Three Identical Strangers (2018), PG-13, ★★★1/2

This is a movie that is about the story of a set of American triplets - David Kellman, Bobby Shafran and Eddy Galland - that were adopted at a young age by separate families. They were unaware that they are brothers. They were part of an experiment which was a "nature vs nurture" twin study in which what would happens if they are raised in different environments in different circumstances. They discovered each other at the age of 19 and the movie how they found each other and how they got along with each other. But, the documentary goes in different directions that are unexpected and dark that keeps you attentive with such grace and sadness.

But, the movie unravels with thrills and keeps you guessing until some of those revelations, happy, sad and shocking, maybe all at else. It is not solely a heartwarming story about three boys founding each other but it is a mystery of not about trying to find each other but also what they were up to with their different backgrounds. This movie is like a big fascinating quilt of memories or revelations that you want to keep but maybe second-guess because of the horror and sadness behind those revelations.

Director Tim Wardle and editor Michael Harte do a fascinating job of pinpointing the music, interview excerpts and footage of creating a mosaic of family but mixed with ethics and identity that is quite extraordinary, knowing that all three come from three different classes. This documentary has as many twists as in a mainstream thriller with such compelling evidence taken from great use of investigative journalism that is such a rollercoaster ride in a taut 96 minute film. Even though I did not give as much away in this review, you can research this story about these three brothers on the net and find out what happened as it was a great story in the 1980s and it is also fantastic that this documentary exists and this story has come back to light. Go into this movie as cold as possible and you'll be rewarded with such a riveting and emotional experience.

***1/2

Comments

2015 Documentaries

I have only seen 6 documentaries this year which also includes Amy and I Am Chris Farley . But, I have to be honest, this has not been a particularly strong year for documentaries except for onethat got me emotionally and mentally as what I examine for when they uncover the truth or some facts from the people involved in these documentaries. But, here are the four I have seen this year: Listen To Me Marlon, Unrated, 4 stars This is the most insightful documentary of the year as we only hear Marlon Brando narrating his life and experiences what he has gone through regarding his family, his private life and his film experiences regarding The Godfather , Apocalypse Now , Last Tango in Paris , etc. It is like Marlon Brando came out of his grave to give us another profoundly moving movie only we hear his voice and scenery and nothing else. The Look of Silence, R, 3.5 stars Joshua Oppenheimer's follow-up documentary is a light-hearted but still-disturbing film regarding a ...

Daddy's Home 2 (2017), PG-13, ★1/2

The first Daddy's Home was surprisingly a financial success as I thought it was not as bad as many people thought. I thought it was a solid cable watch because it had enough laughs for that sort of mixed recommendation. I was not craving for a sequel for this movie because again, comedy sequels have a very bad record, however, the only difference is that it is not too late since the first movie came out a few years ago. But, this sequel is a reminder as to why we do not need a sequel to a hit comedy because this is a pretty much forgettable comedy, especially a holiday comedy...which I hade a guilty pleasure for. This did not work for me. Brad and Dusty (Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) have become friends after the events of the first film and they set up a co-dad system where their two children, Megan and Dylan, spending time at each father's home. Dusty has re-married to writer Karen (Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio) and he is step-dad to Adrianna, Karen...

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), R, 4 stars

The stockbrokers worshipping Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) like a god. Wall Street. The clients, the adrenaline, the stocks, the money, the power, and the decadence. The former three pertains to the man's job, but the latter three pertains what any stockbroker wants in order to have the freedom to do whatever they want with the client's money. As Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey) would say, "The name of the game is: move the money from your client's pocket into your pocket." We basically spend three hours seeing all of these Wall-Street scumbags steal the clients' money into their own pockets and spend it on booze, drugs, women, and other insane things in more insane activities. I have witnessed here is a great movie that I would not watch repetitively. The movie starts with Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) blowing cocaine onto a hooker's butt and he and his brokers throwing a little person onto a board with a dollar sign in the center. It'...

Caro the Movie Critic

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