contrast to the way others tell the same story. This “Rashomon Effect,” multiple, differing accounts of the same incident by different individuals, allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions about what happened.

Morris uses graphics throughout the documentary to add details, reinforce facts or statements and third party commentary to some extent.  Also used are clips from movies that demonstrate Joyce’s interpretation of reality.

The style of story telling in TABLOID produces a compelling story line essentially in three acts. There is drama, conflict and some humor involved in the process as well. Editing and music keep the pace moving throughout the film.

TABLOID is a bizarre and entertaining tale of a clash between fantasy and reality. However at times it is not clear which is which. Contrary to what Joyce McKinney may think of the film (she’s apparently suing Morris) it does appear to treat her quite fairly.

REVIEW BY J R MARTIN — AUTHOR CREATE DOCUMENTARY FILMS, VIDEOS AND MULTIMEDIA — See other documentary reviews by J R Martin at http://www.jrmartinmedia.com

TABLOID  – Directed by Erroll Morris – 2010 -  86 minutes – Sundance Selects

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URBANIZED, directed by Gary Hustwit ( also directed HELVETICA and OBJECTIFIED) is an exiting look at the design of cities, the art of urban design and a glimpse at what is predicted for the future of cities in different parts of the world. Huge cities are predicted in the  future. URBANIZED begins with a montage of urban landscapes, the magic of cities across the planet. Cities grow where commerce is natural. Some cities, like many in Europe, have been designed in a specific way. Many American cities evolved without a plan and now face certain types of problems. The documentary takes you to urban environments across the globe exploring issues facing urban design and urban life. The evolution and design of many cities has not always made them livable spaces for human beings. The film looks into both the design and social realities of urban life.

URBANIZED is part of a trilogy of documentary films, HELVETICA, OBJECTIFIED and URBANIZED, all about design of some kind. URBANIZED “looks at specific issues that face all cities,” according to director, Gary Hustwit. These issues are: housing, mobility, public spaces, sustainability and other subjects.  In a “director’s statement” Hustwit writes: “I didn’t start these films with a thesis or agenda, they’ve really been explorations into subjects I’m curious about.” He claims he lets the people he interviews “talk about what they thought was important.”  Before starting production on URBANIZED his research consisted of talking to architects, city planners, academics and developers. He went to conferences about urban issues and gathered information about the current state of cities. He shot conversations with people on the subject for two and a half years.

The documentaries throughness demonstrates the benefits of Hustwit’s research. Notable individuals involved in the design and planning of cities present their views on certain cities, architecture, approaches to design and what makes cities livable or not so livable.  Hustwit’s approach employs a hybrid cinema verite narrative structure that allows you to examine issues and form your own opinions and conclusions. This type of structure presents many ideas from a number of sources.  The overall experience  is informative and pragmatic.

The theme of all three of Hustwit’s documentaries is design and how it affects human life. In HELVETICA it was the amazing story of a typeface, it’s longevity and ongoing influence around the world.  In OBJECTIFIED it was the design of manufactured objects and industrial design impact on the environment. In URBANIZED the design of cities where, as of 2010, fifty percent of the world population now lives, is the focus.  Mumbai, India in 2011 has a population of approximately 13,000,000.  The slum area in Mumbai has a larger population than all of London, England according to the documentary. Architects and planners in India discuss the problems and unwanted expansion of the slum areas when the documentary visits Mumbai. Facts like how to deal with overcrowding where there are six hundred people per toilet in a given area are flushed out.

The documentary visits other cities like Bogotá, Columbia where many progressive design ideas have reshaped a city, like many in north and south America that grew around the automobile for transportation. Instead of catering to this notion, Bogotá began redesigning the urban landscape to accommodate people first.  A number of innovations are shown including people oriented mass transit and making the use of bicycles people friendly.  In Bogotá the bicycle paths are paved and separate from what still are dirt roads next to them. Copenhagen is another city where the use of bicycles for personal transportation has been successful, with side benefit of reducing carbon emissions.

