Documentary Rated NR
"…a political act, of course, but that’s not the most interesting thing about it."
Any discussion of The Arbor has to begin with an explication of the hyper-meta format that’s been devised by director Clio Barnard. In revisiting the life and early death of British playwright Andrea Dunbar, Barnard recorded audio testimony from Dunbar’s adult children and other relatives, then had actors lip sync to the dialogue while performing
Documentary Rated PG-13
A documentary about a chimpanzee, in which the chimp is the only one to behave humanely. Director James Marsh was wise enough to know that it isn’t the story of Nim that is most compelling here, even if he was a chimp raised as a human child in the 1970s as part of a strange
"A cry of hope from communities of despair."
Director Richard Press gets amazing access to New York Times legend Bill Cunningham, whose on-the-street fashion photography captures style as it’s actually worn, yet Press’ documentary is too tentative to make that access pay off. Cunningham’s work is illuminated, but the man – 80 at the time of filming – remains a bit of a
"…equally intrigued by the prehistoric painters of yesteryear and those who study their work today."
"I believe Shadyac had a meaningful epiphany. I’m not sure it’s that meaningful for the rest of us."
It sounded like a bad idea: ill-fated at best, pandering at worst. Artist Vik Muniz traveled to his native Brazil to lead an art project using materials pulled from the world’s largest landfill. After meeting the destitute people there who scavenge for recyclable items, he decided to incorporate them into the project both as portrait
Documentary Rated R
A lot has been made of the opening shots of Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, which capture the cosmetically enhanced comedian having makeup applied to her bare face. The suggestion is that the documentary, from directors Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg, will be giving us the unvarnished truth. But notice that the sequence consists
“…an enthralling documentary about loneliness, deception and that place where the two often meet: Facebook.
