Winnebago Man (2009)

Movie quotes:
"I don’t want any more bullshit anytime during the day from anyone… And that includes me."
- Jack Rebney as the Winnebago Man

At a glance:
The backstory of a man whose five minutes of swear-laced out-takes from a Winnebago sales video became a YouTube phenomenon

Our review (with spoilers):
I came into this film as (apparently) one of the few people who had never heard of Winnebago Man, the angry corporate sales video star whose out-takes became one of the most famous and popular viral videos on YouTube. Some of the footage of this frustrated, cursing man is shown at the beginning of the doco, and it did nothing for me. Jack Rebney seemed like a bombastic, angry, threatening, unfunny guy who would have been hell to work with. I was unsure if it would be worth my time to continue watching his story.

Was I ever wrong. By making this film, director Ben Steinbauer changed the public perception of Jack Rebney. Without this film, he is just a man whose five minutes of over the top anger out-takes, watched to infinity, defined him narrowly. For those fortunate enough to see this documentary (or to attend the Found Film Festival on the fateful night when Jack was a special guest), Jack Rebney becomes a real man, a complex man, a man balancing the conflicting desires of audience and isolation. He is a man infuriated by his unwanted celebrity, and angered by his belief that the USA is going downhill. Yet, despite his over the top anger, he is also a man who can laugh and keep things in perspective. And although unwilling at times, he is also a natural performer. By the end of the film, Jack has changed his opinion about his YouTube fans. He now sees them as clever, intelligent people. Likewise, his fans see him as a sweet angry grandpa, and not a movie star and a caricature.

In 1988, a powerful documentary called The Thin Blue Line made me believe that there could be no greater purpose for film than to shed light on a personal story or situation. Winnebago Man has that same feel and purpose. Perhaps the story is not as important this time, although both subjects were, in a way, in prisons of sorts. But this film has its own niche of importance. As well as fleshing out Jack Rebney, it also stands as a chronicle of these strange YouTube Viral Video times we live in. Even this shall change: there will be acceptance, or so many people will purposefully create goofy videos in an attempt to gain celebrity status that these innocent, truly random videos will be a thing of the past. The documentary Winnebago Man will not let that happen. So ‘do me a kindness’, and make sure you catch it.

Rating: 3.5 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"...a terrific character study. It also airs provocative meditations on the ramifications of living our lives via media. Steinbauer accomplishes both in this thoroughly entertaining feature debut."
- Laura Clifford (Reeling Reviews)

 

Catfish (2010)

Movie quotes:
"They used to tank cod from Alaska all the way to China. They'd keep them in vats in the ship. By the time the codfish reached China, the flesh was mush and tasteless. So this guy came up with the idea that if you put these cods in these big vats, put some catfish in with them and the catfish will keep the cod agile. And there are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh. And I thank god for the catfish because we would be droll, boring and dull if we didn't have somebody nipping at our fin."
- Vince Pierce

At a glance:
This documentary explores the hidden secrets behind a Facebook friendship between a New York photographer and an eight year old girl from Michigan

Our review (with spoilers):
Nev, a New York photographer, has a dance photo published in a major magazine. Soon after, he receives a wonderful painting of his photo in the mail. The painting was done by Abby, an eight year old girl from Michigan. Soon Nev is corresponding virtually (through email, Facebook, and Twitter) with Abby, her mom Angela, and her sexy half-sister, Megan. Nev and Megan are mutually attracted and begin an on-line relationship, with both of them looking forward to the day when they can meet. Megan, also a talented artist, uploads a couple of songs written especially for Nev. But an internet search reveals that the songs were written  and sung by somebody else. Soon Nev discovers that all the talk of Abby’s various successful gallery showings were also fabricated. Nev is stunned and angry, but since he is now in the middle of a documentary about the whole situation, he agrees to go to Michigan to find out exactly what is real and what is not.

Soon Nev finds out what astute viewers might suspect: there is only one person behind this ruse that exists: Angela. She did the artwork; she changed her voice to be Megan, and she did the paintings. Nev and crew spend a day with her, and then Nev gently confronts her and gets most of the true story. Angela, her dreams shattered and her life burdened by the care of her new husband’s two extremely retarded twin boys, escaped into multiple personalities and used fragments of herself in her youth to woo Nev.

