3 out of 5. It's rare when a documentary director finds such a unique angle. Joshua Oppenheimer's THE ACT OF KILLING could have been a Ken Russell film. It was bizarre right from the start and a little unnerving how matter-of-fact the death squad leaders were about their "jobs". When they recreated the scenes of murder in lavish crime numbers or musical numbers, the haunting pallor would blanket the people involved. You could see the thousand yard stare of reliving history in their eyes. This is brave filmmaking and Oppenheimer does an excellent job at capturing it. Not for everyone, but everyone should watch if nothing more than to understand what humans are capable of.
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4 out of 5. Jason Kohn captures the flavor and feel of a filmic bygone era in MANDA BALA. More than once I had to check the date because the cinematography and color-timing of this great little documentary had me thinking it was from the 70s. There is so much to like about this quirky film. From the players, connected to political crime bosses, to the framing of people on the extreme edges of the camera. There's an underlying threat throughout the interviews too from a plastic surgeon who makes ears out of rib cartilage to a guy who specializes in bullet-proofing vehicles. There's a few very unsettling scenes but if you can hold steady you'll be surprised by this film.
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3 out of 5. ARMADILLO by Janus Metz Pedersen
is a beautifully crafted documentary almost to a fault. It follows the
lives of a group Danish soldiers to Afghanistan. Much in the same vein
as RESTREPO it balances the intensity of
firefight with the sheer boredom of nothing in between. Why this one
stands out is because it is so well shot and edited with post-coloring
effects that you sometimes forget it's real. It's still no less moving
and worth a look.
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3 out of 5. In MAN ON WIRE James Marsh delivers an exhilarating spectacle that holds your attention from the first frame. Despite it's simple subject matter and some re-staging
elements this was a really well-made documentary. It builds up the same
tension of a heist movie. With its colorful characters and ample
beautiful footage from the central character, Philippe Petit's youth it
builds to an amazing finish but not nearly as amazing as the journey
there. Some touching moments are offered by friends of Philippe. Great
pacing and very enjoyable.
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3 out of 5. Stacy Peralta's CRIPS AND BLOODS: MADE IN AMERICA is a tour-de-force of directing and editing. Beautifully
shot and incredibly educational. If you like Gangland this is by far a
slicker rendered version of L.A.'s gang history. The story is less
shocking but really educational.
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