WatchSeeLookView - Documentaries 1

When it comes to my viewing habits, I go through phases of watching certain types of film or TV before reaching my fill and switching it up again. I’ve been watching a few documentaries recently so I’m going to tell you about the documentaries that I’ve been watching as that’s pretty much how this blog thingummy works. It’s a relatively straightforward system.

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
Dir. Morgan Neville / Dur. 93 mins

We didn't get Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood here in the UK but I’d been aware of it in a very dim sense due to the sheer volume of pop culture references to it that occur in other US TV shows and films. Having watched this documentary, it’s a real shame that we didn't as Fred Rogers put me in my mind of one of my idols, Jim Henson. They seemed to share a similar ethos - a drive to entertain but not in a way that pandered or was afraid to shy away from difficult questions, a way of looking at the world that was uniquely their own and a quiet resolve to get the job done that inspired a lot of loyalty in those they worked. It’s a fascinating portrait of a man who forged his own path and entertained millions in the process.

Three Identical Strangers (2018)
Dir. Tim Wardle / Dur. 96 mins

This is one of those films that it’s tricky to say too much about for fear of ruining the film - it really is best watched going in with as little information as possible to allow the story to unfold. In order to say something, though, I will say that the film builds a compelling story around three men, how their lives become interlinked and the reasons behind their situation. It’s absolutely worth watching and, if possible, go into it as cold as possible. 

Filmworker
Dir. Tony Zierra / Dur. 94 mins

The film follows Leon Vitali, an up-and-coming actor of the ‘60s and ‘70s who, after a starring role in Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, is asked by Kubrick to get involved behind the scenes. Vitali gives up his acting life to do so and ultimately becomes Kubrick’s right hand man for the remainder of Kubrick’s life and beyond. It’s manages to be both unusual and sad - unusual at how one man decides to give himself over to helping facilitate what he perceives as another man’s greatness and sad because he never really seems to get the recognition for the impact he had. If you’re interested in what went on behind the scenes in the world of a famously obsessive and controlling director then this is one to watch.

Alright then, that’ll do you for now. Off you pop, more guff next time.