Category: Documentary

By Joe Bendel. It’s not a gender thing, it’s a lawyer thing. It turns out that predatory divorce lawyers – and judges congenial to the point of collusion – have rigged the system to line their respective pockets. That hardly sounds shocking, but the reality is worse than you imagined, at least according to a new documentary openly advocating a comprehensive overhaul of the American family law system. The lawyers and judges profiting from broken families stand duly indicted in Joseph Sorge’s Divorce Corp, which opens this Friday in New York.

Like a shrewd consensus builder, Sorge includes an equal balance of men and women who have been done wrong by the judge presiding over their divorces. When watching the case he lays out, it seems neither men nor women have a built in advantage. It all depends on whose lawyer is more buddy-buddy with the judge. You might assume a judge would recuse himself from hearing a case presented by a close friend and former law partner, but in family court you would be wrong.

Sorge paints an alarming portrait of the family court as a judicial tyranny, where jury trials and the right to council no longer apply. Perhaps most shockingly, he interviews two victims of judicial persecution (one man and one woman), who were sent to prison on dubious charges (such as “judicial intimidation”) after publicizing in the media their judges’ clear conflicts of interest.

As an alternative, Sorge and his associates point to the Scandinavian model as a better method of divorce. They might be right, but it is hard to imagine restricting alimony until the finalization of the divorce will catch on here anytime soon. For a start, states with referendum votes should pass provisions mandating full C-O-I disclosure and allowing potentially disadvantaged parties to opt for judicial reassignment. The various state bars should also automatically investigate any divorce dragging on longer than twelve months (which Sorge argues is indicative of frivolous motions designed to bleed both parties dry).

If Sorge and co-writers Blake Harjes, James D. Scurlock, and Philip Sternberg have misrepresented the reality of family law in America, then the Bar Association should produce a rebuttal documentary post-haste. Corp is a compelling indictment, given additional authority by the participation of narrator Dr. Drew Pinsky (who has credibility as an advocate for personal responsibility). To a layman viewer, the film comes across as quite even-handed and never engages in hysterical hyperventilating.

Still, Corp is not exactly fun stuff, but it is highly watchable, particularly when colorful private detective John J. Nazarian offers his commentary. When he says he would rather go through “death than divorce,” it is pretty heavy. Recommended for legal reform activists and those looking for a justification to stay single forever, Divorce Corp opens this Friday (1/10) in New York at the Quad Cinema.

Posted on January 6th, 2014 at 11:04pm.

By Joe Bendel. There was a time crime was rampant in New York, but City Hall was fine with the carnage. This seems to be a recurring cycle in the City, but in this case, the time in question is 1918. Coroner positions were an important part of Tammany Hall’s patronage mill. No medical training was required, as long as the mortuary kick-backs were shared with the machine. As a result, untold poisoners escaped judgment, either through negligence or graft. The efforts of a reformist medical examiner and his pioneering toxicologist to make science and integrity part of New York law enforcement are chronicled in Rob Rapley’s The Poisoner’s Handbook, which airs this Tuesday as part of the current season of American Experience.

Charles Norris was independently wealthy, relatively politically astute, and a genuine medical doctor. Against the vociferous objections of Tammany Mayor John F. “Red Mike” Hylan, the state of New York forced through his appointment as the City’s medical examiner. His chief lieutenant was Alexander Gettler, a Jewish Hungarian immigrant who worked his way through a PhD in chemistry. No longer in the business of selling specially tailored death certificates, Norris’ office actually started applying the scientific method to criminal investigation. During their early years, Gettler wrote academic papers on scores of toxins that remain relevant to this day.

Based on the nonfiction book by Deborah Blum (who appears as a talking head), Poisoner is more authoritative in its treatment of criminological history than the thematically related How Sherlock Changed the World. Rapley never addresses Gettler’s reading habits, but evidently he was quite the Yankees fan. Shrewdly structured, Poisoner zeroes in on Gettler’s relationship with his nemesis, sort of the Irene Adler of arsenic, for maximum dramatic value. It also morbidly but logically organizes each section according to the relevant toxin under discussion.

