Everything Nonfiction

Quick take

You are here: Home / Archives for Quick take

By Leave a Comment

A soundtrack disaster

Since this site is dedicated to nonfiction, I won’t write a full review of the film Da Five Bloods. Besides, I could not make it all the way through. So writing a review would be unfair. But I did want to see if anyone out there shared my viewpoint on the soundtrack to this film.

Before I get to the mismatch of the soundtrack, a few words about my initial reaction to the film. First thought, this is what you get when you give a director total control. It had a decent concept. But Spike Lee kept getting in the way. Here is a short list of problems I picked up in the first hour that I did see: the jarring use of aspect ratio and film format to portray flashbacks, stereotype characters, the fact that the characters stay the same age even in the flashbacks; the random use of archival footage that added nothing, prolonged use of scenes that do nothing to advance plot or character, like the ten-minute long scene about a Vietnamese man trying to sell them a chicken.

Now to the soundtrack. I am a fan of film soundtracks. I have a playlist of nothing but film soundtracks A good soundtrack lifts a film from good to great. Here are just a few examples of great movie soundtracks: Risky Business, Gladiator, Braveheart, Amadeus, Jane Eyre, and Thelma & Louise.

A good soundtrack should not call attention to itself. If you want an example of how a soundtrack can ruin a film, watch Da Five Bloods. There is one scene in particular that completely took me out of the film. It’s the battle scene after the helicopter crash. The scene is bad enough without the mismatched music. So, there is a fierce gun battle going on, and Spike Lee has a jarring soundtrack from a sixties romance movie playing overly loud in the background.

The lousy soundtrack keeps popping up, instantly taking me out of the film. I would love to hear some comments. Maybe it’s just me.

By Leave a Comment

Epstein: Filthy Rich Quicktake

Rating *****

I’ve followed a lot of criminal cases where things break down. Usually, it’s at the detriment of an innocent defendant. Sometimes, as in this case, it is the guilty who benefit from incompetence. In almost every case the injustice is only corrected after the efforts of one or more skillful, persistant attorneys. That’s what happened here.

I always thought Epstein got his money from managing other people’s wealth. Turns out most of his money came from lying, cheating, and stealing. Epstein was a narcissist, a psychopath, and a pedophile. He abused women of all ages, but primarily he took advantage of underage, adolescent girls. The way he treated these women was appalling. His entire existence seemed to be focused on one and only one endeavor, his own sexual gratification.

The sad part of Epstein’s story is that he was allowed to continue his abuse with impunity. He had the money to throw at people to make things go away. He had connections with people in high places that allowed him to skirt accountability. There is also the possibility that he had compromising information on some of those same people. The fact that he was brought down by his victims banding together, was a just resolution.

Epstein might have remained an anonymous dushbag if not for an incompetent US Attorney named Alex Acosta. Here’s a guy who basically hands out a free pass to someone involved in rape, sex trafficking, and sex with underage girls. It’s only when Acosta is nominated and confirmed for Labor Secretary that the Epstein plea deal enters the public eye. Not only did Acosta offer a ludicrous plea deal, but he did so without consulting any of the victims. How is that possible? Part of it is because Epstein’s attorneys, including Alan Dershowitz, managed to get the charges reduced to solicitation of prostitution. In Alex Acosta’s eyes, Epstein’s victims were prostitutes. They were paid to have sex. Apparently, Alex Acosta didn’t think it necessary to talk to the “prostitutes.”

Before Epstein committed suicide, he prepared a will that shielded his assets from his victims. I hope the victim’s lawyers are successful in their attempts to get compensation for their clients. I also hope that Epstein’s enablers, like Ghislaine Maxwell, face charges for their role in Epstein’s crimes.

By Leave a Comment

The Report Quicktake

The Report written and directed by Scott Z. Burns
Rating *****

A few years ago the film Spotlight won an Oscar for best picture. I put this film in the same league as that picture. Both films cover investigations into wrongdoing. In the case of The Report, the wrongdoing is state sponsored torture by our own CIA.

While Spotlight involved a team of investigative journalists, this story has one determined individual undergoing the investigation. Working for Senator Dianne Feinstein, played by Annette Bening, Daniel Jones, played by Adam Driver, spends five years going through millions of pages of documents to uncover the truth of both the torture and the attempts to cover up the actions of the CIA.

I can remember at the time the claims by the Bush/Cheney administration that the enhanced interrogation of detainees resulted in actionable intelligence. The claims were false.

This film shows that a good story and acting can beat any super hero movie. Adam Driver gives an Oscar worthy performance. I would also nominate the script.

You can stream The Report right now on Amazon Prime.

By Leave a Comment

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.

Are you a nonfiction fan? Do you enjoy learning about new nonfiction books, films, and documentaries? If so, I can use your help. Please share the articles posted here on your social media sites. This site averages about thirty unique visitors a day, but the number of followers on Facebook and Twitter are embarrassingly low. So, please help spread the word by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and sharing these posts with the share buttons below. Thanks.

By Leave a Comment

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.

By 1 Comment

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.