Movies Graded

Director: Arthur Jones Runtime:  92 minutes Synopsis:  Artist Matt Furie, creator of the comic character Pepe the Frog, begins an uphill battle to take back his iconic cartoon image from those who used it for their own purposes. Verdict:  The internet can be a wonderful place. It can be an infinite source of information and entertainment, a platform where billions of people around the world can connect, meet, or share their ideas. It's an essential tool to have in this day and age, one whose importance is exponentially growing with time. But, unfortunately, there's a dark side that comes with it, and that's the main focus of Arthur Jones' documentary "Feels Good Man". Matt Furie had no idea that his innocent creation would change the world as we know it. When he drew the character of Pepe the Frog, he was using the animation format to bring back to life memories of his. MySpace, at the time, allowed him to share his work with the world. One day, out of nowhere...

Director: Petra Costa Runtime:  121 minutes Synopsis:   Political documentary and personal memoir collide in this exploration into the complex truth behind the unraveling of two Brazilian presidencies. Verdict: "The Edge of Democracy" is a fascinating political documentary about the rise and fall of Brazilian presidents Lula and Dilma Rousseff and the effects they had on a country that very recently adopted a democratic system. Released on Netflix last summer, the documentary, directed by Petra Costa, earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination as well as critical acclaim with a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes. While on the surface it's a very interesting look at the behind the scenes of the scandals that divided an entire country over the last few years, its main aim is to present the injustices of democratic elections and their legitimacy in countries that, at their core, are still governed by oligarchies. It shows that as long as powerful and corrupt people...

Director: Feras Fayyad Runtime:  107 minutes Synopsis:   Amidst air strikes and bombings, a group of female doctors in Ghouta, Syria struggle with systemic sexism while trying to care for the injured using limited resources. Verdict: I did it. For the first time in my life, I managed to catch every Oscar-nominated documentary before the ceremony. And I think it's safe to say that I kept the most disappointing one for last. "The Cave" is the second documentary to be nominated for an Oscar this year that focuses on the ongoing Syrian Civil War, with "For Sama" being the other. And while it's no secret that I absolutely adored the latter for its intimate and personal approach to the tragedies happening on a daily basis there, I sadly cannot say the same about "The Cave", which throws its focus on a group of female doctors trying to do their job in a country torn by both war and sexism. The reason I couldn't get into it at all wa...

Directors:  Waad Al-Kateab ,  Edward Watts Runtime:  100 minutes Synopsis:   FOR SAMA is both an intimate and epic journey into the female experience of war. Verdict: "For Sama" broke my heart, man. I can't stress how brutal, raw, and tragic that documentary is and I'm going to take this chance to warn you that it contains images you'll probably have a hard time forgetting as the sight of hopeless children losing their loved ones is one I wish I never had to see in my life. But sadly, this is happening on a daily basis, and being aware of the atrocities the totalitarian Syrian regime is committing feels almost like a duty. "For Sama" lets us experience that from both the comfort and discomfort of our own house, through the eyes of Waad Al-Kateab, one of the bravest women the world has ever seen. As soon as the protests against Bashar Al-Assad's regime broke in 2012, she grabbed a camera and never let go of it, documenting every sec...

Director: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert Runtime: 115 minutes Synopsis:   In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a factory in an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring two thousand Americans. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America. Verdict: "American Factory" was made famous recently for two reasons: It was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary category and it made Barack Obama's personal list of favorite films of 2019, which isn't really a surprise considering the fact that it was produced by the former president's production company "Higher Ground Production", which he formed alongside his wife Michelle. And I have to say that I found the documentary to be an absolutely fascinating watch. The film takes place in Ohio, where a Chinese conglomerate decides to open a factory in which he promises to create thousands of jobs for a community t...

Director: Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov Runtime:  86 minutes Synopsis:   The last female bee-hunter in Europe must save the bees and return the natural balance in Honeyland, when a family of nomadic beekeepers invade her land and threaten her livelihood. Verdict: Directed by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov, "Honeyland" is a Macedonian documentary that achieved the rare feat of being nominated for an Oscar in the Best Documentary category as well as the Best International Film category. The film follows  Hatidze Muratova, a wild beekeeper living in isolation with her mother, as she must deal with unexpected new  neighbors who pose a threat to her livelihood.  What I loved about the Sundance sensation is its insight about the life of a very likable, hard-working, and struggling woman whose only friends are her aging mother and Mother Nature itself as well as its approach to themes bigger than its simple premise, "Save the bees" is ...

Director:  Evgeny Afineevsky Runtime:  102 minutes Synopsis:   A documentary on the unrest in Ukraine during 2013 and 2014, as student demonstrations supporting European integration grew into a violent revolution calling for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich. Verdict: About the Euromaidan revolution that took place for 93 days in Ukraine in 2014, "Winter on Fire" is an exceptional documentary that highlights the unlimited power of a unified and determined population. The road was long, the obstacles were numerous, but their perseverance remained the same. They made it clear from day one: They weren't going back home until their voices were heard. Until their demands were met. They were aware that it wasn't going to be a walk in the park, but they also understood that this was their only chance for a change. It was now or never, and never was not an option. Nothing, and least of all their tyrannical leader and his trained thugs, were ...

