Category Archive
The following is a list of all entries from the Documentary category.
“I’ll never tell”
Portrait of Jason
Director: Shirley Clarke
This trippy documentary is of Jason Holliday. He lived most of his personal life as a prostitute and a performer. While sipping on drinks and smoking weed and cigarettes he shares his hilarious and depressing past. He tells some stories of when he was a house boy for the rich white ladies who thought he was just ignorant and innocent. He also shares his tales of being on the street, in and out of jail, mental hospitals, as well as his amazing Mae West impressions. His long friend Lee, behind the camera, also provokes Jason as he became more intoxicated and vulnerable to get the deep secrets out of him for the film. This makes him reveal every emotion someone can go through in just a single twelve hour shoot.
I enjoyed the beginning of the film. The stories he told and impressions he performed where hilarious. But as the film went on, you realize you’re watching a single person talk the entire time. As he became more drugged and hard to understand it began to bore me. It seemed it not so much a documentary but a really long interview.
Rating- 3
Right Before Your Very Eyes!
Death Defying Acts
Director: Jillian Armstrong
This is a film on the well-known mind blowing magician, Harry Houdini. It begins with a young girl and her mother who make a living on their trickery. Mary (Catherine Zeta Jones) and daughter Benji (Saoirse Ronan) perform in a psychic and sidekick show to make a living. They find on the news that Harry’s (Guy Pearce) mother recently passed away and will pay for a convincing psychic to contact her for him. The professional con- artists that they are, the girls jump at the offer. At the audition Harry finds Mary to be promising and almost a love interest. Things change as Harry’s manager, Mr. Sugarman (Timothy Spall) tries to pay off the couple with money as well as giving away information about Harry’s mother.
I enjoyed the film even though you didn’t see a lot of Houdini’s tricks. I also thought it was strange to hear Catherine Zeta Jones do a Scottish accent. But Guy Pearce was an awesome choice for the part of Harry. Just the way his body was built and the hair style was spot on. Even though I personally thought the movie seemed short, It worked for me.
Rating- 3