For his part, Nev is grateful to find out, and somehow these two people form an unlikely (Facebook) friendship. But the pain in their eyes is unmistakable.

This is a wonderful documentary, created on a very low budget. Based on social media, it makes clever use of Google Earth and Google Maps to augment the story. There is a small niggling factor that this may not be completely what it seems – why did they start filming so early in the story? – but the film-makers swear that it is 100% true.

Rating: 3.5 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"The great thing about Catfish is the compassion it shows towards everyone involved. It tries to reach an understanding of the truth but without mocking or judging."
- Allan Hunter (Daily Express)

Cropsey (2009)

At a glance:
A compact, focused documentary about a string of child murders on Staten Island in the 1980s

Our review (with spoilers):
Staten Island, New York, the dumping ground the city’s garbage (and for corpses from mob hits) also was somewhat of a dumping ground for deviates, perhaps – or maybe they just had their fair share. In the mid 1980s, one or more of these crazed people was kidnapping and killing children. Their preference was for kids with mental handicaps. If the killer was Andre Rand, the man arrested and convicted of two of the murders, then the reason was that he felt that the children were not wanted and that they were better off dead. Rand’s crazed ideas were formed because he worked for a time at a horrific mental institution and saw this first hand. Rand may or may not have been the killer; he never admitted to it, and the body of the second girl (and of the other murdered children) was never found.

Directors Barbara Brancaccio and Joshua Zeman capture the sense of community on the island by using new and archival footage. Their vigilant efforts to interview Rand showcase their dogged documentarian pursuit of facts.

Rating: 3 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"Brancaccio and Zeman don't offer any easy answers, merely throwing all of the many issues of the story of Cropsey into a melting pot of danger, terror, and secrecy."
- Brian Tallerico (Movie Retriever)

Girl 27 (2007)

At a glance:
The corruption of 1930s MGM studios is revealed in detail in this story of a young dancer who is violated at a stag party

Our review (with spoilers):
In 1937, in the midst of a crushing recession, the fiefdom called MGM studios was still turning a huge profit. They rewarded their army of salesmen with a lavish party. Besides liquor and entertainment, the salesmen were gifted with hundreds of dancing girls, many of them underage. The girls, who thought they were answering a stage call for a movie set, had no idea that they were also expected to entertain these gentlemen. One of the girls, seventeen year old Patricia Douglas, was raped by a salesman named Don Ross. This in itself was probably not that unusual at the time in this male-dominated, studio-dominated corner of the world. But Douglas chose to fight against the studio. She faced an uphill battle, with so many people in the area either employed by or dependent upon MGM (including the district attorney, her own lawyer, and the man who discovered her and her attacker and later recanted his testimony).

Her life was derailed dramatically by this incident. Three loveless, frigid marriages produced a daughter whom she could not talk to or be close to at times. She hid her story for 65 years until documentarian David Stenn patiently wooed it out of her, and with his persistence brought her friendship – and the vindication of truth. Using archival footage and personal interviews, Stenn places the incident in the context of the time, when a woman’s reputation was ruined completely by rape.

This style of personal, one-on-one documentary (as also seen in Winnebago Man) provides a truly fulfilling film experience. The documentarian’s relationship to the subject becomes a secondary but important player in the story.

Rating: 3 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"This stunning expose of Hollywood's buried scandal is a revelation about the movie industry's influence, and a well-documented backgrounder on Hollywood's 'casting couch' attitude towards women."
- Jennifer Merin (About.com)

Not Quite Hollywood (2008)

At a glance:
This doco provides a sharply edited history of Australian exploitation cinema, narrated by the people who made the films

Our review (with spoilers):
If you’re a true lover of exploitation film and Australian exploitation film in particular, you’ll love this fast-paced, clip-laden homage to Ozploitation. Narrated by the people who made the films, and with numerous comments by Ozploitation adorer Quentin Tarantino, Not Quite Hollywood traces the rise, fall, and rise of Ozploitation from the 1960s to the present day. This was true gonzo film-making: Dennis Hopper boozing it up while trying to show Mad Dog Morgan; stunt people risking their lives for the perfect shot.

Eventually, this film’s length, combined with overly kinetic and modern jump editing, makes this a slightly tedious process for all but the strongest exploitation lover. But that’s not to say it isn’t worth the journey. You’re just not going to get this kind of look into this movie culture anywhere else without poring through hundreds of films.

