Drone

— This documentary paints a difficult picture of the United States’ use of drone warfare and the CIA’s role in remote killings. The film focuses on the consequences of robotic warfare and scenes of drone attacks in Pakistan viewed over a monitor in in the U.S. where it was initiated bring human rights issues to the forefront. Also of interest is the handshake between computer war games and actual warfare.

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[2014. 82 min. Directed by Tonje Hessen Schei.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/drone-bergen-review-737540

Spartacus & Cassandra

— A tender look at a Romanian brother and sister duo living in Paris after being taken in by Camille, a young trapeze artist who offers them security. Their love for their parents is strong, but their mother suffers from demons and is more a child than they are. Their father insists they should live with him, but he has no plan for work or housing and it is obvious they’ll be on the streets. It’s a sad story, watching the parents who can’t seem to live without their children taking care of them, and the children who have a chance for something better with Camille and must abandon their parents for their own ultimate survival.

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[2014. 80 min. Directed by Ioanis Nuguet.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/spartacus-cassandra-cannes-review-705268

Western

— A visually stunning film that looks at the relationship between the border towns of Eagle Pass, Texas and Piedras Negras, Mexico. There’s a heavy focus on Eagle Pass’ mayor, a larger-than-life figure who is loved and revered on both sides of the border and works hard to cultivate a friendly interdependence between the two towns. As the film progresses, news of cartel violence edging closer to Piedras Negras filters through and the US Government warns that the long-standing peace between the two communities is about to be disturbed. The film focuses not on the cartels, but on the locals and the blended cultures. In the end, one wonders if there wasn’t uneasiness just below the surface all along. Interestingly, I was vaguely reminded of small town America in the 1950s, unaware of the turmoil looming in the 1960s.

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[2015. 93 min. Directed by Bill Ross and Turner Ross.]
http://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/sundance-film-review-western-1201411599/

Cartel Land

— A look at vigilante groups on both sides of the border reacting to drug cartels. An Arizona border patrol headed up by a military veteran is, frankly, only mildly interesting. Of considerably more interest is a band of locals in Michoacan headed by a small-town doctor to take back a town long terrorized by the cartel. The success of their efforts expands to other towns as more and more locals join in to take back their communities. Unfortunately, with success and expansion some of the vigilantes take advantage of their own power and the solution becomes the problem. While the story of the Mexican locals raises questions about the gray area between good and evil, and about power and corruption, the American story is far less effective at asking these same questions. The film might have been better without the effort at parallel stories, but it is still an exceptionally well done documentary.

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[2015. 98 min. Directed by Matthew Heineman.]
http://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/sundance-film-review-cartel-land-1201420806/

Those Who Feel the Fire Burning

— Wow. This is a gorgeous film that’s more poem than typical documentary by someone who must hold Werner Herzog and Terrence Malick in high regard. A shipwreck, a ghost, and immigrants hopelessly caught in a world without the ability to integrate and thrive. This is more an impression of the immigrant struggle allowing the viewer to see the boundaries in place and to ask why they continue to exist. This is a good film, but not an easy one since there’s not much narration and the images are largely dreamlike, but by giving us a feeling for the issue, the impact may be greater. I saw it at the end of a long day and know it would have been better if I’d been considerably more alert.

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[2014. 74 min. Written and directed by Morgan Knibbe.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/who-feel-fire-burning-idfa-758317

Best of Enemies

— I vaguely remember the William F. Budkley and Gore Vidal debates as part of ABC News’ coverage of the 1968 elections, but I didn’t remember how compelling or groundbreaking they really were. This documentary gives a taste of the exchanges between these two clever men, both of whom had an uncanny command of the language. I’m not sure what either of them would think of the “journalism” they spawned, but I suspect they’d be surprised at how vague the line between fact and opinion has become. This is a very interesting documentary and well worth watching.

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[2015. 88 min. Directed by Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon.]
http://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/review-best-of-enemies-1201413030/

How to Change the World

— The story of the birth and growth of Greenpeace is told from the perspective of its reluctant leader thanks to archival footage, interviews, and animation. It’s a riveting inside look at a grassroots organization started by a handful of concerned hippies, sailors, and scientists trying to stop nuclear detonation in Alaska. As the movement grows and takes on other issues, conflicts within the group arise and the reality of managing an organization of dreamers threatens its future. This is a documentary well worth seeing, although some of the images are bloody and difficult to watch. The evolution of Greenpeace and of its leaders is fascinating.

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[2015. 112 min. Written and directed by Jerry Rothwell.]
http://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/sundance-film-review-how-to-change-the-world-1201412778/

Finders Keepers

— What seems like a testament to truth being more weird than fiction moves along with absurdity and countrified humor as well as a dose of family dysfunction and remorse. There’s a point where I started to think the gag had reached out in too many directions and gone on too long and too far, but the directors managed to rein it in thoughtfully. This is a quirky, ripped-from-the-trashier-headlines film that ends up with an undercurrent of recovery.

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[2015. 82 min. Directed by Bryan Carberry and J. Clay Tweel.]
http://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/sundance-film-review-finders-keepers-1201416989/