Everything Nonfiction

Reviews

By Leave a Comment

Review of “A Mighty Heart” directed by Michael Winterbottom

Review of "A Mighty Heart" Directed by Michael Winterbottom
rating ***

A Mighty Heart tells the true story of the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Everything about this movie is top notch: the acting, the writing, the direction. Still there is something missing. I think I know what it is, but more on that later.

The movie dramatizes the events before and after the kidnapping as viewed primarily from Mariane Pearl’s perspective, which makes sense considering the movie is based on her book. It feels and looks like a documentary. The dialog is all very real, which in a way is part of the problem. In real life, everyday dialog can become boring. There’s a lot in this movie that doesn’t seem to have much purpose. It’s like watching a reality TV show with contrived conflict.

And this is where I believe the film falls short. The viewer doesn’t get a real feel for the conflict because we never see Daniel Pearl in captivity. We don’t even see his kidnapping. At the end of the film we learn that Daniel Pearl had made two escape attempts. I would have been more involved in the film had I been able to empathize with his plight. As it is filmed here, the closest you get to knowing what he is experiencing is from photos sent via the Internet.

Still, the movie does create a believable level of suspense despite knowing the outcome at the outset. If there was a musical soundtrack, I sure didn’t pick up on it. Soundtracks are supposed to be inconspicuous, but they can also add an important layer to a film. Even documentaries use music to set mood.

Everyone involved in the film is to be commended. They managed to make it feel as if you were watching things in real time; and that’s not an easy thing to do. I just think they could have used more of Daniel Pearl’s perspective.

By Leave a Comment

Review of “The Bridge” directed by Eric Steel

Review of "the Bridge" directed by Eric Steel
rating *** 1/2

In 2004 twenty-four people committed suicide by jumping off the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge. In this unusual documentary, filmmaker Eric Steel captured a number of these suicides by using a team of cameramen to film the bridge over the course of a year. The end result is an illuminating look at the causes of suicide and the effects suicides have on those left behind.

While this film does capture people as they leap to their deaths, it is not done for sensationalistic purposes. The filmmaker interviews family members and friends of the jumpers to try to determine what  led to such drastic measures. Several common traits seem to emerge. Most of the jumpers suffer from mental illnesses: schizophrenia, bipolar disease, or simply depression. Most of them are lonely. Many of them are on some kind of medication. Some have turned to illegal drugs or alcohol.

The first jumper is an elderly man who wastes no time as he climbs the rail and lunges forward. Most, however, spend time on the bridge gazing down as they contemplate jumping. One man in particular, Gene, is shown throughout the film as he paces back and forth across the bridge. His is the last suicide shown, and when you see it you’ll understand why.

All of the suicides are disturbing to watch. Yet each is different. Some sit on the rail as if they’re waiting for someone to intervene. Other’s give no inclination that they are planning to jump. One man in particular is seen making several calls on his cell phone just prior to jumping.

The film includes several suicide attempts that were prevented by police or passersby. There is also an interview with a young man who survived the plunge into San Francisco Bay.

As you watch the film you never know who or when someone is going to jump, just as those filming never knew. In the making of documentary included on the DVD, you learn that everyone filming was given the responsibility of phoning bridge authorities if they suspected someone was about to jump. The Golden Gate Bridge is seen from every conceivable angle in all kinds of weather conditions. But even these scenic scenes are sometimes abruptly altered by the sight of a person unexpectedly falling from the bridge. Sometimes you only catch the splash, never having seen the actual jump.

Life is a roller coaster. Everyone experiences ups and downs. Some people, for whatever reason, can’t see far enough ahead to see that the ride is about to go up. Gene, for example, is despondent over a number of things including his inability to find a job. What he apparently didn’t know was that he had received an e-mail offering him a job on the day he committed suicide. One man leaves a suicide note that reads: I’m fifty years old and I have no money; I have no job; I have no career; I have no partner; I have no home. We all get depressed now and then. Hopefully, this film will help someone in the same state find a better solution.

