Every now and then a documentary comes along that not only educates you, but perhaps changes your perspective on something, and consequently changes yourself. I believe Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 and Sicko were both these types of films. As were Alex Gibney's Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and Taxi to the Dark Side. And after watching Jessica Baker's 25-minute documentary on the rising incidence autism, I can happily add Sensory Overload to that list.
As mentioned, the film which recently aired on PBS, talks about the rising incidence of autism, but instead of going the stereotypical route as most documentaries on that subject, Sensory Overload emphasizes on the families and friends coping with autism in their family, their highs and lows, and their joys and sorrows. The documentary is exceptionally well made, especially for a low budget student film, and while it educates (it did me:)) it also delivers a strong and thought provoking message on the lives of people both directly and indirectly affected by autism.
Even though the sound editing could have been reworked, I believe Sensory Overload to be a very well made film. And while it delivers a strong message, perhaps most importantly it showcases that you don't need a million dollar budget and an HD cam to make a point. All you really need is a thought provoking thesis and of course some raw talent. 5 out of 5!!
V.
Images courtesy of Jessica Baker
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The most anti-climatic film of 2009!!
I must say that Notorious was one of the worst and definitely the most anti-climatic films I have seen this year. It pretty much flatlines throughout the entire feature (122 minutes of this shit), and is filled with numerous plot holes and sub par acting on behalf of pretty much everyone. I mean, the Academy Award nominee Angela Bassett was solid as Voletta Wallace, but her semi decent performance made everyone else look even worse...
The newcomer Jamal Woolard (as Christopher Wallace AKA Biggie) was simply terrible, and not only that he made Biggie look like a 1-dimensional fat bloke, he also made the man appear slightly stupid. I think it is safe to say that Jamal Woolard has ended his brief acting career. Another one was Derek Luke as P. Diddy (or Puff Daddy). His performance was equally as bad, and unfortunately did not resemble Puffy one bit. But the worst performer trophy goes to Anthony Mackie's Tupac Shakur. For those who don't know, Anthony Mackie is actually a decent actor. Just watch The Hurt Locker! So it took me by surprise to see him perform so terribly. Of course part of the blame lies in the hands of the screenwriters who have managed to write terrible characters for everyone in this film, but still...Mackie manages to make a complete joke out of both himself and Pac.
Okay, enough of the bad acting. Did I mention the anachronisms?? Maybe it's a guy thing, but I counted at least 4 automobiles that were not even produced during the time Biggie (and Pac) were around -- the 7th generation (current model) Mercedes-Benz E-Class, a Corvette C6 (current model), a stretched Ford Crown Vic taxi cab (roled off the assembly line in '02), and a 7th generation Honda Accord (previous model). Terrible goofs of behalf of the film makers...
Overall, Notorious must be one of the worse (if not the worst) biographical dramas I have ever seen. Hence my rating -- 1 out of 5 stars! And this is coming from a guy who actually digs Biggie's music.
V.
Oh yes...this film was produced by P. Diddy himself. Clearly he should stick to making music.
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Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, playaz and playa hataz...
The aspiring film critic "Viira" is finally back from summer break and ready to bring on more of his personalized views and movie reviews!!
Keep checking back for upcoming reviews on Notorious, District 9, The Hurt Locker, Max Payne, Public Enemies, etc.
V.
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As mentioned, the film which recently aired on PBS, talks about the rising incidence of autism, but instead of going the stereotypical route as most documentaries on that subject, Sensory Overload emphasizes on the families and friends coping with autism in their family, their highs and lows, and their joys and sorrows. The documentary is exceptionally well made, especially for a low budget student film, and while it educates (it did me:)) it also delivers a strong and thought provoking message on the lives of people both directly and indirectly affected by autism.
Even though the sound editing could have been reworked, I believe Sensory Overload to be a very well made film. And while it delivers a strong message, perhaps most importantly it showcases that you don't need a million dollar budget and an HD cam to make a point. All you really need is a thought provoking thesis and of course some raw talent. 5 out of 5!!
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