Classically trained pianist, dive-bar chanteuse, black power icon and legendary recording artist Nina Simone lived a life of brutal honesty, musical genius, and tortured melancholy.
I only knew her music, which I really admire. This documentary gave light and life to all her songs, and the person she was, the struggles, the ambition, the journey, the fame, the rejection... It is so complete you feel overwhelmed by the extraordinary being she was, how she wasn't a woman of her time but a visionnaire, an outstanding artist, and somehow too ahead of her time to sometimes be understood. The documentary portrays her at her best at her worse, with very personal notes and footage, never judging, and leaves us with a feeling of sadness for all what she gave us, but all that she had to sacrifice. Shaking.
Just 60 miles north of New York City sits the poverty-stricken town of Newburgh, where, in 2009, four men were LURED by a shady Pakistani man into a plot to bomb Jewish centers in the Bronx. But once the men were on board, their leader, who doubled as an FBI undercover agent, led them straight to the authorities. Their arrest was hailed as a national victory in the war on terror. Using never-before-seen footage from hidden cameras, David Heilbroner and Kate Davis investigate just what homegrown terrorism truly means in this shocking and galvanizing exposéis.
This is a documentary that came out I don't know how, since all the footage I guess were supposed to be confidential. This explains so clearly the entrapment there is little to rethink about. The press ate the information provided by the FBI and the Mayor's office, simple PR, good PR for the war against terrorism, except they had it all wrong. Targeting Islam isn't going to build a confidence between the Mosks and government, and therefor isn't going to facilitate a dialogue in case of suspicious behavior within their community. This guy was really an obvious case of somebody trying to get people involved in extremism, that even the Imam noticed in his first visit. Then, the recruiting looks even like a joke. Non-practicing, poor and called by the money, how could they possibly have been smart and say no. The involvement was minimal, and they were naive enough, perhaps unconscious. Now, yes, they accepted to be a part of it, for their own reasons, which are explained by bits by their family, they were following somebody who knew what he was doing, and honestly it looks like it wouldn't have been possible without him. So what does it say about the war on terrorism... There are times when the counter-terrorism is effective, but in this particular case, it has deviated to a community-targeting, with an accent on poor and hopeless people, and Muslims, which is exactly wrong in essence. I think Ben Affleck said it better the other day: "How about more than a billion people who aren’t fanatical, who don’t punch women, who just want to go to school, have some sandwiches, pray five times a day, and don’t do any of the things you’re saying of all Muslims. It’s stereotyping.”
This fascinating documentary examines the life of performing killer whale Tilikum -- who has caused the deaths of several people while in captivity -- and questions the safety and humaneness of confining these intelligent creatures.
Well, if you are looking for the reason to never visit a zoo, you will be served. The way the documentary is constructed makes you look at the expected in a way SeaWorld has nearly no excuse. What also impressed me is how naive were the trainers, and somehow how lucky they have been all along, despite the love they have shared with Tilikum. The story is still the story of Tilikum, and there is a lot to understand about how much he gave and how traumatized he has been. This is actually the most interesting, seeing how responsive he was, and how gentle, most of the time, how evolved. This is a sad story.
with Diana Vreeland, Richard Avedon, Lauren Bacall, Marisa Berenson, Pierre Bergé, David Bailey, Lillian Bassman, Hubert de Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Anjelica Huston, Calvin Klein
This intimate and loving portrait of the legendary arbiter of fashion, art and culture illustrates the many stages of Vreeland's remarkable life. Born in Paris in 1903, she was to become New York's "Empress of Fashion" and a celebrated Vogue editor.
This documentary is fascinating, although I wished I had seen more of the work she did, instead of passing on them so fast (92 minutes). Vreeland definitely has lived quite a life, traveled and created the way we look at fashion. She was unusual, her sense of storytelling was quite distorted, embellish, which allows us to understand how she had a different vision, and when starting to express it, how it became all what she did, for us to enjoy.
Russell Crowe narrates this sobering study of how the tastes of China's nouveau riche are driving up wine prices in France's Bordeaux region -- and pushing out Western customers who can no longer afford it.
Oh well, yes, perhaps this movie's theme is all about very rich and a little frivolous people... But hasn't society always been fascinated by what riches do, think, buy? Therefor, it is a well documented film about the fascination of the Chinese upper class for brand and therefor wine brands, and how there are no limit to what one can do to get what the world wants. It is balanced with the opinion of French winemakers, which explains (or try) the uniqueness of the phenomenon, as much in the taste as in the marketing. On the other hand, the wine critics are contrasting from the expert point of view the changes that we have observed in the wine market, and how Chinese may transform completely the strategy to own their very own brand. And never the less how Lafite, Latour and Margaux will remain top of the market, because of the centuries they carry behind... Definitely an interesting topic, which extends to so much more than wine, after all...
with Chely Wright, Rosie O'Donnell, Meredith Vieira, Natalie Morales
This poignant documentary, filmed over three years, profiles country music star Chely Wright, a devout Christian whose struggle to succeed in the music biz while hiding her homosexuality from her conservative family and fans caused her much anguish.
