Here you go. I wasn't home Thursday, so to make it up to you: A surprise review. This one wasn't on my to do list, but I went and saw it and here you go. Also, you can expect a review of Dirty Pretty Things and the Upcoming Underworld in the future. Check back often.
Capturing the Friedmans
Review by Jon Waterman
***
The Friedmans used to be a relatively normal family. Everyone joked around with each other and life was good. Arnold, the father, had a successful teaching career and even won awards. One day that all changed when the police came knocking on the door. Both Arnold and the youngest son, Jesse, were arrested and charged with taking sexual liberties with the young boys enrolled in the computer class Arnold ran out of his basement.
Through home movies, audio recordings and new interviews with most of the family, we learn what family life became for the Friedmans. Essentially it's an hour and a half of the three sons arguing with their mother, Elaine, who thinks her husband may have committed these crimes. On the other side of the equation, we get interviews with the officers that brought about and conducted the investigation, the lawyers that worked towards defending the accused and several former computer class students and parents of former students.
The documentary becomes a back and forth of, "Did they do it or not?" Some of the students claim sexual activity took place all the time, while the rest completely deny it and have no idea where the others are getting that notion. In all of the letters and recordings of the Friedman family both Arnold and Jesse maintain their innocence.
The subject matter isn't as interesting as the abundance of archival material the family gives to the filmmakers. It seems that nearly all family moments were taped by the oldest son, David's new camcorder. He felt the need to carry it around and record the multitudes of arguments that occurred. Jesse also taped conversations through audio cassette. These make up the bulk of the length, but less of the substance. Any advance in helping the audience decide for themselves comes with the interviews.
Talking with the police and the students, the filmmakers create that all too valuable shadow of doubt. Procedures and techniques are questioned and one can never decipher who can completely be trusted.
"Capturing the Friedmans" ends up being something of a poor man's "Paradise Lost." It's not as emotionally rousing and doubtfully will start a groundswell like the latter. It works more effectively as a personal test. The viewer must take the form of the jury and is given a wide array of "evidence" with which to work. It leaves a lot of questions unanswered, but how satisfying would it really be to know everything when watching a movie like this? It's captivating, creepy, well made and a nice break from fluffy narratives.
Capturing the Friedmans
Review by Jon Waterman
***
The Friedmans used to be a relatively normal family. Everyone joked around with each other and life was good. Arnold, the father, had a successful teaching career and even won awards. One day that all changed when the police came knocking on the door. Both Arnold and the youngest son, Jesse, were arrested and charged with taking sexual liberties with the young boys enrolled in the computer class Arnold ran out of his basement.
Through home movies, audio recordings and new interviews with most of the family, we learn what family life became for the Friedmans. Essentially it's an hour and a half of the three sons arguing with their mother, Elaine, who thinks her husband may have committed these crimes. On the other side of the equation, we get interviews with the officers that brought about and conducted the investigation, the lawyers that worked towards defending the accused and several former computer class students and parents of former students.
The documentary becomes a back and forth of, "Did they do it or not?" Some of the students claim sexual activity took place all the time, while the rest completely deny it and have no idea where the others are getting that notion. In all of the letters and recordings of the Friedman family both Arnold and Jesse maintain their innocence.
The subject matter isn't as interesting as the abundance of archival material the family gives to the filmmakers. It seems that nearly all family moments were taped by the oldest son, David's new camcorder. He felt the need to carry it around and record the multitudes of arguments that occurred. Jesse also taped conversations through audio cassette. These make up the bulk of the length, but less of the substance. Any advance in helping the audience decide for themselves comes with the interviews.
Talking with the police and the students, the filmmakers create that all too valuable shadow of doubt. Procedures and techniques are questioned and one can never decipher who can completely be trusted.
"Capturing the Friedmans" ends up being something of a poor man's "Paradise Lost." It's not as emotionally rousing and doubtfully will start a groundswell like the latter. It works more effectively as a personal test. The viewer must take the form of the jury and is given a wide array of "evidence" with which to work. It leaves a lot of questions unanswered, but how satisfying would it really be to know everything when watching a movie like this? It's captivating, creepy, well made and a nice break from fluffy narratives.
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