Another positive to come out of the film is the construction of a suicide barrier on the bridge that is to be completed next year. Unfortunately, as delays in construction continue, the number of suicides from the bridge have increased.

By Leave a Comment

Review of “Breach” by Bill ray

Review of "Breach" written by Billy Ray, Bill Rotko, and  Adam Mazer, directed by Billy Ray
**** 1/2

Breach tells the story of how the FBI brought down Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent and soviet spy. The story is told primarily from the viewpoint of Eric O’Neal, who was given the task of documenting Hanssen’s every move over a two month period while The FBI built their case. Eric is played brilliantly by Ryan Phillippe. Chris Cooper does an equally brilliant job portraying Robert Hanssen.

This movie is a character study. There are no Hollywood chase scenes; no body counts. But there is plenty of suspense and intrigue. This is a fact based story that doesn’t have to rely on gimmicks to hold your interest.

Robert Hanssen comes across as a very unlikeable character despite attempts to show him in a more positive light. He has an egocentric personality and believes he is superior to everyone around him, and he treats people accordingly. This is especially true of how he treats Eric, who is assigned as Hanssen’s aid.

At first, Eric is told to keep an eye on Hanssen to track deviant sexual behavior. Only when Eric confronts his superiors about his reluctance to continue is he told the truth about Hanssen. Eric continues to have sympathy for the flawed Hanssen even after his capture. The fact that he declined an opportunity to become an agent and has since left the FBI says a lot about his character.

The DVD contains a number of bonus materials including an audio commentary and a Dateline episode about the real Robert Hanssen. Add this one to your Que.

By Leave a Comment

Evolution of a book cover

In book publishing cover design is said to be almost as important as the actual content. Here are the cover designs that were considered for 35 Miles From Shore including the earliest ones with the original Heaven and Sea title.

 

Cover1

Fcoverlm

Fcover2l_4

35_miles_concept_2m

35milescm

And the winner is!

35milescl_2 

By Leave a Comment

Book release announcement

It’s official. The book 35 Miles From Shore: The Ditching and Rescue of ALM Flight 980 will be released April 2, 2008. Stay tuned here for more information including how to pre-order the book. Please note: If you were interviewed for the book, you will receive a complimentary copy. Just make sure that I have your current contact information.

By 1 Comment

Review of “A Long way Gone” by ishmael beah

Review of A Long Way Gone: memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah ****

Reading “A Long Way Gone” reminded me a lot of the book “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy, only the journey here is true and so too the horrors along the way.

Ishnael Beah was a young teenager whose ambition in life was to write and sing rap music. His ambitions were put on hold when he and his friends were caught up in the ongoing rebel war in Sierra Leone. Their first contact with the war is when they come across refugees fleeing the violence. They see the terror in their eyes but have no idea what caused such fear. They soon find out first hand. They are separated from their families and flee into the jungle. From there they begin a perilous odyssey where they witness unspeakable brutality and violence. Eventually Ishmael and those with him are recruited and trained as boy soldiers. They are given weapons and minimal training. They are also given drugs. Fueled by a combination of fear, starvation, and drugs the boys are easily manipulated by their adult commanders. Soon they are engulfed in a wave of violence where human life has no value.

Ishmael describes the killings, including those that he participated in, with clear, descriptive passages. He doesn’t reflect on the morality behind the killings. He simply states them as fact. Reflection comes later when he is haunted by nightmares and migraines.

Things turn around for Ishmael when he is shot in the foot and forced to spend time in a hospital. Here he meets a nurse and others who risk their own lives to rehabilitate Ishmael and others like him. At the end of his journey Ishmael is given the opportunity to travel to the U.S. to speak at the United Nations. He meets a woman who eventually becomes his guardian. His transformation from brutal killer to successful author is truly amazing and so too is this story. Add this one to your list.