However, it clearly favors the toxicologist over his M.E., even though political junkies would probably prefer to hear more about Norris’ wrangling with Tammany Hall. In contrast, a bit too much time is devoted to Prohibition. While it certainly kept Norris and Gettler (both Wets) busy, there was little mystery involved in each toxic “denatured” alcohol death.

There is plenty of good New York history and vintage true crime in American Experience’s The Poisoner’s Handbook. Highly watchable (at least until the last minute cheerleading for the FDA), it should entertain (and inform) fans of Caleb Carr’s The Alienist and BBC America’s Copper. It premieres on most PBS outlets this coming Tuesday (1/7).

LFM GRADE: B-

Posted on January 6th, 2014 at 10:17pm.

By Joe Bendel. It has been a terrible year for photography. For many, an important form of art and journalism has been debased by the ubiquitous “selfie.” Can a curmudgeonly but self-effacing octogenarian photographer rejuvenate viewer appreciation for the art-form in the age of Kardashian vanity? As a matter of fact, Saul Leiter can when Tomas Leach does his best to profile his somewhat difficult subject throughout the course of In No Great Hurry: 13 Lessons in Life with Saul Leiter, which opens this Friday in New York.

Leiter has been called the “Pioneer of Color Photography,” but he’s not buying it. Frankly, he is rather baffled by Leach’s interest and remains not completely sold on the whole notion of appearing in a documentary. Despite his rather modest appraisal of his career, Leiter is relatively satisfied with the recent publication of his book. Indeed, calling the late, greater-than-he-thought photographer “unsung” might be an exaggeration. After all, at one point in the film Leiter learns he has just been acquired by the Philadelphia Museum of Art (which he thinks is quite nice, but does not exactly have him turning cartwheels). “Undersung” would probably be more accurate.

As skeptical as Leiter is, Leach’s portrait of the artist is surprisingly entertaining, in an appropriately low key manner. Somehow, the audience really gets a taste of Leiter’s personality. We also get a sense of how much history is represented by every pile of slides stacked up in Leiter’s apartment. Frankly, someone could probably make a deeply passionate melodrama about Leiter’s long, complex relationship with model-turned-artist Soames Bantry, but we only get tantalizing hints in INGH. Leiter only offers up tantalizing hints, but piecing together his off-hand reminiscences is part of the film’s charm.

Leach also incorporates many striking photos from Leiter’s oeuvre. Best known for his street level city scenes, often shot through rain streaked store windows, Leiter documented his Lower Eastside neighborhood as it developed over the decades. Although born in Philly, he became a quintessential New York photographer. Although there are several Leiter self portraits in INGH, it is always impossible to make out his reflected features. In many ways, they are the antithesis of “selfies,” but they are perfectly representative of Leiter’s work and personality.

By necessity, INGH is a small, quiet film, because Leiter would put up with just so much. However, Leach’s conclusion still manages to be wonderfully satisfying, yet totally in keeping with his subject’s spirit. For those who love the art form, it comes at an opportune time. Arguably, INGH is the best photography related documentary since (or maybe even better than) How to Make a Book with Steidl, unless you count Bettie Page Reveals All (which is really something completely different). Recommended quit strongly for discerning viewers, In No Great Hurry opens this Friday (1/3) in New York at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center.

LFM GRADE: A-

Posted on December 30th, 2013 at 2:39pm.

By Joe Bendel. We think of Sherlock Holmes stories as classic mysteries, but they were practically science fiction when they were first released. Such was the state of forensic science at the time—it simply did not exist. Various forensic fans pay their respects to the consulting detective in the two-part, one-night special How Sherlock Changed the World, which premieres this Tuesday on most PBS stations nationwide.

The first Holmes story came out during the Jack the Ripper investigation, when most of London had concluded most of the city’s coppers were just a pack of dumb thugs—and not without justification. Crime scenes were not preserved and nobody bothered to give them the once-over for telling information. Instead, it was round-up the usuals and beat out a confession—a strategy doomed to fail with a serial killer.

