Oscar season can be a
frustrating time for the average movie fan.
Trying to see all the best picture nominees can be nearly impossible (a
friend of mine was able to do it) with work and day to day life getting in the
way. Fortunately streaming video has
made it a lot easier to catch up.
Although I’m woefully behind on my best picture viewing and won’t get
there in time for Sunday night, I have been able to see all five nominees for
best documentary. All but one of these (20 Feet from Stardom) are available on
Netflix (it is available for rental via disc or from other digital rental
sites) (UPDATE: 20 Feet, as of March 21st, is available on Netflix Instant), so it’s pretty easy to catch at least one of these before the big
ceremony. As to which one you should
watch, here are my quick reviews of the five nominees:
20 Feet from Stardom
First up is a look at African
American back-up singers from the early 60s through today, profiling legends
like Darlene Love and up and comers like Judith Hill. It’s the lightest of the five, but it still
goes in depth into how they helped artists like The Rolling Stones, David Bowie
and Sting. They also talk about how the
role of back-up singer has changed with the business and their attempts at
taking center stage, as well as why so few of them achieved big success. I’ve always been a fan of the supporting
people who help the superstars be as great as they can be, but never get the
glory. Thankfully this film gives these
talented ladies their due.
Grade: A-
The Act of Killing
My. God. This
documentary follows two men who set about reenacting the murders of suspected
communists they committed for the Indonesian government in the 60s. It also goes into how the actions of these
men—who never received any punishment for their actions, but rather became
national heroes—shaped a country that openly discusses its brutality and
corruption without any belief that it’s wrong.
Joshua Oppenheimer doesn’t resort to cheap tricks to demonize the
subjects (it’d be pretty easy to).
Rather he lets them speak for themselves, and what they say is shocking
both in its content and how casually it is said. Unbelievable and unforgettable, The Act of
Killing is easily one of the year’s best films.
Grade: A
Cutie and the Boxer
Zachary Heinzerling’s look into the
lives of eccentric Japanese artists Ushio and Noriko Shinohara is my least
favorite of the bunch, but still worth checking out. Ushio is an established Dadaist while Noriko
is trying to make a name for herself as Ushio’s work becomes the subject of an
art show. There isn’t much more to it
than they are from Japan, living in New York and have struggled for decades on
art that usually doesn’t sell, but they are interesting characters to follow
and Heinzerling takes what they do seriously.
After some of the more serious contenders, this would be a good way to
break the tension.
Grade:
B
Dirty Wars
Dirty Wars, Richard Rowley’s
film about Jeremy Scahill’s investigation into covert operations the United
States have undertaken, specifically raids that have left a lot of civilian
casualties. His argument that the US is
finding itself plunged into a state of perpetual warfare, is well made and
non-sensationalistic, which makes it all the more chilling. If you want to feel really bad about American
foreign policy, this is the one to watch.
Grade: B+
The Square
Jehane Noujaim’s
street eye view of the Egyptian Revolution that unseated President Mubarak in
2011 is a compelling portrait of a revolution and the struggles that come with non-violet
protest. Focusing on a small group,
including a charismatic and passionate young man named Ahmed Hassan, as well as
Kite Runner actor Khalid Abdalla, The Square manages to show a lot about
Egypt so even those of us who didn’t follow this story can follow what’s happening. It’s hard not to be rooting for them as they
seek reform in their country.
Grade: A-
It should be safe to say my
should win is The Act of Killing. As to what I think will, I’m more split. Killing is innovative in how it tells
its story and has a good chance of bringing home the trophy, but there is also
a chance 20 Feet from Stardom will
take it, as it is lighter fare and more crowd pleasing. Regardless, this is a pretty solid batch of
films and I think whatever you pick will be at least interesting.
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