The concept of urban sprawl is looked at in the city of Phoenix, Arizona known for this condition. Once again an urban area built around using the automobile for personal transportation has resulted in causing problems for individuals and the community. URBANIZED looks at how New York City, was subdivided by a huge network of highways starting in the 1950’s. You learn how Jane Jacobs, a journalist, helped to stop much of Greenwich Village from being destroyed by development and urban renewal.

URBANIZED visits cities from Beijing, China to Brasilia in Brazil; from Khayelitsha, South Africa to US cities of Detroit and New Orleans; cities with different issues and different approaches to dealing with their problems are looked at. One important thing about this documentary is that each there is no third party comparing one cities problems’ to others. The POV is from the inside looking out as far as the design of each city and what it’s planners and designers are doing.  In some cases, like the renovation of the Hi Line in Manhattan, NYC, it’s community action that resolves design problems by coming up with innovative community responses. Many other cities are included in this urban trek around the world.

URBANIZED is a documentary that you will want to watch more than once. It’s a wonderful, educational, at times entertaining trip to cities around the world offering a glimpse into humanities need for community and the ongoing connection between design and urban living.

REVIEW BY J R MARTIN director of Emmy nominated, Wrapped In Steel a documentary about the Industrial community  on the Southeast side of Chicago and Emmy award winning Fired-up- Public Housing Is My Home, both documentaries aired nationally on PBS. AUTHOR CREATE DOCUMENTARY FILMS, VIDEOS AND MULTIMEDIA — See other documentary reviews by J R Martin at http://www.jrmartinmedia.com/reviews

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REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR opens strongly with overhead scenes of streaming traffic on routes 405 and 110 in Los Angeles. Dan Neil Reporter for the Wall Street Journal talks about his love for the gasoline powered automobile and that he will never buy another one. Opening credits come up in montage of shots that sets the pace and tone of the documentary.  REVENGE… begins in 2007 with news that “the electric car was back from dead.” For three years the filmmakers had access behind the scenes to three major automakers working on electric cars, GM, Tesla, Nissan and independent car converters like Greg “Gadget” Abbott. This makes the sequel more than just an update to the first documentary. REVENGE…  tells a new story in graphic detail and drama.

Director Chris Paine weaves a fast paced story about the development of the new generation of electric cars. He also goes beyond the glitz of auto shows to expose the hardships and reality, for the individuals involed,  manufacturin these new generation cars.  At GM you meet Bob Lutz, who in the first film, “Who Killed The Electric Car” might have been, in part, responsible for the murder.  Lutz is now an advocate for the electric car and the new GM Volt.  At Tesla, the Silicon Valley Electric Car Start-up, Elon Musk, one of the founders of Tesla is interviewed and seen struggling to make it all work as he invests his entire fortune from the sale of Pay Pal into this venture and Space X project.  Carlos Ghostn, Nissan, provides access to the strategy and development of the Nissan all electric Leaf. Greg “Gadget” Abbot and his wife provide a glimpse into the struggles of an independent operations that converts standard cars to electric power. Each individual has there own reasons for wanting to produce electric cars. Their passion and determination is portrayed in the documentary.

Who Killed The Electric Car explores issues surrounding the recall and demolition of all of GM’s Ev1 and Honda electric cars by the mid 1990″s, soon after they were leased to customers in California and one other state. The EV1 was not sold, only leased in California.  There were long waiting lists to get the all electric car.  California had enacted laws that forced automakers to include zero emmision electric cars in their models. The state built electric refueling stations to accommodate electric vehicles. Apparently GM was not the only villain in the carrying out the murder of the EV1. The documentary looks at pressure from oil companies, political lobbying, the US government, batteries, and other issues that contributed to the recall. Once the law expired, and was not renewed,  in California, GM pulled the plug on the EV1. One of the drawbacks for consumers was the short range of the vehicle between charges. However, most people’s daily commute did fit into the EV1′s sixty plus mile range before it needed to be plugged in for a charge. Martin Sheen narrates the documentary. There are appearances and/or interviews with Tom Hanks, Ed Begley Jr., Alexander Paul, Ralph Nader, and others in the film.

