Of course, access to those titles is seldom easy. Some of them come and go so fast you have to wait for months until they show up on some online platform. Wim Wenders' The Salt of the Earth won't even get a limited theatrical run until the end of March. (Hey, Sony Pictures Classics/Mongrel Media: If you want my money, release your Oscar-nominated movie BEFORE the Oscars! #BadForBusiness)
Since my viewing queue of 2014 non-fic pics has peaked at eight, I've made this post a one-stop shop for my capsule reactions to all of them, starting off with the five that I myself would nominate for my own Best Documentary distinction:
Citizenfour (Laura Poitras)
While
its bias is obvious and it doesn't ring with the same immediacy that
this story demanded a year ago, Citizenfour still raises
pertinent concerns about the state of privacy and freedom in
post-9/11 America, and should be mandatory viewing for anyone who is
uninformed about this ongoing debate. Could have done a better job at
explaining its content, but it lands some moments that really stick with you.
This
sleek, polished, and extensively detailed document of Internet
activist Aaron Swartz, though occasionally erring on the side of
posthumous hagiography, illuminates a fascinating socio-political
issue through the tragic story of one remarkable individual.
Knappenberger effectively breaks down complex legalese and technical
info into digestible, captivating chunks.
Last
Days in Vietnam (Rory Kennedy)
Though
its structure clearly reveals it as a television doc, this is still a
masterful curation of decades-old footage and eye-witness accounts.
Usually for documentaries of this ilk, the best they can hope to do
is tell the story as comprehensively as possible, but Kennedy goes above and beyond by presenting real emotional and
moral context to the images that we're already so familiar with.
Candidly
captured in raw transparency, The
Overnighters
interpolates from its broader themes – the struggle
for opportunity and the facade of the American Dream – to reveal a
story about something even more universal; People, broken and looking
for a second chance. Moss smartly layers testimonials over montages of imagery that help illustrate the interviewee's point.
Virunga
(Orlando von Einsiedel)
Von
Einsiedel never makes his presence behind the camera known to us: He
allows the story to unfold through stunning images and firsthand
testimonials without indulging in narration. He pieces together a
complex picture of the interconnection of all things –
environmental, political, anthropological, economical, geographical –
with a sense of dramatic build that puts most narrative features to
shame!
Just missed:
The Case Against 8 (Ryan White, Ben Cotner)
Though
hardly timely and possessing a self-congratulatory air, this chronicle
of the court case built against the controversial Proposition 8 -- the
2008 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages in California
-- is still a comprehensive and important modern history lesson about a valuable
legal victory, both for the LGBT community and the U.S. justice system.
Finding
Vivian Maier (John Maloof, Charlie Siskel)
By
examining its postmumous subject in the form of an intriguing
mystery, Finding Vivian Maier is above average as far as human
interest stories go. The amount/difficulty of work that went into
piecing together her thousands of photographs and home movies is
impressive, although at times it can't shake off the feeling that its
serving as a feature-length advertizement for her art exhibits.
Life Itself (Steve James)
There is a certain joy to Steve James'
sprawling collage of Roger Ebert's beautiful life, but ultimately
nothing that elevates it above any other standard biography. The man
led a rich existence, but that doesn't necessarily make him a rich
documentary subject. Hero worship might be playing more than a little
role in this doc's popularity.