Rating:  3 of 4

Collapse (2009)

At a glance:
Michael Ruppert’s theories on the wayward path of the human race are a prescient warning of things to come, and a fascinating look at a man obsessed

Our review (with spoilers):
The simple way to define Michael Ruppert with a sound bite is as a ‘conspiracy theorist’. But this is the simple way out. He is an intelligent, emotional man who feels passionately that the human race is way off course. Agribusiness, back-ended home loan, reliance on oil – all of this, he reasons, will come crashing down unless we quickly clear our minds and find solutions to the problems. It’s a tribute to his passion and gift of speech that this film survives as one long interview. Ruppert is almost completely negative about the future of the human race until the last few minutes, when he posits the changes that need to occur to keep us from ending in total self-inflicted holocaust. Perhaps things will not be as bad as his soliloquy makes them out to be, but he makes a compelling case, especially since we have already witnessed the global crash of 2007. Either way, it is a fascinating study of a man obsessed with convincing 100 monkeys of his version of the truth.

Rating:  3 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"Whether you consider Ruppert prophetic or paranoid, hearing his sobering thoughts on the collapse of industrialized civilization is a thought-provoking experience. Thought-provoking and scary."
- Liz Braun (Jam! Movies)

Food Inc. (2008)

Movie quotes:
"A culture that just views a pig as a pile of protoplasmic inanimate structure to be manipulated by whatever creative design a human can foist on that critter will probably view individuals with its community and other cultures in the community of nations with the same type of disdain and disrespect and controlling-type mentality."
- Steve (Farmer at Polyface Farms)

"Buy from companies that treat workers, animals, and the environment with respect."
- from film’s closing lines

At a glance:
Robert Kenner’s fascinating, potentially life-changing documentary pulls back the veil shielding the destructive practices of the handful of multinational corporations who control the American food industry

Our review (with spoilers):
I delayed my viewing of Food Inc. as long as I could, for quite some time, because I knew a bit about what it would reveal, and I knew it would force me to re-evaluate what me and my family eat.

No more chicken will be consumed after viewing the way most chicken are now engineered with big breasts and brittle bones – they often cannot support their own body weight. They are crowded beyond belief in warehouses with no windows.

No more beef will be consumed after realizing that a handful of major meat packers control the market, and that e-coli, which can kill quickly, can also spread efficiently because of a system that shuns diversity. The methods big business try to use to combat disease is to ‘wash’ the meat with ammonia.

Many other supermarket items are not what they appear. In America, corn is used in 90% of products sold in the grocery. Foods with salt, sugar, and fat (the three trigger items craved by an unhealthy human) are heavily subsidized, so that fruit and veggies keep going up in price, while the fast food hamburger keeps getting cheaper.

Perhaps the most tragic story was of the beautiful, healthy 2 year old boy who got e-coli from a hamburger and died 12 days later. But what also hurt me deeply was seeing what Monsanto was doing to any farmer who dared to plant a non-Monsanto soybean, or to the man who was helping these farmers clean and reuse their seeds. At the time of filming, Monsanto controlled 90% of the soybean mark with their ‘Roundup Ready’ bean (it can be sprayed with the herbicide Roundup and will carry on living while all other plants and weeds die).

Rating:  3.5 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"Like a 21st-century updating of The Jungle ... Food, Inc. is infuriating and disheartening, as it introduces us to the unpleasant verities of eating and the cynical rationalizations of those who purport to feed us."
- Philip Martin (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

Tyson (2008)