REVENGE… includes candid and intimate footage from all the players, edited in chronological, parallel threads that bring actual insight into the world of the individuals and corporations involved.  Where as “Who Killed The Electric Car” was primarily and advocacy documentary, REVENGE… appears to take the observer high ground with a bit of revenge and irony mixed in.

In REVENGE development is moving along well for all concerned until the economic crash of 2008. Suddenly all involved are faced with some difficult decisions and realities. Director Paine incorporates these issues and ultimately how it all plays out by 2010.  You will enjoy both films especially if you’ve seen “Who Killed the Electric Car.”  But REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR stands on it’s own as an in depth, well-crafted and edited documentary that everyone can be both informed from and entertained. Cinematography, Audio, Original Music, Editing are all excellent.

REVIEW BY – J R MARTIN – AUTHOR CREATE DOCUMENTARY FILMS, VIDEOS AND MULTIMEDIA — See other documentary reviews by J R Martin at http://www.jrmartinmedia.com/reviews

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Revenge Of The Electric  Car – 2011 – 90 min. Documramafilms – Directed by Chris Paine – Begins where Who Killed The Electric Car Ends with the reemergence of the Electric Car.

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Who Killed The Electric Car – 2006 – Sony Pictures Classics – 93 min. – Directed by Chris Paine. The history of the electric car and how GM created a successful electric car in the 1980’s and then pulled it off the market and then destroyed all production models leased and in use.

HELL AND BACK AGAIN

But HELL AND BACK AGAIN is about more than going to war. It is also about coming back, out of the war, wounded, disabled and taking on a new form of combat.  The combat of adjusting to a world where your life is not on the line every minute. Adjusting to a physical wound that will take years to heal and that may always leave you disabled  in some way. HELL AND BACK AGAIN focuses on Sergeant Nathan Harris and the Echo company platoon deep behind enemy lines fighting the Taliban where Sergeant Harris is severely wounded and then his coming home to his wife in North Carolina. HELL AND BACK AGAIN manages to give you a glimpse into Harris’s two fold problem; dealing with his physical injury and mental adjustment on being home again.

Perhaps HELL AND BACK AGAIN’S best quality is that it reveals what it’s like to be in a 3rd world setting, in a life and death situation for months, where you never feel safe, and violence is part of your mission and then to be thrust back in to the fast paced, high tech American world. The difficulties Harris is having appears obvious in scenes where he finds comfort holding one of the two handguns he constantly keeps nearby. With the love and support of his wife Ashley, Sergent Harris struggles to overcome the difficulties of readjusting to civilian life.

HELL AND BACK AGAIN begins in Afghanistan with a Helicopter Assault on a Taliban Stronghold and the landing of Harris and Echo Company. This is Harris’s third deployment and it seems that after eight years in the Marines and multiple times in combat he may be suffering some fatigue.  But the battles wage on. The marines try to explain to Afghanistan civilians that they are there to help them.  But the villagers just want everyone to go away, both the Taliban and the Americans.  The documentary then jumps from Afghanistan to North Carolina and Harris coming home wounded, in constant pain and taking pain killers. As these scenes progress there are flash backs to actual combat days back in Afghanistan  leading up to the day he was wounded.

HELL AND BACK AGAIN does tell a moving and important story. It sheds some light on the problems facing returning veterans of the wars that have been waged in both Iraq and Afghanistan. But some of the scenes of Harris and his wife Ashley seem staged.  More insight into what Harris and his wife are dealing with on an emotional level might have highlighted the struggle. The issues Harris has to deal with are the same problems many other vets have to deal with but that doesn’t seem to come across in this documentary.  Everyone who is severely wounded and/or disabled in combat or a car accident goes through a period of resentment and problems adjusting. The failure to show that this is a universal problem makes it more difficult to understand that Harris’s behavior is part of a process of recovery.  The documentary ends without as much as postscript as to Sergeant Nathan Harris’s progress.

