There has never been a year where I’ve seen more
docs than this one – 54 in total – and I still missed the one that may be the
most honored of the year (Jane). Oh
Well, I’ll catch up with that. As for the rest:
David
Lynch The Art Life(Jon Nguyen/Rick Barnes/Olivia Neergaard-Holm)
is
brilliantly made, but hollow – they don’t get much introspection from Lynch
(not unusual) – but they don’t get much in the way of interesting quotes either
(very unusual) – as a Lynch fan, this was way too surface level for me. I Am Jane Doe (Mary Mazzio) tells an
incredibly important story, about sex trafficking going on under our noses, and
yet I don’t think it ever delves past the surface level here. An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to
Power (Bonni Cohen & Jon Shenk) is a disappointing and
dry sequel to the Oscar winning doc – with too much focus on Al Gore, and not
enough on global warming, or anything else. Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower (Joe Piscatella) doesn’t dig into
its subject – a young, student activist in Hong Kong taking on the Chinese
government – enough to make it any more than a by-the-numbers inspiration doc. L.A. Burning (One9 & Erik Parker) is
the weakest of the L.A. Riot 25 years later docs that I saw – it’s too
superficial to get to the heart of the subject. My Scientology Movie (John Dower) is glib, and takes too many cheap
shots throughout – even Scientology deserves a more thoughtful approach.
American
Anarchist (Charlie Siskel) is a fascinating look at the man
who wrote the infamous Anarchist Cookbook, and spent the rest of his life
actively ignoring any consequences that came out of it. The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography (Errol Morris) would
have been a killer short doc by Morris – but stretched into feature length,
feels thin, if still fascinating. Burn
Motherfucker, Burn! (Sacha Jenkins) is likely the most ambitious of the
L.A. Riot docs I saw – but perhaps too much so, as it cannot quite shoehorn it
all into 90 minutes. 11/8/16 (Various) is
a multifaceted documentary about various people, all around America, on the day
Donald Trump won the election – which depending on your politics is either
triumphant or a slow motion horror film and is always interesting, but never
that insightful. The Reagan Show (Sierra
Pettengill & Pacho Velez) looks at the movie star President through
archival footage, in a way that is both somewhat limiting, but also
illuminating on Reagan – and the current occupant of the White House. Rodney King (Spike Lee) is a
fascinating, one man show by Roger Guenveur Smith about Rodney King, perhaps
the most emotional the L.A. Riots docs of the year (is it a doc? I’ll still say
yes). Oklahoma City/Ruby Ridge (Barak
Goodman) are a pair of docs, neither of which are long enough, to fully
dive into their complicated cases that loom very large in current American
society – a series would have been better, because as good as these are,
there’s so much more here. Unrest
(Jennifer Brea) is an interesting look at living with chronic fatigue
syndrome – and how difficult it can be to get treatment or funding for a cure. Voyeur (Myles Kane & Josh Koury) is
a somewhat fascinating story about legendary journalist Gay Talese, who may or
may not have been fooled by a man who told him he spied on people for years at
the motel he owned and operated.
City
of Ghosts (Matthew Heineman) is an engrossing
portrait of citizen journalists doing on the ground reporting in Syria. Chasing Coral (Jeff Orlowski) is a beautiful and sad
documentary about our disappearing coral reefs around the world due to global
warming – it finds a very good way to make a message doc without being (overly)
preachy. Cries from Syria (Evgeny
Afineevsky) is the best of the three Syria documentaries I saw this year –
and the most comprehensive, which makes it good for those who want to know the
backstory, but not great for a deep dive. Icarus (Bryan Fogel) would have been even
better had director Bryan Fogel realized no one was interested because of his
story – when he looks at the Russian scientist who ran their doping ring, it’s
great – when its focused on Fogel, not so much. Kingdom of Us (Lucy Cohen) is a heartbreaking doc about one family,
still dealing with the fallout of their father’s suicide 6 years ago. Last Men in Aleppo (Firas Fayyad) is
another heartbreaking doc – this one about the White Helmets, who drive around
Syria and help those buried under rumble – its immediacy is its biggest
strength. Machines (Rahul Jain) is a
brilliantly shot film that takes us inside an Indian textile factory, and in a
way that doesn’t preach – but perhaps doesn’t illuminate as much as it should
either. 78/52 (Alexandre O. Phillippe) is
best when it film geeks out about Hitchcock’s shower sequence in Psycho – a
little less so when it pontificates about its place in history, or gets lost in
hero worship.
