I have watched about seven or eight documentaries this year and almost all of them were terrific but all of them were at least good. And, I believe that this may be the strongest year for the documentary genre because in the past few years, there is always one that seems pretentious or overlong that has no explanation, background or depth in the political or inspiring figures of that topic.
I have reviewed De Palma and Before the Flood already so I managed the time to watch five more, one which took eight hours to unfold but hey, I did take one or two breaks over the course of a few days because the inside scoop of one's life was startling and very interesting. However, here are the five short reviews that I have brought upon you:
13th, NR, 4 stars
Director Ava DuVernay takes the 13th Amendment into her secret project and explores the amendment inside today's society and standards within the prison system. It is a bit odd and also shocking that most African-Americans are arrested because of minimal charges and get over-sentenced or sentenced at all. The movie explores the statistics and emotions within mass incarceration and it is brutally haunting, informative and one of the most important documentaries of the year.
Weiner, R, 4 stars
This movie explores not Anthony Weiner's campaign in New York City in 2013 and also his time in Congress but also explores how a sex scandal can impact him, his reputation and his wife, Huma Abedin. The movie explores as to how an inappropriate scandal can spark a media firestorm and PR nightmare that people in the media and in Weiner's campaign would be lost as to what to do about it. But, what is so riveting about this documentary is that we see both Weiner's and Abedin's pain from the media firestorm. It is packed with controversy, riots and emotion.
O.J.: Made in America, NR, 4 stars
Any American dream can be tarnished by one mistake and O.J. Simpson's life was definitely a highlight in the spotlight. This eight-hour documentary outlines his life from his career as an emerging football superstar in the University of Southern California to his incarceration in 2007 for robbery. His life, which was a steep rollercoaster, juxtaposes as to how society has been changing in the city of Los Angeles, as racial tensions mount between the police department and African-Americans. We all know what he did regarding the Nicole Brown case was absolutely deplorable but sometimes, we observe as to how one race stand up for one person or several people from their own race denying that the person has a high percentage of being guilty. But, also, half of the time, it is unfair for an innocent person of color to be imprisoned.
Into the Inferno, PG-13, 3 stars
This documentary is simply an exploration of active volcanoes in the nations of Indonesia, North Korea, Ethiopia, among all cities as director Werner Herzog follows volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer to find a solution to minimize volcanoes' impact. It is a fun and educational exploration as to how volcanoes work in our system and how scientists and geologists figure out how volcanoes blow up and also a way to lessen the impact.
Cameraperson, NR, 3.5 stars
This is a fascinating exploration as to how cinematographer Kristen Johnson's personal autobiography translates on screen as to how a profession in the industry can become challenging but also fruitful. We go on a journey with her as we see episodic juxtapositions as she explore the topics between images and her subjects and also the personal craftsmanship (narrative) and unfiltered discovery as to how reality is portrayed in different parts of the world. It is a great human portrait as to how a cinematographer works in the industry especially for 25 years.
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