Director: David Fairhead Runtime: 100 minutes Synopsis:   Dramatic, moving and deeply human, ARMSTRONG offers the definitive life story of Neil Armstrong: from his childhood in Ohio to his first steps on the Moon, and beyond. Verdict: July 20th 1969, exactly 50 years ago today, the small step of one man changed the world as we see it. That step was the result of a lifetime of preparation, determination, and hard work of a team on a quest of achieving the impossible: Put a man on the moon. That man, chosen to be the face of that ambitious project, was Neil Armstrong, a brilliant engineer and talented pilot. A great companion piece to "Apollo 11", a documentary that came out earlier this year that focused on the mission as a whole. "Armstrong"'s aim is to tell the much more personal story of the first astronaut to walk on the lunar surface, starting with his childhood in Ohio and ending with his unfortunate passing in 2012. In other words, it...

Director: Ron Howard Runtime: 114 minutes Synopsis:   A look at the life and work of opera legend,  Luciano Pavarotti . Verdict: For his second venture in the documentary realm following 2013's poorly received "Made in America", Ron Howard chose opera legend Luciano Pavarotti as his subject. And while I wasn't blown away by it, I certainly left the theater with a newfound respect for the Italian tenor. "Pavarotti" does a more than solid job at highlighting the kindness hidden behind Luciano's large voice. Behind the scenes clips and interviews with his surrounding helped paint a picture of an extremely talented man obsessed in making the world a better place. Despite taking a slightly subjective approach which is understandable considering the documentary's goal, I'd say that the film did a pretty great job at giving homaging Pavarotti, both the man and the artist. My issues with the documentary rather lie in its simplistic ...

Directors: Jimmy Chin,  Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi Runtime: 100 minutes Synopsis:   Follow Alex Honnold as he becomes the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000 ft high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, he completed arguably the greatest feat in rock climbing history. Verdict: When "Free Solo" was announced as the winner of the Oscar for best documentary at this year's ceremony, and upon looking up what the subject tackled was, I knew that I had to check it out. And boy am I glad I did. Following Alex Honnold's insane challenge of climbing the famous El Capitan wall without any ropes, "Free Solo" not only was thrilling to watch, but also was surprisingly multilayered. The build-up to the climb was as exciting as the climb itself, which is the main reason why I found this documentary fascinating. In fact, "Free Solo" throws its focus first of all on Alex himself, beautifully developing him and dis...

Director: Jenner Furst, Julia Willoughby Nason Runtime: 96 minutes Synopsis: A documentary that focuses on the disaster that was the Fyre Festival as well as the man behind it all. Verdict: A great companion piece to Netflix' documentary around the same subject , "Fyre Fraud" serves more as a study of Billy McFarland's character rather than the festival itself. And while it's definitely interesting and shocking, mostly since it featured interviews with Billy himself, it didn't grab me as much as the one I watched first on Netflix. McFarland's negligence and passion, as well as his entrepreneur and con artist skills, underlined by interviews with many of his victims and exposure of lies he's been telling for years, were definitely the highlight of "Fyre Fraud", which sadly doesn't do a great job at presenting the obstacles faced during the preparation of what was sold to become a music festival as big as Coachella or Woodsto...

Director: Chris Smith Runtime: 97 minutes Synopsis: A behind the scene look at the failure that was the Fyre Festival. Verdict: The greatest party that never happened and one of the biggest scams in recent memory. The Fyre Festival that took place in 2017 was both of those things and more. Prior to watching that documentary (available on Netflix), I was barely familiar with the events that took place there and the impact it had on thousands of people. I had heard of the festival and its failure, but never knew the details behind that scandal. And let me tell you, they're baffling. "Fyre" not only offers a behind the scenes look at the obstacles faced during the preparation of what was marketed as being the most luxurious party ever thrown and the incredibly disgraceful way they were handled, but also serves as a character study of the man behind everything. A man hated by millions and a scam artist if there ever was one: Billy McFarland. Between genius and pu...

Director: Tim Wardle Runtime: 96 minutes Synopsis:  Three young men discover that they are triplets separated at birth in 1980s New York. Verdict: The premise of this extremely well-received documentary pushed me to watch it even though I don't consider myself a big fan of this particular genre. And while the story of the three brothers is one I found fascinating, it's with the way it was presented that I had my issues. I couldn't help but feel that a lot of what was said in it was exaggerated for dramatic purposes, which is a thing that can't be forgiven in a documentary whose main goal is to tell a story in the most real way possible. I also didn't really find effective the way some revelations were made, which is a shame since some of the twists featured could've been worthy of a Hitchcockian gasp had they been presented as well as in other more realistically made documentaries. "Three Identical Strangers" was not bad overall, but was u...

Director: Morgan Neville Runtime:  94 minutes Synopsis: A look at the life of TV personality Fred Rogers.  Verdict:  Having never watched an episode of "Mister Roger's Neighborhood", I wasn't really sure what to expect from a documentary centered around that show, or if I was even part of its targetted audience. I got my answer as soon as the film started. Sure, Fred Rogers, a fascinating character famous for creating one of the most influential children programs ever, is the main focus of "Won't You Be My Neighbor?", but the message it tried to communicate to the audience is about much deeper subjects (a bit like Rogers' acclaimed show, come to think of it). The importance of role models, the use of TV programs as a way of delivering messages, and the significance of kindness and acceptance are only some of the themes tackled through this hour and a half documentary that will leave you with tears in your eyes, a smile on your face, and ...