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American Factory Quick Take

American Factory Directors Steven Bognar and Julia Rechert
Rating *****

This documentary is jammed pack with relevant content: the decline of factory jobs, culture differences between China and America, an argument for unions, and the role of automation in job replacement.

This is the first film from the Obamas Netflix deal. It’s not political except to point out the many complexities facing world economies and trade deals.

The film starts out with the impact that a GM plant closing has on the workers and the surrounding community of Dayton, Ohio. After eight plus years of blight, hope appears in the form of a Chines automotive glass company called Fuyao. The CEO of the company promises to revitalize the community with jobs. Thousands of workers are hired. They are trained by Chinese employees from a sister plant in China.

The Chinese managers and Fuyao CEO quickly form an impression of American Workers as lazy and hard to manage. The American workers, on the other hand, soon realize that the promised jobs pay only $12 an hour, more than half what they earned with GM. The work is tedious and in some cases unsafe.

To help expedite the training, a number of American workers fly to China to see how the workers there perform the same jobs. This is where the stark differences between China and America stand out. The Chinese employees work 12 hour days with only two days off a month. They work in unsafe conditions. They sing songs about the company and march as if they are in the military as opposed to working for a company.

This is life in a communist country. Children grow up with absentee parents. Workers have no voice. Industry pollutes the air, water, and land with impunity.

I belong to a union. This film shows the important role unions play in a worker’s pay, benefits, and working conditions. Unions give workers a voice.

The answer the Chinese find for their hard to manage American workers is to fire union organizers, then replace as many as possible with automation.

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Two nonfiction film quicktakes

I have two really good nonfiction films to recommend. First up is Apollo 11.
Apollo 11 directed by Todd Douglas Miller.
Rating *****

Back in 1994 while working on the interactive CD-ROM Apollo XIII: A Week to Remember, I had the chance to fly to Houston where I interviewed four Apollo 13 flight controllers. I conducted the videotaped interviews in the original mission control. One of the controllers I interviewed was Gene Kranz. In putting together the CD-ROM, we were able to access a treasure trove of audio, images, and video to aid in telling our story. Best of all, we paid either very little or nothing for the material thanks to NASA public affairs.

Director Todd Miller did the same thing and ended up with a ninety-three-minute documentary made up solely of archival footage hidden away in NASA’s vaults. The end result is a compelling look at one of our most noteworthy historical achievements.

This film shows the importance of editing. There are no talking heads. There is no voice over. The whole film simply takes the available footage shot during this time period and pieces it together to tell the Apollo 11 story from the viewpoint of those who were there. No tricks. No special effects. Just skillful editing of existing footage.

We are fast approaching the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 space flight. I encourage you to see this film with your kids or grandkids. Let them experience the thrill of space flight as it actually happened. The real thing is so much better than Hollywood’s version as told in the film First Man.

Hotel Mumbai written by John Collee and Anthony Maras. Directed by Anthony Maras
Rating *****

I read a review of this movie by a critic who complained that there wasn’t enough character development. That’s nuts. You have two hours to tell a story that took place over several days and involved the murder of hundreds of innocent people. Do you really want to waste thirty minutes to more fully develop a few characters? That would require a documentary or drama series. This film does an excellent job of putting the viewer right in the crosshairs of those ten terrorists as they went about their murderous rampage.

This film kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The acting was superb. The editing was spot on as the story unfolded from the initial attacks to the serene scene at the hotel before the terrorists arrived.

The last time I saw a film this intense was the film Aliens. This was at the same level of heart-pounding intensity.

What happened in Mumbai could happen anywhere. It already has. You don’t have to have superheroes and Road-Runner like killings every few seconds to tell a compelling story. The real thing is much more powerful.

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Two documentary quick takes

I have two excellent documentaries worth your time.

First up is Three Identical Strangers directed by Tim Wardle.
Rating *****

I got to see this one in the theatre, which I might add was jam packed. This is the story of three identical twins who were separated at birth. Neither the twins nor their adoptive parents knew about each other. The truth only emerged nineteen years later. The whole story of how the three twins were reunited and what happened after they were reunited makes for an interesting story. But the story becomes even more unbelievable as the facts surrounding their separation are revealed. I can’t say too much without giving things away. Let’s just say that things don’t turn out like you might expect.

Second up is the Netflix documentary The Bleeding Edge
Rating *****

This documentary is a detailed look at the medical devices industry. The filmmakers do an admirable job of presenting a balanced film. They show how the medical device industry has revolutionized medicine, benefitting thousands of patients. But they also show the downside to an industry where profits and political maneuvering outweigh the benefits. I don’t want to get political in this review, but for everyone out there who thinks that regulations are a hindrance to business, you need to see this film. There are very good reasons why we have regulations to protect consumers. This film shows what can happen when you let industry govern themselves. My advice, don’t let anyone put a foreign object in your body without doing as much research as you can.

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Wild Wild Country Quick Take

Wild Wild Country directed by Chapman and Maclain Way
Rating *****

Here is another documentary series to add to your watch list. This story takes place in the early-to-mid 1980s. I remember hearing about it in the media. My take at the time was that this was another one of those crazy cults with a crazy leader and even crazier followers. That was how the media reported the story. But as is usually the case, the media is more interested in cute sounding sound bites and short two minute clips that they can put on the evening news as opposed to any in depth coverage. The real story was much more complicated.