HELL AND BACK AGAIN won a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival in 2011 and has now been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary 2012. Danfung Dennis also received an award for the excellent Cinematography in the film.

REVIEW BY – J R MARTIN – AUTHOR CREATE DOCUMENTARY FILMS, VIDEOS AND MULTIMEDIA — See other documentary reviews by J R Martin at http://www.jrmartinmedia.com/reviews

HELL AND BACK AGAIN – 2011 – 88 Minutes – Directed by Danfung Dennis – DOCURAMA FILMS and IMPACT PARTNERS

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“We torched Superior Lumber in Glendale, OR on January 1, 2001. Superior Lumber is a typical earth raper contributing to the ecological destruction of the Northwest.  What happened to them should shock no one. This year, 2001, we hope to see an escalation in tactics against capitalism and industry. While Superior Lumber says, ‘Make a few items, and do it better than anyone else,’ we say, ‘choose an earth raper, and destroy them.”  — Communication Sent By The Earth Liberation Front (ELF).

IF A TREE FALLS  is a well-edited and structured documentary that manages to balance advocacy with objective reality in a thought provoking way. It brings you into the story from many different perspectives moving back and forth through time and events. IF A TREE FALLS keeps you interested throughout the entire eighty-five minutes.

IF A TREE FALLS is a documentary that explores many important issues by focusing on the rise and fall of The Earth Liberation Front (ELF). It does this mainly through the eyes of David McGowan, as he becomes radicalized into the ecological movement and ultimately into its most radical component, ELF. The film opens with archival footage of a ski resort burning. ELF burned it because the resort had plans to expand in to a forest area. The burning of the ski resort contrasted with other more blatant environmental issues shown in the documentary feels like ELF goes to far at times.

IF A TREE FALLS, directed by Marshall Curry, combines interviews with McGowan, who is living under house arrest waiting for a trial, as the film begins. He along with a number of other suspects were arrested simultaneously on December 7^th, 2005 and charged with domestic terrorism. ELF destroyed property but never endangered a human life. No person was ever hurt or killed because  ELF made sure no one was in the buildings they burned.  There is a question as to whether they are arsonists or terrorists?

IF A TREE FALLS is great documentary storytelling, moving between parallel themes highlighting events, McGowan’s experience, and current situation, and the FBI’s hunt for the members of the ELF.  There is archival footage of police using pepper spray on peaceful protesters that reminds you of recent violence by police on the Occupy Movement protesters. These attacks on protesters help to radicalize McGowan and others into taking violent actions themselves.

Most of the fires were set in the Northwest in protest of the logging industry and their harvesting trees in forests under the control of the National Forest. Environmental activists had been active there for some time by 2001.

Many interesting and controversial questions arise watching this documentary. One issue is the treatment of protesters by police. Why is all the violence necessary?  Environmental concerns based on the deforestation of huge areas of the country where large thousand-year-old trees are cut down and the land left bare. Another topic that comes to mind is the fate of the members of the ELF, many of whom could be facing life sentences for the acts of arson.

By focusing on McGowan’s life story up to the point he goes to court IF A TREE FALLS creates some empathy for McGowan and his fate. The ELF disbanded a few years before the arrests were made. McGowan left the group because things were, in his mind, getting to crazy. The investigators were treating it as a “cold case,” when they got an unexpected break. This aspect is skillfully incorporated into the story.

REVIEW BY – J R MARTIN – AUTHOR CREATE DOCUMENTARY FILMS, VIDEOS AND MULTIMEDIA — See other documentary reviews by J R Martin at http://www.jrmartinmedia.com/reviews

 IF A TREE FALLS – A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT – 2011 – 85 minutes – Directed by Marshall Curry, An Oscilloscope Pictures Release – NOMINATED FOR OSCAR BEST DOCUMENTARY 2012 – Best Documentary Editing Sundance Film Festival.

