FireStats error : Error connecting to database ');//-->

Entries Tagged 'Documentary' ↓

Capitalism: A Love Story

Capitalism: A Love Story
Gavin Grade: B


Tyson (Rated R)
Gavin Grade: B+

It’s a widely accepted theory that Mike Tyson is one of two or three greatest boxers to ever live.  I remember being a kid and watching him fight on TV and thinking that he was unstoppable.  Of course as I and Tyson got older I found out that not only was he stoppable, but he stopped himself.  I became less and less of a fan of his.  But what this documentary, by director James Tobak, did was show exactly what it would be like if you were a trusted friend of Mike Tyson’s and he invited you into his home and told you his life story as honestly as he could.  I guess in a lot of ways, that’s what a true documentary is suppose to be.  But this movie doesn’t cover one man’s life really but covers one man talking about his life.  Tyson, who doesn’t stop talking through the entire film, doesn’t spare us any major milestone.  He talks about growing up in Brooklyn as a little criminal, his climb to fame, his scandalous marriage, his horrible money management, and even why he bit off Holyfield’s ear during a fight.  He talks about his rape conviction, to which he still insists that he’s innocent of and does a good job of convincing you of that.  Even though he was found guilty, it makes you wonder why a guy who’s being so honest that he would admit to his STDs he’s caught, would still lie about committing a crime he already served jailtime for.  What was one of the most insightful moments was watching him talk about his first coach, Cus D’Amato.  This is a man who saved him from the ghetto and a life of crime and was the only father he ever had.  Tyson breaks down and cries while talking about him and you get the feeling that you’re watching a rare sight of a dangerous wild animal be tender to its young.  You feel for Tyson at the same you feel uneasy around him.  The movie isn’t made for fans nor does it attempt to make you a fan.  It just is what it is…and so is Tyson.  It’s a portrait of a complex, scary, frightened and insecure man who shares in his own words every win and every loss…and what happened inside the ring as well.  It’s sad, tragic, scary and inspiring, which mirrors the man himself I feel after watching it.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Anvil! The Story of Anvil (Rated R)
Gavin Grade: A+

I am not a fan of Hair Metal.  Musically, I could care less about this band from the ’80s named Anvil.  In fact, I was only 4-years-old when they reached the brief height of success.  But now it’s 2009 and this Canadian band is STILL playing music and STILL trying to make it even though 30 years have gone by.  This movie is about that journey.  But as it turns out, it’s about much more than music.  The documentary is a better version (which is no easy task) of the 2000 documentary “American Movie” but it’s failed musicians this time and not failed movie makers.  It’s directed by Sacha Gervasi, who fought to get the movie made since he is and still has been a loyal Anvil fan all these years.  I would think that the urge to make this movie and throw yourself in front of the camera and become part of the story (a la Michael Moore) would be overwhelming, but Gervasi doesn’t do that.  In fact that is part of the reason why it’s such a charming film.  That type of subjective filmmaking would’ve made the core of the film seem less authentic and that is the human relationships that the two main characters have with each other and their families.  Lead Singer, “Lips” Kudlow and Drummer, Robb Reiner (not the Director/Actor) are more than bandmates, they’re lifelong friends that share a bond that most brothers don’t even have.  It honestly made me miss my best friend (who lives on the East Coast) even more than I already did.  Through the strength of their friendship and the impressive and moving love of their families the band is able to go on.  Because of that soulful impression they make on the audience, you find yourself routing for these guys even if you think their music is crap.  “Anvil” is one of those rare movies that is hilarious, heartbreaking and triumphrant but even more importantly…real.  It’s the perfect movie for anyone who’s still chasing the American Dream…which is ironic because they’re Canadian.


Earth (Rated G)
Gavin Grade: B-

This is the first film in what is going to be a series of eco-themed movies from a new studio called Disney: Nature.  The next one is called “Ocean” and it comes out next year on…you guessed it, Earth Day.  I wanted to see this movie since the first time I saw the moving trailer for it, but it was disappointing that the trailer was far better.  Disney teamed up with the BBC to make this film, but the BBC had basically already filmed most of it.  In fact, you may have already seen it on TV under the name “Planet Earth.”  Now, that shouldn’t take anything away from this considering that it’s one of the most beautifully shot pieces of film I’ve seen in maybe a decade.  The Time-Lapse photography is jaw-dropping in the way that it captures entire seasons as it shows everything from plants growing to entire landscapes changing.  The craft that went into the use of High-Speed cameras to capture the Slow Motion shots of such things as a cheetah hunting, are stunning and gorgeous!  But that leads me to the first problem, don’t let the “G Rating” fool you; this is not a film for the whole family.  An alternate title of this may by “Adorable Baby Animals Get Eaten for 90 Minutes.”  And since so much of the film follows families of animals, this makes parts of it really hard to watch with kids…or my 20-something year-old girlfriend for that matter.  The other flaw with it is that it’s kind of boring.  Yes there are thrilling sequences of narrow escapes (or almost-escapes), amazing scenery that you would never see if these directors didn’t show it to you and incredible stories of nature, but it doesn’t move very well.  James Earl Jones narrates it (of course) and at times he almost sounds bored.  However it is an important movie to see.  It doesn’t get preachy about global warming, pollution or over-crowding at all.  But it stands as a monument that this planet is punishing and rewarding; and that life is bigger and more connected than you can imagine.