Movie quotes:
"While I’m in the dressing room, five minutes before I come out, my gloves are laced up, I’m breaking my gloves down, I’m pushing the leather to the back of my gloves, I’m breaking the middle of the gloves so my knuckle could pierce through the leather. I could feel my knuckle piercing through the tight leather gloves on the Everlast boxing gloves. When I come out I have supreme confidence but I’m scared to death. I’m totally afraid. I’m afraid of everything. I’m afraid of losing. I’m afraid of being humiliated. But I’m totally confident. The closer I get to the ring the more confident I get; the closer, the more confident I get. The closer the more confident I get. All during my training I’ve been afraid of this man. I thought this man might be capable of beating me. I’ve dreamed of him beating me. But that I’ve always stayed afraid of him. The closer I get to the ring I’m more confident. Once I’m in the ring I’m a god. No one could beat me. I walk around the ring but I never take my eyes off my opponent – I keep my eyes on, even if he’s ready and pumping. He can’t wait to get his hands on me as well. I keep my eyes on him. I keep my eyes on him. Then once I see a chink in his armor, boom, one of his eyes may move, and then I know I have him. Then when he comes to the center of the ring, he still looks at me with his piercing look as if he’s not afraid. But he already made that mistake when he looked down for that one tenth of a second. I know I had him. He’ll fight hard for the first two or three rounds, but I know I already broke his spirit. During the fight I’m supremely confident. I’m moving my head; he’s throwing punches. I’m making him miss and I’m countering. I’m hitting him to the body; I’m punching him real hard. And I’m punching, and I’m punching him, and I know he’s not able to take my punches. One, two, three punches; I’m throwing punches in bunches. He goes down, he’s out. I’m victorious. Mike Tyson, greatest fighter that ever lived."
- Mike Tyson

At a glance:
Mike Tyson paints a mesmerizing portrait of his tumultuous life and troubled soul in his truth-laced, psychologically fascinating soliloquy

Our review (with spoilers):
Tyson is the story of heavyweight boxer and former world champion Mike Tyson, tracing his tumultuous life from his start as a troubled child, his teenage years as a hood, his ascent to the world title, and his descent back to earth. At the heart of all was his intensely close relationship with his trainer/mentor/father figure, Cus D’Amato. D’Amato pulled Tyson from a life of crime that would have surely ended in an early death or a long jail sentence, and honed his raw boxing talent into the skills of a world champion. Tyson, for his part, gave D’Amato a reason to live – to watch this man that he had molded improve and excel. D’Amato saw Tyson start to climb the steps toward the world championship but died before Tyson reached his goal. D’Amato also missed Tyson’s rapid descent. With his mentor/conscience gone, and lured into believing his own hype, Tyson stopped training and gave in to the temptations of non-stop groupie women. He lost the title to Buster Douglas, a fighter he probably could have beaten easily had he trained properly. As his professional life nose-dived, so did his personal life. His marriage to Robin Givens ended in humiliation. And later, he was convicted of the rape of an aspiring Miss America contestant, and spent three years in prison. When he emerged, his heart, mind and body were no longer dedicated to boxing; he fought again, with varying success, and admitted that often it was only for the paycheck.

What makes this story so compelling is that it is told by Tyson himself, with no holds barred (except for those parts where it is obvious that Tyson doesn’t really understand what happened to him, or perhaps has no intention of admitting the facts). Most of the film consists of close-ups of Tyson’s face as he recounts the highs and lows of his life. There is an interviewer, but they are never on-screen, and their questions are never heard; only Tyson’s answers are there to guide us. Interspersed with this are some awesome clips from his bouts that led to his heavyweight title; he was a terrifying superior fighter, expertly trained, singular of purpose, and with amazing hand speed and power.

Even Tyson himself seems only vaguely aware of just how out of control he can get when he is high, hurt, or enraged by current events or his harsh upbringing. He is quite raw, unrestrained, and animalistic, and, amazingly, he shares much of this when he tells his story. For example, recounting the details of when he attacked Don King, he first insults King, calling him a number of names and saying the man only loves money. It is as if he is reliving the anger that led him to attack King. He then says that he loved Don King. Both versions appear to be true, or at least he believes both to be true.

Rating:  3.5 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"...if Tyson never manages to charm us, there are other times when he comes off as touchingly naive. He's uncommonly empathetic to those who might think him a monster. It seems he often sometimes thinks of himself the same way."
- Philip Martin (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

"It all adds up to a fascinating psychological study, a film that goes beyond both the public persona and the fighter's own spin to get at the frightened, angry, explosive, yet utterly understandable boy who became a very troubled and very public man."
- Roger Moore (Orlando Sentinel)

Grizzly Man (2005)

Movie quotes:
"I will die for these animals, I will die for these animals, I will die for these animals."
- Timothy Treadwell

At a glance:
Werner Herzog’s familiarity with obsession aids his documentary of bear activist Timothy Treadwell, who, after 13 summers camping among grizzlies, was killed by bears

