Short review: Searching for Sugarman

Director: Malik Bendjelloul
(2012)

From the gorgeous opening vistas of a South African coastline, Searching for Sugarman sets itself up to be a very special kind of documentary. Its sublime blend of animation, perfect cinematography and ‘8mm’ footage bestow such a riveting visual display for a film of its genre. Its brilliance reaches beyond its aesthetic with the engrossing story of Rodriguez; the phenomenal 1970’s singer who disappeared after his album flopped stateside. It charts his apparent suicide to his popularity in South Africa where his songs became a cultural phenomenon. And in the final third, Searching for Sugarman falls apart. The filmmakers interview Rodriguez’ friends and bosses in the present day, building up to finding the fabled singer, only to reveal they found him 13 years prior, when he toured South Africa, throwing the entire film out of context. A stunning story wrecked by manipulative and deceitful design.

Short review: The imposter

Director: Bart Layton
(2012)

The Imposter is a documentary for those who don’t like documentaries, thanks to its excellent use of recreated scenes. The Imposter tells the story of Nicholas, a 13 year old boy who goes missing in 1993. He’s found 4 years later in Spain, complete with a different accent and a change in eye colour. Using interviews from the family of the victim and the FBI, director Bart Layton creates a truly memorable insight into the lives of those affected. Early on the film establishes that Nicholas has indeed been impersonated, and the culprit acts as our narrator as events head down a dark road. The film never feeds its audience one explanation, but offers conflicting viewpoints on who is actually telling the truth. Its lack of conclusive answers leaves a slightly sour aftertaste, but this merely reflects the reality of such an extraordinary situation.

The New World review

Pocahontas: Come, spirit, help us sing the story of our land. You are our mother. You are our field of corn. We rise from out of the soul of you. 

Director: Terrence Malick
(2005)

There's no doubt that The New World is a Terrence Malick film. There are long moments of silence, sparse dialogue and complex, whispered voiceovers. Almost another member of the cast, the environment once again plays a significant role here. Shots of nature are in abundance, from gorgeous sunsets to murky swamps, snowy barrens juxtaposed with a raging lightning storm, captured remarkably during a scene. This natural beauty that Malick employs in his work is mesmerising, and cinematographer Emanuel Luzbeki captures his director’s vision to a tee. The camera is always positioned perfectly, progressing the plot or raising our immersion in this small patch of Virginia. Luzbeki is quite possibly the finest cinematographer working today, and his talent is reflected in The New World.

The story here will be relatively familiar to many, of John Smith and how he falls in love with the American native Pocahontas. But this is a Terrence Malick film, so proceedings have been altered slightly in accordance with his unmistakeable direction. The natural beauty of Virginia is captured with elegant grace, coupled with otherworldly monologues from both Smith (Colin Farell) and Pocahontas (Q'orianka Kilcher). Calling The New World a slow film is a bit of an understatement, but it never strays into being boring. Its pacing is deliberate and meticulous; plot development is slight and minor. Malick is more interested in his typical, shots of long grass waving in the wind, shafts of light poking through trees and the gentle ripples that disrupt the peace of a river. The New World is a stunning film, and quite possibly Malick’s most visually striking film to date.

The core (and for that matter, the highlight) of the film centres around the love Smith and Pocahontas have for each other. Initially unable to communicate due to speaking different languages, they interact with signs and symbols, taking in each other’s cultures as they go. The natives possess no greed or resent, something that wows Smith, as well as the audience. Scenes that last minutes go by without any dialogue, but are propelled forward wonderfully as the pair interact, understand each other and ultimately fall in love. It’s absolutely stunning, a cinematic moment that I’ll remember for quite some time.

Having witnessed the extended edition of the film, pacing suffers horribly as the final third swings around. After 2 hours of beauty and tenderness, we endure a dull slog of an hour, an hour that possesses none of the films initial brilliance. Our protagonist John Smith disappears and his void is filled by John Rolfe (Christian Bale) for the remainder of the film. Bale does a decent job with what he’s given, but it’s hard to connect with a character that hasn’t been developed earlier in the film. Much like smith, he falls for Pocahontas, but in a contrast to Smiths relationship to her, this bond of love is so very flat.

After such a dull and uninteresting finish, The New World feels like an ever so slight disappointment. The great acting and phenomenal cinematography is a consistent treat compared to the structured and emotionally void final hour. Fans of Malick will get the expected experience, complete with trademark voiceovers, but it doesn’t live up to his previous efforts, or his later ones.

Short review: Biggie and Tupac

Director: Nick Broomfield
(2002)

Nick Broomfield’s documentary on the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls is certainly an interesting one. Starting with an insight to the duo’s early years, it charts their friendship and fallout, with interviews from friends and family for both of these hip-hop legends. It covers some interesting theories about the killings, with culprits ranging from corrupt cops to gang bosses. However, the captivating subject matter is deflated by Broomfield’s monotone voiceover, dismantling the enjoyment of the documentary somewhat. His jump tactics to acquire interviews are also a little haphazard, making for interesting encounters which are simultaneously insightful and vague. Despite only lasting 108 minutes, this documentary seems to drag while feeling underdeveloped in certain areas. A prison interview with Deathrow Records Suge Knight marks a severely missed opportunity in this solid yet unspectacular documentary that doesn’t fulfil the potential of its topic.