That was an interesting one, because I guess I was one of those who has strongly believed her decision to launch a book and a record and her coming out was a little too set to not be thought in a marketing way. Although I didn't think of it for the right reasons. I got it that this was a way to avoid the new album to be launched in a specific targeted way, and tell a truth that needed to be told, and make as much noise about it as possible to be able to make a point in a society that has still backward ideas of what it to be gay. Anyway, she is not my favorite person but I get it, and I found her quite courageous. And in the end, reading about it, she gained some credibility as an equality activist, but definitely got pushed away from the Country music world. So, not some commercial, right?
Offering an inside look at the Williams sisters -- Venus and her younger sibling Serena -- this documentary follows the tennis megastars throughout 2011, when disabling injuries and illness threatened to end their careers.
These two women are phenomenal, in the literal sense of it. And a little above all laws. It is fascinating to wath them grow old, becoming women and tennis champions, both of them, and how they kept up with real life, emotions, injuries. It goes all the way to the summum of their career, although 2013 was another one of them. Beautiful.
with Werner Herzog, Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale, Mick Jagger, Justo González, Eva Mattes, Thomas Mauch
In the 1950s, a teenage Werner Herzog was transfixed by a film performance of the young Klaus Kinski. Years later, they would share an apartment where, in an unabated, 48 hour fit of rage, Kinski completely destroyed the bathroom. From this chaos, a violent, love-hate, profoundly creative partnership was born. In 1972, Herzog cast Kinski in Aguirre, Wrath of God. Four more films would follow. In this personal documentary, Herzog traces the often violent ups and downs of their relationship, revisiting the various locations of their films and talking to the people they worked with.
What a man Klaus Kinski. So much energy and wildness. The portrayal of Herzog is an interesting one, it feels like he had this beast that sometimes he knew how to control, sometimes left him to himself, but with that responsibility that he had to direct a whole crew, it seems that the most difficult part was actually to get the most out of the genius. He sometimes tells things with such an indifference that it is as if he was accustomed, blasé. There are little moments where you can see also how much they loved one another, knowing that they were getting the best out of each others. Beautiful moments of sensitivity, carnage and danger, chaos of emotions, this documentary allows to see very closely how infinite was the energy of Klaus Kinski, a fascinating man...
with Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Solange Knowles, Jay-Z
As director, producer and star, Beyoncé is in charge of the portrait she presents in this film about life at the top of the pop universe. Using on- and off-stage footage -- some shot from her own laptop -- Beyoncé provides a window into her world.
First, I just wanted to quote an article published by : blog.zap2it.com - frominsidethebox
"Beyonce's 'Life Is But a Dream' ratings hit decade high for HBO docs
Critics were not kind, but Beyonce's directorial debut "Life Is But a Dream" scored the highest ratings in a decade for a HBO documentary.
The film -- co-directed, co-written, starring, executive produced and sometimes even shot (on a web cam) by Beyonce Knowles -- drew 1.8 million viewers for its 9 p.m. premiere on Saturday (Feb. 16). That just beats out the previous champ, Spike Lee's Hurricane Katrina chronicle "When the Levees Broke" which drew 1.7 million viewers in 2006.
In these days of monster ratings for nontraditional shows like "The Walking Dead" and "Downton Abbey," 1.8 million may not sound like a lot -- but for a HBO documentary it's a big deal. It's also a considerably larger number than the network averages for a first run episode of media zeitgeist show "Girls." And pretty much anything that airs on HBO expands its audience substantially through repeats and video on demand viewing.
Beyonce "
- editorial@zap2it.com, 19 February 2013
This is exactly how I saw it. Brilliant idea of HBO to get such a huge star in an exclusive documentary, this would definitely draw a lot of attention, from the fans, and from people who are curious like me. It reminds me of the strategy to bring Tim Burton to the MoMA, New York: most successful exhibition of all time. People who don't go to the museum would go because they love his movies, mix of genres. I knew a bit about Beyoncé, not enough to think much about her but had a good impression. I felt that was kind of a tribute to her fans, opening a little door to who she was except an exceptional entertainer and singer. The goal is achieved. In a weird way, she is very much what you would think of her, a strong business woman (who knows where the wind blows, a little like Madonna, and knows how to keep the lead), a great public relation person, smart, and giving a human face to herself, not going for the scandal but to the authenticity. She shows the aspect people can relate to, more universal, like having a child, miscarriage... I had more conflict with what she think as normal as an artist being able to "do her craft". Anyway, interesting mix of self recorded testimonies, the conversations with an interviewer, behind the scene recordings, live performance shows of amazing production value and herself singing in studio (or car) confirming her amazing voice. I was surprised by the amount of music she put in it, but I guess it is because that is what is the most valuable thing she needed to share, her singing.
with Leonardo DiCaprio (Marvin's Room, Titanic, Shutter Island, J. Edgar), K. Megan McArthur, Scott D. Altman, Michael T. Good, John M. Grunsfeld, Gregory C. Johnson, Michael J. Massimino, Andrew J. Feustel
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio narrates this awe-inspiring documentary that takes viewers on a visually stunning IMAX 3-D journey to explore the faraway galaxies viewed by the Hubble Space Telescope in its travels throughout the cosmos. During the mission, astronauts walk in space, contend with successes and setbacks, view nebulae and galaxies, observe the birth of a star, witness a powerful supernova and much more.