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“Hell and Back Again” – Danfung Dennis – See Review

“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front”  – Marshall Curry  See Review

“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” – Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky – See below

“Pina” – Wim Wenders -  See Below

“Undefeated” – Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin -  Oscar Winner Best Documentary Feature 2012

This years group of nominated documentaries seems to be and odd assortment.  Hell and Back Again and If A Tree Falls feel like traditional documentaries that might get nominated.

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, the third in a series about three young men accused of murdering some young boys. The three documentaries trace the arrest, 18 year imprisonment, and eventual release, in the third film, of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley; also known as the West Memphis Three.  The documentaries played  a role in generating publicity, awareness, and support for the innocence of the men. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory aired on HBO on January 11, 2012.  The documentary seems to rehash a lot of what was done in the previous two except for the release of the men.

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PINA,  Directed by Wim Wenders, is a 3D dance film made in Germany. The film features Pina Bausch, who died during the preproduction phase of the documentary. Wenders cancelled production but the other dancers of the Tanztheater Wuppertal persuaded him to continue. The other dancers are featured and reminisce about Pina.

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Two documentaries that were not nominated and perhaps should have been are:

BUCK – THERE’S NO WISDOM WORTH HAVING THAT ISN’T HARD WON   AND BEING ELMO A PUPPETEER’S JOURNEY

Documentary short subject

“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement”

“God is the Bigger Elvis”

“Incident in New Baghdad”

“Saving Face”

“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom”

Written by J R Martin – AUTHOR CREATE DOCUMENTARY FILMS, VIDEOS AND MULTIMEDIA — See other documentary reviews by J R Martin at http://www.jrmartinmedia.com/reviews

MAD HOT BALLROOM has many unique aspects as a documentary. First it’s a view from the inside looking out. There is no third party voice over narrator; the teachers and students tell their own stories.  Another thing you will notice immediately is the documentary camera is at the same height as the participants. This establishes a non-condescending point-of-view, the viewer is at the same eye level as the dancers. This style of shooting is intimate and allows you to experience how the children are feeling about what they are doing in every way. The coverage of actual dancing and competitions is excellent putting you right there with the children.

MAD HOT BALLROOM is a documentary that pulls you into the story including the process of learning, competing and emotional reactions. This is not an easy process for the children who need to suspend a lot of inhibitions to participate. Just holding hands with a child of the opposite gender seems kind of “icky” for a nine or ten year old. The notion of keeping eye contact with your dance partner adds another level of discomfort.  The children overcome other obstacles and in the process gain a great deal of self-confidence. It’s amazing to see the expressions on the children’s faces as they learn to dance and compete in the various competitions leading up to the finals. The story focuses on certain public school students in Brooklyn and their journey to the citywide competition. There is joy and heartbreak along the way. The pace of the documentary holds up throughout the length of the film but seems a little slow at the end perhaps because you want to know who wins the final competition to take home the trophy.

This is not a documentary that goes out of it’s way to determine if the notion of young students learning ballroom dancing is some new socially relevant idea. It is what it is. You can decide how you feel about it after enjoying the actuality of the documentary.

MAD HOT BALLROOM is more than just a feel good documentary, it entertains and informs as it allows you to be there with the children to experience and explore the process they are working through. Whether you are a ballroom dancing fan or not this documentary is well worth watching. In addition you might just feel enabled to try some dancing yourself, perhaps while you’re watching the film!

REVIEW BY – J R MARTIN – AUTHOR CREATE DOCUMENTARY FILMS, VIDEOS AND MULTIMEDIA — See other documentary reviews by J R Martin at http://www.jrmartinmedia.com/reviews

MAD HOT BALL ROOM . – 2005 – 105 Minutes – Directed by Marilyn Agrelo – Produced Amy Sewell and Marilyn Agrelo – Director of Photography Claudia Rachke-Robinson – Original Music Steven Lutivak and Joseph Baker – Paramount Classics and Just One Productions

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