Our review (with spoilers):
Werner Herzog’s documentary profiles Timothy Treadwell, a self-styled ‘gentle warrior’ who spent 13 summers studying grizzly bears in the Alaskan wilderness. An actor by trade, Treadwell’s career had reached rock bottom when he was rejected for a role in Cheers; he subsequently overdosed on cocaine and heroin. He found a religious rebirth in studying, photographing, and ‘protecting’ the bears in the areas where he camped. Born on Long Island, New York as Timothy Baxter, Treadwell reinvented himself as a British orphan from a small outback town in Australia. In videotapes he made while on-site, he portrayed himself as a lone warrior, although in fact at least 4 of those 13 summers he was accompanied by one or more (mostly off-camera) female companions. Herzog picked from this extensive video library to present some amazing up-close footage of bears and foxes; he also shows much of Treadwell’s obsessive, bipolar personality in segments that were essentially personal video diaries that should never have been aired to a wider audience. Treadwell bares his troubled soul. No one can doubt his love of the bears (and his profound, misguided need to be loved by them), but in his zest for love, he invaded the bears territory and ultimately did not show them enough respect. His goals were conflicting; he longed to portray bears as being less dangerous as believed and worthy of protection, and yet he constantly portrayed himself as a man who was purposely camping in dangerous, life-threatening situations. Ultimately, after an amazing run of luck, Treadwell stayed too long into that final, fateful season. The usual bears that he knew (and that knew him) had begun hibernation, and strange, older, hungrier, and more desperate bears inhabited the region. One or more of these bears broke into Treadwell’s tent and killed him and his girlfriend.

Herzog is no stranger to obsession; he also has plunged headfirst into film projects (for example, Fitzcarraldo) at the expense of all other priorities. He has picked his subject well; Treadwell is an intriguing character, and the wildlife footage is captivating at times.  Rating: 3 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"Part punk wildlife doc, part diary of a twisted soul, part cautionary tale, Grizzly Man is a complex, unique and engrossing journey into the murky recesses of an unhinged mind."
- Dan Jolin (Empire Magazine)

"Treadwell, a failed TV actor, is presented as someone desperate to give and receive love. That he went to such extremes is tragic, but also, in Herzog's sympathetic eyes, deeply human."
- Joshua Rothkopf (Time Out New York)

Standard Operating Procedure (2008)

At a glance:
Director Errol Morris applies his finely honed documentary skills to explore the facts and reasons behind the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib, letting the pictures – and the perpetrators – speak for themselves

Our review:
My knowledge of Abu Ghraib prison and the events that transpired there during the US invasion of Iraq amounted to brief readings of internet news articles, and sideways glances at horrendous photos of prisoners being forced to pose in demeaning naked human pyramids. I didn’t feel like I needed to know more – I knew enough. There are strict international laws called the Geneva Convention, put into place specifically to protect prisoners of war, because the nature of war puts these prisoners’ rights at extreme risk. The concept is that they should be treated with respect, like all human beings should, despite the fact that they are currently the enemy. Apparently, these laws had been horribly violated at Abu Ghraib. Did I really need to know the details? I didn’t think so, but when I heard that Errol Morris (by far my favorite documentary filmmaker) had made a movie about it, I decided to watch. Years ago, Morris made the almost perfect and influential The Thin Blue Line; based on that film, I would watch anything with his name in the credits.

What I learned was a lot more about the ugly side of human nature – from interviews with the people who were either observers of the torture and humiliation, or were following orders to commit it. It’s fairly sickening to see the scenes of abuse and torture, and then to learn that many of the acts were merely classified as SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) rather than as criminal acts.

I also learned what a cover-up is, and how the US military protects those in its higher ranks (at the time of filming, no one above the rank of Staff Sergeant has served time in prison for the abuses at Abu Ghraib).

The story is almost unbearably sad, and it is augmented by the poetic images added by the infallible Morris. Morris has a way to make people say more than they should while they look into the ‘eyes’ of the camera (and seem to be talking directly to you, the audience). As always, Morris makes it about the people as well as the story. We try to get a glimpse inside the thinking processes that led Lynndie England to give a thumbs up and a big smile while posing in numerous photos of Iraqi prisoners being tortured. Danny Elfman’s moody music adds the finishing touch.

