I am categorizing this documentary update under Oscar Contenders even though that isn’t necessarily accurate. Neither of these documentaries actually made the Academy’s documentary shortlist for 2011, but I will certainly be considering both as I turn in my nominations for Best Documentary for the Critics Choice Awards this Sunday.
When it comes to the best documentary I’ve seen this year it is undoubtedly Undefeated, but of the ten documentaries I’ve seen so far this year I wouldn’t call any of them bad. Let’s take a closer look at these two…
Into the Abyss
Herzog is clearly against the death penalty, but he doesn’t push his agenda to tell the story as much as he allows the interviews he conducts with local residents, police officers, prison guards, collaborators in the crime and family members of those Perry was convicted of killing to tell the story for him. It’s a tough watch and, as always, Herzog holds for long shots on many of the people he’s talking to, coaxing more of the story out of them simply by remaining silent.
Interestingly enough, while Herzog only briefly mentions his dislike for capital punishment, I don’t think the documentary offers enough evidence to change someone’s mind on the subject or even make you think too long on your own feelings.
Senna
From a technical standpoint, the editing on this thing is brilliant and the film is an enjoyable watch, but I will say I was waiting for it to really wow me based on all the positive word of mouth. However, in the end, it was simply just another good documentary. Not a bad thing, but when you hear such amazing things being said about something you expect there to be something extraordinary about it. There wasn’t.
So as it stands right now, I have seen five of the 15 documentaries shortlisted by the Academy and the remaining ten I’m not sure I’ll be able to ever see. Those ten are:
- Battle for Brooklyn (RUMER Inc.)
- Bill Cunningham New York (First Thought Films)
- Hell and Back Again (Roast Beef Productions Limited)
- Jane’s Journey (NEOS Film GmbH & Co. KG)
- The Loving Story (Augusta Films)
- Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (@radical.media)
- Pina (Neue Road Movies GmbH)
- Semper Fi: Always Faithful (Tied to the Tracks Films, Inc.)
- Sing Your Song (S2BN Belafonte Productions, LLC)
- Under Fire: Journalists in Combat (JUF Pictures, Inc.)
So far this year I have seen ten documentaries in total and if I were to rank those I’ve seen it would look like this with an * next to those eligible for an Oscar:
- Undefeated*
- Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel
- Page One: Inside the New York Times
- If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front*
- Senna
- Project Nim*
- Into the Abyss
- Buck*
- Cave of Forgotten Dreams (I first saw this in Toronto in 2010, my review here)
- We Were Here*
I have been told Pina is only being screened in 3D so the chances of seeing that before the Oscars seem slim and as for the rest, I just don’t know.
