BLOOD BROTHER (Steve Hoover, 2013)

       Documentaries are starting to have a real problem: They're all the same. Most directors prefer to stay a certain distance from their subject, even if they have every reason to move closer. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a secret committee who only approved of one type of documentary, forcing 99% of them to have the same construction.
       Blood Brother is a movie that's probably going to get a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Like most social documentaries, who wouldn't like it? It's a great story. Rocky Bratt, a  somewhat troubled young American, goes to India and finds himself loving his life at an HIV orphanage. Bratt really engages with the kids, gets his heart broken nearly as often as he succeeds, and loves the country in general.
       So what's not to like? The film seems empty, in a word. The entire opening is Rocky doing nothing in particular in America. The footage is great, but assembled in such a way that I don't know what the aim was? Rocky? The kids? Rocky's relationships? HIV? It's just bogged down, and deemphasizes the kids in such a way that it falls dangerously close to the "White Savior" treatment.
       The film's structure is just odd, having the imprint of a traditional narrative, but ultimately cannot put it all together. It's like a few strips of tape were slapped over the entire thing. Rocky is the only true character in the film. The kids are like props, occasionally being brought out and held up to the camera. The frustrating thing is that we certainly see enough footage that could really illustrate certain children and bring them to the spotlight. The one boy, who gets dangerously sick towards the end, is said to "always be around" yet we see him twice- in his sloppy introduction, and when he's near death.
       The music, combined with the editing, adds another depth of irritation to the film. The mythical Documentary Committee I mentioned earlier apparently only approves of films that have a few "happy" montages of people dancing and running, and scored by a strummy string quartet piece. If we're having a flashback, better have some animated sketches.
        Documentary has really become flavorless recently. Sure, there's exceptions that really try to do something interesting and "represent the truth"in an honest and engaging way- I'm thinking along the lines of Restrepo, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Smartest Guys in the Room, Inside Job and Waltz with Bashir. But the vast majority seem to fall under the vanilla production line aesthetic of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Hell and Back Again, and now Blood Brother.
        The real tragedy of Blood Brother is not just that's its bland, typical, and out of focus, it's that it could easily be good. There are editors and directors that could take the innumerable hours of raw footage shot and make something truly engaging, intelligent and downright interesting. If  Blood Brother told a bad story, it wouldn't be as infuriating as its end result: A good story told in a bad way.

STORIES THEY TELL (Sarah Polley, 2013)

       Sarah Polley's personal documentary Stories We Tell draws off of many influences, yet comes up with something truly original. Obviously Polley drew off a wide array of documentaries such as Capturing the Friedmans, Nobody's Business, and the works of Errol Morris, such as Thin Blue Line. Polley blends documentary and fiction in a twisting tale of domestic drama that makes us question commonly regarded facts of our own lives and always puts into doubt what we are seeing.
       Polley tells the story of her family, specifically her late mother, and her conception from an extra-martial affair. The story tells like a thriller, and every person has a unique angle to add- "both" of her fathers (biological and adoptive), siblings, and friends of her mother. The story is fresh and very interesting, despite being so personal, which usually does not make for good cinema. In reality, as the end reveals, Polley originally did not think this would be a publicly released feature.
       The way Polley compiles the film is truly fascinating. She conducts interviews with her family and friends in a playful manner, but when needed, can ask direct questions. Since we hear her questions, it is a prime example of how to conduct an interview with people you actually know- let them speak, be kind, but keep them focused and on track.
       Much of the film consists of "found footage." In reality, while some of it is legitimate, much is freshly shot footage on 16mm film. Actors were hired to play her younger family members, and in a particularly great sequence near the end, we see footage of Polley directing her family. Consistent with the real footage, there is no sound, and narration covers the reenactments, even in a reenacted scene that took place less than 10 years ago- where there was no reason to use 16mm or shoot without sound. I'm not complaining about a lack of authenticity, but simply marveling at the style Polley used.
       Polley also uses a scripted, rehearsed, and professionally recorded story that her adoptive father, who she still calls Dad, written with a developed literary flair. The shows Michael Polley in the recording studio and also runs footage over his narration, which is distinct from his interview. Sarah often instructs her father to read back lines, breaking our immersion in the film in a even more captivating way. Stories We Tell is a shining example of the successes when one makes a self-aware, conscious film.
       However, the film is really far from perfect. The last act drags on much to long- we know who her father is, we know how both families react, and we see reactions to the film, by this point. However, the film drags on and on, falsely sending about 5 times. Oh, there's a fade to black. Here's the end. Nope. Oh, a long pop song and we see every family members reaction, this is it. Nope. Okay, a touching monologue by her father, there's no way in hell this can continue, right? Wrong. I usually don't get bored in films, but really, the last third dragged on for infinity, and it was marginally entertaining at least. Most of it could be completed cut without any loss to the plot, and it was just frustrating to sit through. However, it really can't destroy the power and genius of the proceeded Hour and a half, but really tries its best.
      Despite that, Stories We Tell is a great, innovative documentary. Polley uses the form of film to her advantage to tell a captivating story that can only be told, at least this effectively, through film, bringing in many different modes to tell her story. The film is destined to be screened in film classes until the end of time, and I mean that in a good way. I just feel bad for the students around the hour-thirty mark.