Note: this film goes a long way toward explaining the stressful situation of serving at Abu Ghraib; for more information, check the internet, and/or read this article Rating: 3.75 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"A film of great sadness about how we humans debase ourselves; it's also an important reminder to never jump to conclusions from appearances."
- Urban Cinefile Critics (Urban Cinefile)

"Fascinating and horrifying, especially if you take a step back and view it thinking about what it tells us about the society in which these abuses took place."
- Brian Webster (Apollo Guide)

"[Morris has] given the material his own personal stamp and added another film to an increasingly artistic and unique filmography."
- Jeffrey M. Anderson (Combustible Celluloid)

My Winnipeg (2007)

Movie quotes:
"Every day, the show runs at noon. The same over-sensitive man takes something said the wrong way, climbs out on a window ledge and threatens to jump. And every day, his mother appears at the nearest window and tells him to remember all the reasons for living. By the end of each episode, the son is convinced to come into safety. But the next day, he is back out there again."
- Narrator (Guy Maddin) describing the fictional Winnipeg television show ‘Ledge Man’

At a glance:
Guy Maddin’s semi-autobiographical documentary of his home town, Winnipeg, doesn’t always work, but there are some incredible gems of history and insight

Our review:
This documentary by writer/director/star Guy Maddin features archival and recreated footage of old Winnipeg, as Maddin documents his supposed attempt to leave his place of birth, despite the strong psychic ties that keep him from doing so.  In black and white, and combined with linking segments of a nodding-off man on a train ride, Maddin delivers the narration in a sleepwalking monotone. Some viewers may think he is trying to put them to sleep, too, but every time you start to nod off, there is a flash of outrageous history or modern wit to jar you back awake. Highlights include: Ledge Man, Sleepwalkers with keys, the Drowned Horses, Maddin’s ability to film in the style of old cinema, and the true (and somewhat true) history of Winnipeg. Meant to be seen not on home video, but in the darkened hollow of a theater, amid an open-minded film festival audience. Rating: 2.75 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"(1) Shot for shot, Maddin can be as surprising and delightful as any filmmaker has ever been, and (2) he is an acquired taste, but please, sir, may I have some more?"
- Roger Ebert

"Given its unusual blend of fact and fiction, the film is a real head-scratcher. Like most -- if not all -- of Maddin's films, it's as bewildering as it is visually arresting. And yes, that means it's an acquired taste."
- Jeff Vice (Deseret News, Salt Lake City)

"It's sometimes uneven, but it's glorious, too, with constantly churning invention and the guarantee that you have never seen anything like it before -- unless it came from Winnipeg and Guy Maddin."
- Shawn Levy (Oregonian)

Man on Wire (2008)

"If I die, what a beautiful death!"
- Philippe Petit

At a glance: James Marsh directs this compelling documentary about Philippe Petit, who, in 1974, walked a tightrope between the twin towers of the World Trade Center; Petit is mesmerizing, and the ups and down of his sometimes motley crew adds to the suspense

If you heard that a man desired to walk a tightrope between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, you might think he is a psychotic with a death wish. Philippe Petit might be psychotic, but he developed his skill so completely that he was the only man capable of safely walking between the towers. And that’s just what he did in 1974, for an amazing 45 minutes and 8 crossings. This documentary about Petit is not only the study of a dedicated performer with a burning passion for his art, it also serves as a nice homage to the now-deceased World Trade Center. Copious footage of a young Petit and his crew are melded to good effect with current interviews. It perhaps bogs down just a little during the relatively long sequence dealing with setting up the required  equipment. Rating: 2.75 of 4

"James Marsh's documentary is the story of the dreaming and scheming that went into the walk, which I hesitate to call a stunt. It seems too glib a word for a feat that inspired the poignant complex of emotions uncovered by Marsh's narrative."
- Sandra Hall (Sydney Morning Herald)

"Marsh uses a combination of interviews, film of Petit as a young man, authentic newsreels and enacted reconstructions to produce an unforgettable experience."
- Evan Williams (The Australian)

"The simplicity of Philippe's vision is intoxicating, as is his self-assurance."
- FILMINK (Australia)

"It's a hell of a story, and Petit is a mesmerising storyteller, with an extravagantly poetic turn of phrase and the glittering eye of the Ancient Mariner."
- Jake Wilson (The Age [Australia])

"It's a story worth telling, yes -- but after 90 minutes, it's hard not to wonder if the storyteller can talk about anything else."
- Noel Murray (Onion AV Club)