The
Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (David France) tries
to do too much – but as a portrait of the long, complex and ongoing battle for Trans
rights – through this one woman’s tragic story – it is excellent. Get Me Roger Stone (Dylan Bank & Daniel DiMauro &
Morgan Pehme) will
enrage you in its portrait of flamboyant, powerful, liar Roger Stone, as he
stumps for Trump – he’d be funny, if he weren’t so cynically evil. Joan Didion: The Center Will Not
Hold (Griffin Dunne) is a wonderful, loving introduction to the iconic,
brilliant writer – whose work is still brilliant and relevant. Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press
(Brian Knappenberger) is terrific as it documents the questionable lawsuit
about Hulk Hogan vs. Gawker – which should be scary for anyone who cares about
free speech – but gets less so as it gets preachier. Risk (Laura Poitras) is a film that continues to grow on me, as
Poitras’ portrait of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks is a bundle of contradictions
– and its all the more effective because of it. Strong Island (Yance Ford) is a very sad doc about a sister
investigating her brothers killing 25 years ago – another young black man who
is dead because a white man was “scared”.
All
These Sleepless Night (Michael Marczak) is a beautiful,
enthralling hybrid of fact and fiction about young adulthood. The Bomb (Kevin Ford & Smriti Keshari
& Eric Schlosser) is a fascinating, hour long montage of footage of the
atomic bomb, which basically acts as a history of, and warning for the future,
about nuclear weapons – a necessary film in a year where nuclear war seemed
possible again. Dina (Antony Santini
& Dan Sickles) is a sympathetic, non-patronizing documentary about two
people with Asperger’s getting married – and the various challenges they face,
from sex, to Dina overcoming the violence in her past. Human Flow (Ai Weiwei) is a both a beautiful and timely film about
the global refugee crisis – a comprehensive overview of the human cost of the
crisis. Mommy Dead and Dearest (Erin Lee
Carr) is a fascinating documentary, about one of the weirdest true crime
cases of recent years. One of Us (Rachel
Grady & Heidi Ewing) is a look inside the Hasidic Jewish community in
New York – from the point of view of a few people who have left, and paid a price
for it. STEP (Amanda Lipitz) is an
inspiring documentary about young women finding their way in their last year in
high school – and also a fascinating portrait of Baltimore, and a portrait of
multiple generations of African American women. Trophy (Christina Clusiau & Shaul Schwarz) is a fascinating and
surprisingly complex look at the trophy hunting industry. Whose Streets? (Sabaah Folayan) is a fascinating, grounds-eye view
of what happened in Ferguson, Missouri in the aftermath of the death of Michael
Brown.
Top
15
David Crowley was a veteran who grew paranoid and
became obsessed with the world of conspiracies after his military service – and
who became a figure in that world with his purposed movie – Gray State. It all
came to an end when his daughter, his wife and himself were found dead in their
home – after a year, police state that all the evidence points to a
murder-suicide, with Crowley as the culprit. While some in the conspiracy world
don’t buy it – what Nelson does in the documentary is show Crowley’s decline in
mental health, leading to the tragedy that happened, for reasons that will
never be fully known. While some on the internet aren’t sure Crowley did it –
those that knew him aren’t on board. The film is sad and tragic, and although
Nelson makes a few odd choices (including the bizarre ending scenes),
ultimately A Gray State is a great true crime doc, whose reputation will likely
grow over time – as it didn’t get much attention this year.
14.
Long Time Running (Jennifer Baichwal & Nicholas de Pencier)
If it’s Canadian bias keeping Long Time Running on
my best of list of docs this year, so be it. This emotionally charged
documentary, about the last tour of The Tragically Hip, in the wake of the
brain cancer diagnosis for front man Gord Downie (who died, shortly after the
film premiered at TIFF) really is a music documentary at its finest. Not only
do director Baichwal and de Pencier do a great job of capturing a lot of
wonderful concert footage – they also capture the crowds, giving you a sense of
just how beloved this band was in Canada. Honestly, I’m not sure Canada will
ever produce a band as beloved as The Hip again – the conditions had to be just
right for it to happen at all – and this is a fitting, final chapter for them.
This is the one doc this year that I guarantee people in Canada will be
watching for years to come.
