Rick’s Flicks Picks » This Weekend’s Film Festival Contemplates Ripped from Headlines Docs

This Weekend’s Film Festival Contemplates Ripped from Headlines Docs

27 08 2008

After a week hiatus, This Weekend’s Film Festival is back. The latest lineup was inspired by CHICAGO 10, which hit DVD this week. Considering it deals with the 1968 Democratic National Convention, it seemed like an even more obvious choice with the DNC taking place this week. The four other films this week are all documentaries that deal with sensational front-page news stories. We have a four-hour epic on Hurricane Katrina. A sickening look at the Enron scandal. And the final two films deal with child abuse — one from a priest and one from a family man whose pedophilia affects his family in unthinkable ways. It’s a thoughtful and gripping group of films for the long Labor Day weekend.

The Friday feature is Spike Lee’s WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE. Lee’s in-depth look at the aftermath of the Katrina tragedy is one of his most important and accomplished works. He interviews people from all walks of life that experienced the disaster first hand. He looks closely at the failures and successes of the government from the local level to the federal level. As I said in my original review, “[Lee] wants us to not forget what happened. He wants us to get angry at what did happen… He presents a compelling argument that [the federal government] just didn’t care enough. They were asleep at their post and it’s criminal.” Lee thoughtfully looks at some of the strangest conspiracy theories surrounding Katrina and breaks down how they were formed. Emotional, insightful, and captivating, the film contains horrid images and tales of uncertainty that are maddening. Lee honors the survivors and victims of Katrina.

CHICAGO 10 begins the Saturday doubleheader. From Brett Morgen, the director THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE, this film chronicles the police riots that plagued the 1968 DNC and captures the trial of eight of the leading anti-war activists that followed. This innovative doc mixes animated re-enactments of the trial of the Chicago 8 with archival footage from the riots. Morgen adds defense attorneys William Kunstler and Leonard Weinglass into the group showing how the ten were railroaded by a system that seemed to be putting the 1960s youth culture on trial. As I said in my original review, “The animated re-enactments paint the trial as a cartoon where Abbie [Hoffman] was Bugs Bunny and the judge was Elmer Fudd.” Powered by a contemporary soundtrack, the passionate picture draws parallels between current politics and those of 1968. But mainly the film chronicles the purpose of the protests and the extreme police state in which Chicago reacted.

The closing film on the Saturday ticket is ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM. Alex Gibney’s film is a damning account of the greed that lead to the downfall of what was once viewed as the most successful company in America. The penetrating film looks not only at the facts, but also the personalities of the key leaders. Ken Lay was a hands-off leader who turned his head from illegal and unethical business practices. Jeffery Skilling was a victim of his own hubris, believing in his own hype, making him desperate to out do himself. Gibney interviews experts and former employees, including whistle blower Sherron Watkins. He plays taped phone calls of energy traders coldly manipulating the market, creating the California energy crisis. As I said in my original review, “For all those innocent people who lost their jobs and their retirement money, sometimes evil comes in an expensive suit not in a bloody turban like they would want us to believe. We have homegrown terrorists indeed.”

Child abuse is the theme of our final two films. DELIVER US FROM EVIL follows the trail of Father Oliver O’Grady as the Catholic Church moved him from parish to parish, giving him new children to molest along the way. Director Amy Berg interviews O’Grady, who now lives in Ireland on a pension from the Church. As I said in my original review, “The smile on his face and the lack of real remorse for what he has done only makes O’Grady’s chronicling of his actions more chilling, as well as fascinating.” The passionate film makes a clear case for the vast cover-up the Church conducted due to fear of lawsuits and a culture that views child abuse no worse than any other sin. In addition to priests, Berg talks with victims and their families, who powerfully express the emotional and spiritual damage O’Grady inflicted on them. This Oscar-nominated film will make you angry and will move your soul.

Andrew Jarecki’s Oscar-nominated CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS closes this week’s lineup. As I said in my original review, “Two things have to come together to make a good documentary a great one — skilled and dedicated filmmakers that know what questions to ask and who to ask them to and serendipity. This film has both.” Jarecki chronicles the lives of Arnold Friedman and his family as he and his son Jesse were arrested on charges of child molestation. Arnold’s oldest son David chronicled on videotape many of the family’s get-togethers, as well as candid discussions of Arnold and Jesse’s legal woes. While the film shows that Arnold is guilty of some child porn and child abuse crimes, it also suggests that he and his son may have been convicted of a crime they never committed. Jarecki shows how the accusers were manipulated and how the Friedmans were convicted in the court of public opinion before the trial even started. This eye-opening film will make you think twice about the “monsters” you read about in the news.

Tell me what you think of these great films. Like every week, it’s time to head to the video store, update the rental queue, check out TV listings on Zap2It.com, or help support the site by buying the films on DVD at the links below.