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"Sarah Palin: You Betcha!" is a Valuable Documentary About the Price of Talk

  • By Christopher Campbell
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  • September 30, 2011 5:05 AM
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  • 10 Comments
I don't enjoy trying to defend Nick Broomfield. His documentary style is an acquired taste, and I don't always know how to put my finger on what I like about him. What I do know is that people should never go into his films expecting something other than a Nick Broomfield film. Otherwise you're one of the millions disappointed with "Kurt & Courtney" and "Biggie & Tupac." And you'll be disappointed with his latest, "Sarah Palin: You Betcha!" (co-directed with longtime collaborator Joan Churchill), which returns him to his trademark form of first-person investigative cinema after a couple brilliant ventures into more reenacted realities. At times he is more obnoxiously bumptious here, unfortunately more comparable to Michael Moore than usual, but like Moore's main problem it's the size of the subject that hurts him the most here. Veering towards the worst of "stalk-umentary" awkwardness (I now see that Churchill also worked on "Tell Them Who You Are," which is interesting), the doc occasionally made me embarrassed for both Broomfield and my own fandom of him. From my capsule review at Movies.com:
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Watch: "Videocracy" on Silvio Berlusconi's 75th Birthday

  • By Christopher Campbell
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  • September 29, 2011 2:39 AM
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  • 0 Comments
Today, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi turns 75, a milestone birthday but one that may be quietly observed. News outlets marking the occasion note that both Italy's and Berlusconi's troubles -- economic, political, legal, et al. -- are making this a "bitter" occasion with "very little to celebrate."
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"The Whale" and "Jane's Journey" are Necessary Films for 2011 Documentary Fans

  • By Christopher Campbell
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  • September 28, 2011 10:26 AM
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  • 1 Comment
Two new documentaries, both already out in limited release and headed for expansions, are necessary for anyone keeping up with the nonfiction film trends of this year (read Daniel James Scott's piece from Documentary magazine on this zeitgeist). If you've seen or are interested in seeing "Project Nim," "Buck" and "One Lucky Elephant" (the last despite my scathing review), you have to add "The Whale" and "Jane's Journey" to your list or queue (do we still use that term now that Netflix is screwing it up?). Each is surprisingly essential to the discourse and surprisingly an engrossing entertainment.
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New Suge Knight Documentary in the Works. For Now Watch His Interview in "Biggie & Tupac"

  • By Christopher Campbell
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  • September 28, 2011 2:25 AM
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  • 7 Comments
Showtime is getting into the high profile documentary business, possibly to compete with HBO's prolific and successful nonfiction division, and has announced a new series of works made by prominent filmmakers about prominent personalities. Up first is a doc about controversial rap mogul Marion 'Suge' Knight to be directed by Antoine Fuqua, who is best known for narratives like "Training Day" but is no stranger to the nonfiction side of cinema. He helmed the popular 2004 blues concert film "Lightning in a Bottle" and produced the 2005 Los Angeles gangs history "Bastards of the Party." This new project should be a piece of cake, since as far as I can tell Knight is in full cooperation. His current record label, Black Kapital, is doing the soundtrack.
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More: Full Films

Tonight: See the Inspiring Documentary "Jane's Journey" Followed by Live Q&A With Jane Goodall

  • By Christopher Campbell
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  • September 27, 2011 5:29 AM
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  • 0 Comments
Documentary fans nationwide should make plans tonight to attend a special one-night only screening of "Jane's Journey," Lorenz Knauer's surprisingly superb film on Jane Goodall. It's probably the most hopeful and inspiring doc I've seen since "The Interrupters." This film is a little more like an ad for an organization (Roots & Shoots) than even that crowd-pleaser, but it's similarly forgivable for primarily promoting a cause and specific program because it's the sort that just can't be denied (well, as we see in the film, Goodall and her son don't always see eye to eye). Also, like "The Interrupters," "Jane's Journey" is a polished work with great storytelling -- in addition to and regardless of the positive advocacy elements. It's a quiet, respectful biographical portrait of Goodall and the work she's done for chimpanzee and (now) human preservation. It's also filled with gorgeously shot footage from her travels around the world, including new visits to the wild ape habitat of Tanzania, where her career began.
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Short Starts: Watch "Take Shelter" Star Michael Shannon as a Wacky Crack Addict in "Mullitt"

  • By Christopher Campbell
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  • September 26, 2011 2:34 AM
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  • 0 Comments
Short Starts is a column devoted to kicking off the week with a short film, typically one tied to a new release. Today we look at an early performance by Michael Shannon, whose awesome new movie “Take Shelter” opens this Friday.
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More: Comic Book Movies, Full Films

TIFF11: "Bunohan" Balances Mystical Spirituality and Gritty Violence in an Enigmatic Borderland

  • By Daniel Walber
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  • September 23, 2011 2:02 AM
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  • 0 Comments
Subtle spirituality and gritty kickboxing are two elements that don’t tend to come together too easily. Perhaps the films of Jean-Claude Van Damme deal with themes deeper than I’d noticed, but on the whole it’s pretty fair to say that the cinematic representations of this sport tend to be a little less than profound. “Bunohan” tosses all of those genre conventions out the window. At times almost delicate, Dain Said’s film balances the gritty realism of Muay Thai fighting with a delicate family drama and its almost mysterious spiritual elements.
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TIFF11: "Wuthering Heights" Cannot Sustain Its Own Atmospheric Triumph

  • By Daniel Walber
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  • September 21, 2011 9:48 AM
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  • 0 Comments
It’s been a long time since I read Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights,” back in the 9th grade. I can recall a few things. The novel makes extensive use of framing devices, revealing itself through multiple layers of storytelling. There are sweeping descriptions of the countryside and the power of nature, a hallmark of Romanticism. Mostly I remember that the story is terribly complex, necessitating a detailed family tree in my edition of the book. I retain grand impressions of its style and emotion, but not very many of the specifics.
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Guest Review: A Bride-to-Be Praises "Bridesmaids" for Equal Parts Hilarity and Relatabilty

  • By Christopher Campbell
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  • September 20, 2011 12:15 PM
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  • 0 Comments
The following guest review (from my now-wife) was originally published on May 10, 2011. It is being reposted for the film's home video release.
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More: Home Video

TIFF11: "Winnie" is a Biopic of Mrs. Mandela That Fails to Portray Her As Her Own Person

  • By Christopher Campbell
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  • September 20, 2011 6:54 AM
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  • 0 Comments
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