Space is fascinating, expanded to such a scale the human mind cannot possibly think we are alone in the universe. Telescope Hubble is the best eye we have to see what lies beyond our own eye limit. The documentary showcase the preparation of the astronauts for the mission, amazing shots of the astronauts replacing the lens to improve the vision of Hubble, their impressions while in the mission, mostly the after-work relieve, the mindset they have to have during the duration of the repairs (no replacement pieces, and extreme sensitivity of the equipment), and finally, the space images collected by Hubble. The beginning is interesting and technical, while they are training. When they go to space, the narration goes through the technical description of what the astronauts are fixing on Hubble, but the visuals are not very good, and if you are not an expert, it is incomprehensible. The parts in the shuttle are more entertaining, because it is about how you live in a confined place, with no gravity. The real moment of the movie is when you finally see the new images collected by Hubble thanks to the upgrades of this last mission. The voice over of DiCaprio is taking this time a more mainstream approach so everyone can really understand, sometimes too simple... it doesn't matter. The images collected are of such a beauty, with such meaningful content (such as the birth of a star, of a solar system, young stars versus dieing stars, the galaxies, dark holes...), that nothing else really matter. This is when you really feel the limits of the universe are beyond are imagination and therefor the possibility of other lifeforms quite realistic. Now the question is: when will we finally achieve travel at a faster paste than what we have so far, to allow ourselves to reach to further limits?
with Matt Damon, William Ackman, Daniel Alpert, Jonathan Alpert, Sigridur Benediktsdottir, Ben Bernanke, Willem Buiter, George W. Bush, Brigadier General John Campbell, Satyajit Das, Jerome Fons, Barney Frank, Timothy Geithner, Alan Greenspan
From filmmaker Charles Ferguson comes this sobering, Oscar-winning
documentary that presents in comprehensive yet cogent detail the
pervasive and deep-rooted corruption that led to the global economic
meltdown of 2008. Through unflinching interviews with key financial
insiders, politicos, journalists and academics, Ferguson paints a
galling portrait of an unfettered financial system run amok — without
accountability. Actor Matt Damon narrates.
"Ah!" Hopefully this movie will be seen by more people than usually documentaries do. It is IMPORTANT. Not because it is about the financial crisis and it is a hot topic right now, but because it is important for things to move. There are evidence that the system is corrupted, and it would be good that the Liberty that the United States of America took as a symbol would start at every level of the society, and not some freedom that some take from others, because they have the power to do so.
It is well constructed, with a comprehensive (but not simplistic) explanation to the premise of the crisis, the developments, and the nowadays situation, the aftermath, or in this case, the absence of it. Captivating.
Documentary with Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag, Ari Folman, Dror Harazi
"One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs. Every night the same number of beasts. The two men conclude that there is a connection between the dream and their Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early eighties. Ari is surprised he cant remember a thing anymore about that period of his life. Intrigued by this riddle, he decides to meet and interview old friends and comrades around the world. He needs to discover the truth about that time and about himself. As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to creep up in surreal images." IMDB
A strange documentary-Animation movie talking about what no-one wants to talk about. A large part of it is polemic. The form is technologically advanced although quite tiring to watch and honestly not impressive (robot effect, layers of 3d obvious), but the content is very important for the next generations to understands facts about Sabra and Shatila massacre in Beirut, in 1982 Lebanon War.
Turning the camera lens on her own life, lesbian filmmaker Nicole Conn ("Elena Undone") captures the heart-wrenching process of having a surrogate child with her life partner, political activist Gwen Baba, only to have the baby be born 100 days too early. Weighing just 1 pound with a heart the size of a cashew, the tiny infant Nicholas fights valiantly for his own survival while his parents fight to keep their commitment alive.
What a movie. Documentary. It is so accurate and precise and intimate. Because of the honesty of the people filmed, it recreates perfectly the context, the questions, the despairs, the behaviors of everyone and each one upon one another. It is a difficult documentary to watch, because it is always at the edge between life and death, between what is ethical and what is not, when it is bearable and when it is not. In a very understanding way, in a very human way, we go through all the steps and complexity of the journey without trying to give a universal judgment on what is right or wrong about it. It makes you believe that while in the journey, it is almost impossible to have a perspective, everything is decided in an emergency, and has to be decided somehow upon instinct, which is usually how things are done, when the matter of life and death is present. And it is well made, well analyzed. I believe that the journey of Gwen is as understandable as the one of Nicole. That is also why I find the documentary so right.