The fact that the fictional Holmes served as a catalyst for smarter investigative techniques makes perfect sense, considering how science fiction has always inspired technological breakthroughs. In the early segments, producer-director Paul Bernays and his expert witnesses make a strong case for Sherlock’s influence on the pioneers of forensic investigation, particularly Edmond Locard, a French Holmes fan who assembled the first legitimate crime lab in 1910.

Eventually, HSCTW settles into a familiar pattern, introducing an investigative avenue prefigured in Doyle’s stories (like toxicology, ballistics, and hair and fiber analysis) and then demonstrating real world applications from the case files of its talking heads, including the sometimes controversial Dr. Henry Lee, probably best known for his work on the notorious “Woodchipper Murder.” Initially a bit of a revelation, the Sherlock tribute largely becomes reasonably diverting comfort viewing for true crime fans.

Obviously, HSCTW was shrewdly programmed to stoke viewer enthusiasm for the upcoming third season of PBS’s Sherlock. We do indeed see clips from the Cumberbatch show, but most of the points are illustrated with original recreations of Holmes at work. Granted, clearances can be tricky, but the HSCTW cast lacks the distinctive presence of the many classic screen Holmeses, such as Basil Rathbone, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Jeremy Brett, Patrick Macnee, Tom Baker, Christopher Plummer, or even Ronald Howard.

HSCTW is television viewers can safely dip in and out of. Nonetheless, it makes a compelling case on behalf of the contributions made to criminal justice by Holmes, as well as his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle. In fact, it leads one to believe Doyle’s stock is rather undervalued given his post-Sherlock endeavors. While it has a fair amount of filler, How Sherlock Changed the World also provides some intriguing cultural history. Recommended as a pleasant distraction for Holmes and CSI fans eagerly anticipating the new season of Sherlock, it airs this Tuesday (12/17) on most PBS affiliates nationwide.

Posted on December 16th, 2013 at 9:58pm.

By Joe Bendel. If they are smart, organized snowboarding and other extreme sports will get proactive about preventing serious brain trauma, like that suffered by Olympic prospect Kevin Pearce. Or they can just bury their heads in the sand like the NFL. Anyone care to lay odds on which course they take? Perhaps Oscar nominated filmmaker Lucy Walker will shift the needle a bit with her HBO produced documentary profile of Pearce, The Crash Reel, which opens today in New York at the IFC Center.

Pearce was sort of the Zenned-Out Natural, who generated jaw-dropping amplitude on his runs. His friend-turned-rival Shaun White is depicted as the Ice-Man of snowboarding, who never made a mistake, but lacked Pearce’s indefinable X-factor. While White was a driven lone wolf (or so he appears), Pearce led a free-spirited group of competitive snowboarders known as the “Frends,” because there is no “i” in there. Then during a fateful training run in Park City (a town which holds continuing significance throughout the film), Pearce took a fall that is truly sickening to watch.

Obviously, this changes everything. It is a slow process, but Pearce begins to the recover physically and mentally. However, several individuals tangentially related to Pearce are not so fortunate. In fact, their sad intersecting stories provide some of Reel’s most poignant moments. Yet, despite these tragic examples and the objections of his family, Pearce remains determined to make his competitive return.

Walker is a talented filmmaker, who really should have taken home the Oscar for The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom. She skillfully broadens Reel’s focus, without turning it into an outright advocacy PSA. Walker and her team also culled through a remarkable wealth of archival and privately recorded video clips. Say what you will about extreme sports athletes, but they certainly document themselves thoroughly. Unfortunately, they are not always wildly interesting as interview subjects. Ironically, White is probably the most engaging on-camera presence, aside perhaps from another extreme skiing colleague, whose appearances take on tragic implications in the third act.

As fate would have it, Walker first met Pearce at an unrelated Sundance event and eventually premiered Reel at this year’s festival. Yet, one wonders how the Park City snow sports industry will appreciate their unflattering role in the film. Granted, the road-back section drags a bit from time to time, but there is clearly a reason why every scene was included. Indeed, it would make an effective (if somewhat depressing) double feature with Steve James’ Head Games. Recommended for fans and critics of snowboarding and related sports, The Crash Reel opens theatrically today (12/13) at the IFC Center.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on December 13th, 2013 at 7:33pm.