I have been a fan of documentary series ever since Making a Murderer. I listed some of my favorite docudrama and documentary series in my Everything Nonfiction docudrama and documentary series guide. These six to eight hour series allow for an in depth look at a subject. Ken Burns has made a living at creating documentary series.

Wild Wild Country explores a fascinating story with many twists and turns. Using recent interviews interspersed with archival footage, the filmmakers tell the story of Indian Guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his attempt to create a utopian society in Oregon. The story is told mostly through several key players: Bhaqwan’s personal secretary Sheela, his personal lawyer Phillip Toelkes, and several of Bhagwan’s followers.

It starts off innocent enough. The goal is to create the ideal community. Once Sheela is given the go ahead to find a place where the Bhaqwan can expand, she sets out to find the ideal spot. She settles on 80,000 acres of undeveloped ranch land in Oregon. Here she begins to develop the ideal community with what seems like an unlimited amount of funds. As the community grows and more and more people begin travelling to this new city in the mountains, the locals become bitter. They don’t like these people who they see as invaders. They hate what they don’t understand. There is resentment. There are efforts to stop them at any cost before they take over their tiny community.

The filmmakers do a good job of showing all sides of this conflict. On the one hand you root for Sheela and her attempts to create Utopia. But once Sheela is pushed into a corner, she fights back and little by little she exerts more pressure and her methods eventually turn criminal. The locals and politicians who at first come across as ignorant and unjustified eventually gain the upper hand.

Before it is all said and done the whole thing collapses almost as fast as it all started. This series is worth your time. See it.

 

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Everything nonfiction docudrama and docuseries guide

Over the last several months I have been able to watch a number of excellent docudramas and docuseries. I wanted to share with you a list of some of the very best multi-episode documentaries and docudramas that are available right now.

The six part Waco series on the Paramount network is as good as anything you will watch this year. Some might argue that the series favors the Branch Davidians. They will say this because the official record according to the FBI is that those who lost their lives in the Waco incident committed mass suicide. This docudrama tells a more realistic version of what actually happened. The last episode is a heartbreaking look at that terrible day. Look for this on demand from the Paramount network. And don’t forget to watch the companion documentary shorts that tie in to each episode.

This CNN six part documentary series provides an in depth look at the Patty Hearst kidnapping and subsequent trials. Available on demand from CNN.

This is a Netflix original documentary series. Read the full review here.

Here is another original Netflix documentary series. Read the full review here.

In the vain of American Greed, these one hour episodes are enlightening. See it on Netflix.

The last of my Netflix recommendations is this multi-episode series on the food industry.

 

 

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Two books, two films, four quicktakes

I will close out 2017 with a couple of QuickTakes. First up is the book and film The Glass Castle.

Book

The Glass Castle written by Jeannette Walls (Previously reviewed here)

Film

The Glass Castle writers Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Lanham directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Rating *****

It’s been six years since I read the book. What I remembered of the book was that the author’s parents, especially the father, came across as sympathetic at times and borderline crazy at other times. Woody Harrelson does a good job of showing both of these emotional juxtapositions. The script hit all of the highs and lows from the book. As you watch the film you want to strangle both parents, but then one or both will do something that redeems them ever so briefly. I don’t think anyone could have done a better job than Woody Harrelson did in this part. He deserves a best actor nomination. I especially liked seeing clips of the real people during the credits.

Book

The Disaster Artist written by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell
Rating **** 1/2

I both read and listened to this book. I enjoyed the audio version. It’s one thing to try and capture someone’s voice when writing a character.  Tommy Wiseau, the man at the center of this story, is one unique character with a strange affect and even stranger accent. Author Greg Sestero does a very good job of recreating both in his narration.

I have not seen the film The Room. Having read this book and just recently seen the film based on the book, I would have liked to have been able to watch the film. Someone dropped the ball here. Tommy, if you are reading this, get on the phone right now with Netflix. You are missing out by not having your film available for streaming. Then again, after reading the book and watching the film by James Franco, I’m pretty sure Tommy won’t listen to me.

Lots of people are willing to fund their own projects, whether that means a book or a film. But I don’t think you will find very many people willing to put up six million dollars of their own cash to see their vision come to life. That’s what Tommy Wiseau did. My only problem with the book was that I felt it ended too abruptly. I wanted to know what happened after the premier. No epilogue. No update on how and when things turned around. There are hints and anecdotes sprinkled throughout, but I would have liked another three or four chapters to tell the story of what happened once Tommy’s six million dollar bet netted him just $1,800 in ticket sales.

Film

The Disaster Artist written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, directed by James Franco
Rating *****

I happened to see this film just days after finishing the book. James Franco nails it. He was crazy. He was sympathetic. He was honest. There are a couple of times in the movie where James Franco displays vulnerability without any dialogue. He very easily could have made this into a mocking of Tommy Wiseau and the film The Room. Instead, he tells a very human story of someone with determination and many flaws. I loved the whole premiere scene. Tommy’s reaction once the audience starts laughing is memorable. I think James Franco is also deserving of a best actor nomination.

The film condenses time and does away with some story lines in the book, but those compromises don’t diminish the story being told. The irony here is that what many consider to be a very bad movie has resulted in a very entertaining one.