This underrated documentary examined the infamous
crime – where two little girls stabbed their friend, almost to death apparently
because the “Slenderman” told them to – but also the entire phenomenon of the
Slenderman itself, and internet memes, and their place in the larger tradition
of storytelling and urban myths. Yes, as a true crime junkie, I was predisposed
to like this film – but I really think this film does an interesting job in
digging deeper than the headlines, and getting at the heart of the case – and its
larger implications. As true crime docs go, it isn’t one of the best ever – but
it’s still very good.
12.
Dawson City: Frozen Time (Bill Morrison)
Back in the 1970s, in the frozen Yukon, underneath
a swimming pool of all things, they discovered a treasure trove of silent films
from the 1910s and 1920s. They were there because once upon a time, Dawson City
was the last stop for many films that made their way around the country – and
the studios didn’t want the prints back, so they just disposed of them. The
documentary Dawson City: Frozen Time is a fascinating one – it looks at the
films themselves, as well as the history of Dawson in the decades since they
stopped being a thriving gold rush town, into the place it is today. The film
is part film history – and part real history – and all of it is fascinating.
I Called Him Morgan is a fascinating, visually
impressive documentary about Lee Morgan – famed jazz trumpeter, who died way
too young, after his wife shot him in 1972. The film is built around interviews
with her – as she was aging and dying – but out of jail – in the 1990s, where
she tells of their bizarre relationship, and everything that led up to that
tragic night in the first place. The film is beautiful and sad – a celebration
of the great music Morgan left behind, but also an elegy for the tragic life of
its two centrals characters – who basically destroyed each other, leaving only
sadness in their wake.
10.
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (Steve James)
In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, many
wanted to know why no one truly went after the banks – the ones who gave out
the predatory loans that got everyone into the mess in the first place – loans
they damn sure should have known were never going to get paid back. Well, they
did go after one bank – Abacus, located in Chinatown, in New York, and serving
the immigrant community there – Abacus was hardly at fault for the collapse of
the markets, or the financial crisis that followed – and didn’t really give out
the kind of loans that sank everything anyway. There was malfeasance – on the
part of a couple of employees, than when discovered, the bank actually went to
their regulators with! Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters, Life Itself)
tells their story – a ridiculous one, as they had to go on trial for their
lives, when no one could even say what they did wrong. You may never feel more
sympathy for a bank than you do in this film. 
Kedi
is more than just 80 minutes of cat videos (although that sounds delightful) it
really is a portrait of the old Istanbul – which residents fear is slowly
slipping away. The film starts out focusing on one of its seven cat subjects –
who roam the streets and are beloved by residents, and gets some remarkable
footage of them – low to the ground as they hunt or play (or both). Then, gradually,
the film pulls back and shows the people who love the cats, and in essence the
community they engender by being there. Turkey is, of course, going through
massive changes – many of them not good – and while the film never delves into
them deeply here, they undeniably play out in the background. Yes, this is a
wonderful film about cats – but it’s also about more than that.
8.
Rat Film (Theo Anthony)
I really don’t know what to make of Theo Anthony’s
Rat Film – a weird, strange, surreal documentary about the rat problem in
Baltimore. But it’s really a lot more than that – it is a portrait of the city,
and various parts of the city that you normally don’t see. It tackles social
issues, racial issues and psychological issues. The film shifts focuses and
tones throughout and ends up a portrait more of poverty than anything else. As
one person says in the film “Baltimore doesn’t have a rat people. It has a
people problem”. You live in crowded, dirty conditions, rats are going to
follow.
7.
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (Chris Smith)
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond is about two
comedic geniuses – Jim Carrey and Andy Kaufman – and what one of them went
through the play the other. The film is made up of footage from the set on the
1999 film Man on the Moon – where Carrey played Kaufman – and a modern day
interview with Carrey, who reflects on the experience. The onset footage is
insane – its method acting in the extreme, if it’s to be entirely believed (and
I’m not sold that it is) – and Carrey’s candid interview shows us a side of him
we don’t often get to see – drawing the parallels between the two of them
closer. The film is entertaining, sure, but it’s something more than that as
well – a portrait of Carrey, that makes him more human than ever before, and one
of Kaufman, where he remains the enigma he always wanted to be.
6.
Wormwood (Errol Morris)
Legendary director Errol Morris’ latest film is one
of his most daring – a four plus hour hybrid documentary/drama, with
re-enactments featuring movie stars like Peter Sarsgaard as Frank Olson – who
in 1953, died after falling out a hotel window. 22 years later, the CIA – who
Olson worked for – released some information about his death – saying he was a
part of a LSD study that may have interacted with his suicidal tendencies that
led to his death. But Olson’s son has dedicated his life to discovering the
truth – he believes, his father was murdered by the CIA to keep him silent –
and he isn’t the only one who thinks so. You can quibble with the film – it
really didn’t need to be four hours for example, and there are moments where
Morris probably indulges into too much conspiracy theorizing – but overall,
this is a fascinating, one-of-a-kind documentary hybrid, that only Morris could
make.
There were a lot of fine documentaries about the
L.A. riots this – to mark its 25th Anniversary – and this isn’t even
the best one. But what this National Geographic documentary does do better than
any of the other films this year, is place you back in 1992 – and lets you
watch as the whole thing plays out TV in front of you. It’s like if you were
channel surfing during those days. The film provides a little context off the
top (which is important), but its main goal is to recreate the riots as most of
the country – and world – experienced it back in 1992. The film is one big
montage – brilliantly edited and framed.
4.
Let it Fall Los Angeles 1982-1992 (John Ridley)
Of all the L.A. Riot films to come out this year,
John Ridley’s Let It Fall is the best (by the narrowest of margins). The film
spends about an hour on the decade leading up to the riots – placing them in
larger context of what was happening in the city, with the deaths of young
black men at the hands of the police, the controversial police chief, the L.A.
Olympics, and a criminal justice system people did not think was working for
various reasons. The next hour, is dedicated to the riots themselves – from the
point-of-view of those who were there (cops and civilians). The last 20 minutes
or so are a fascinating coda about the justice system’s response to the riots –
who was charged, and what happened. Ridley has assembled pretty much every
living person you would want to hear from in the doc – and has made the most
comprehensive doc of them all on the subject. Arguably the most important doc
of the year.
3.
Casting JonBenet (Kitty Green)
Most of the reactions I’ve seen to Kitty Green’s
wonderful Casting JonBenet can be summed us thusly: “Huh?” The film is not a
typical documentary on the infamous JonBenet Ramsey case – the last thing we
need is another one of those. It’s something deeper, darker and creepier than
that. What Green does is go to Boulder, and hold open casting for a movie about
the case – and then talks to the people who show up to audition about the case.
This approach would only work for a small number of cases – those ones that we
all know so well (and in Boulder, they know it even more). What the result is
really about is how we consume true crime, and what we make of it – there is
all sorts of weirdness happening here, and the proper reaction is to be creeped
out by some of it, laugh at others, etc. True crime is having a moment right
now – it has been for years, ever since Serial Season 1 – and yet we haven’t
seen much about how we view true crime. This is that documentary – and it’s
great.
2.
The Work (Jairus McLeary & Gethin Aldous)
The Work is a devastating and simple documentary
that sits back and observes a four day group therapy session at Folsom Prison –
most of the participants are inmates, but they welcome civilians in as well, to
help everyone break down barriers. The film is simple in terms of its technique
– it doesn’t push, it simply sits back and observes, as these men really do try
and drill down into their cores, to figure out what went wrong, why, and how to
move forward. It’s a fascinating documentary – and not one that builds to a
sentimental or phony finale – but rather acknowledges that even at the end of
the movie, a lot of work has to be done. This is an emotionally devastating
documentary – all the more so because it never strains in attempting to be just
that.
1.
Faces Places (Agnes Varda & JR)
The great Agnes Varda – who is now 89 years old,
and who has been directing movies for over 60 years – teams up with JR – a
visual artist in his 30s – for one of the most entertaining documentaries you
will ever see. The pair travel around France in JR’s special van – which allows
him to print out large photos, which he then uses to paste onto the side of
buildings (or anything else he wants), to make huge tableaus. Through the
course of the film you get to know both of these artists – separated by so
much, yet so similar – and the all the people they meet, which span different
walks of life. The film even climaxes with a hearty fuck you to Jean-Luc
Godard, which I’m always done for (for the record, I like much of Godard’s work,
but he does strike me as an asshole). The film is simple and pleasurable, and
just downright fun. If this is the last work from Varda, you couldn’t ask for a
better culmination of a brilliant career.
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