THE PIGEON TUNNEL (2023, doc)

October 20, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. When John le Carre passed away in 2020 at the age of 80, conversations and debates raged about the best spy novelists, and what stood out was, no matter how many writers were mentioned – Ian Fleming, Tom Clancey, Robert Ludlum, Ken Follett – everyone’s list included le Carre. Oscar winning documentarian Errol Morris (THE FOG OF WAR, 2003) has taken le Carre’s final and most personal interview and adorned it with film clips, rare archival footage, and some dramatic effects to create a lasting tribute to a superb writer and a most interesting man.

John le Carre was a former member of MI5 (British Security Service) and MI6 (British Intelligence Service), only at the time he was David Cornwell. Adapting his now world-famous nom de plume, le Carre became a spy who wrote spy novels. Really good spy novels. Not only were many of these to become bestsellers, many were also primed to be adapted to a film version or TV series. A few of his best-known novels include: “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold”, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”, “The Night Manager”, “The Constant Gardener”, and “A Perfect Spy.” His recurring character George Smiley was always a favorite, and was played expertly by two Oscar winners, Sir Alec Guiness and Gary Oldman.

For anyone who hasn’t read le Carre’s 2016 autobiography, “The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life”, Morris is kind enough to include the explanation of the title. “The Pigeon Tunnel” was the working title le Carre used for many of his books while in progress, and we do get to hear the author detail how that particular phrase happened to stick. In fact, the real treasure here is in hearing le Carre’s distinctive voice spin the yarn on so many stories. Whether writing or speaking, he was a fantastic storyteller, mesmerizing the readers and listeners.

With his storytelling-on-the-fly approach, le Carre recalls his childhood and life with a seamless blend of experience, memory, and imagination … often with the Cold War as a backdrop. We aren’t always sure where the blurred line between fact and embellishment falls, but we do know we are along for the ride. When John le Carre speaks of his fascination with “betrayal”, we can’t help but wish he were still around to provide commentary on this modern world.

Streaming globally on AppleTV+ beginning October 20, 2023

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

LIFE ITSELF (2014, doc)

July 26, 2014

life itself Greetings again from the darkness. Director Steve James is well known for his heralded documentary Hoop Dreams, released 20 years ago. Film Critic Roger Ebert was one of that film’s earliest and loudest champions. Now, Mr. James returns the favor with a tribute to the life of Roger Ebert, based on the memoir of the same name.

James struggles a bit with the film’s structure because there is so much story to Ebert’s life, and the director’s access to the challenges faced by Ebert during his last months of life make for a story unto itself. No punches are pulled, and this is one of the most head-on presentations of illness and dying that we have ever witnessed on screen. Ebert’s cancer took his jaw and his recognizable voice, but this man would not be silenced. He passionately embraced social media and blogging to become even more relevant than ever.

It’s fun to see the love-hate relationship between Ebert and his TV co-host Gene Siskel. This was the best kind of rivalry – one that brought at the best in both. I was fortunate enough to be exposed to them via PBS in 1975, their first year broadcasting together. I’ve said it before, but these two guys taught me how to watch a movie … how to appreciate what story was being told, and how it was being told. Their brief verbal jousts showed me that opinions can vary widely on movies and that it’s not just OK, but actually fun to debate the merits.

As much fun as their show was, what I really enjoyed was reading their full reviews in the Chicago newspapers. My trips to the library were often for the sole purpose of digging out the latest reviews (this was prior to internet). Whle I more often agreed with Siskel, it was Ebert’s stunning writing skills that really hit home with me. It wasn’t until many years later that I learned he won a Pulitzer at age 26, and had grown up as a journalist. His words could translate what his senses took in.

Because of all that, this documentary is very personal to me … as I’m sure it is to the entire community of film lovers that Siskel and/or Ebert inspired. The interviews with Werner Herzog, Martin Scorsese and Errol Morris (plus others) clearly display the impact of Ebert. But as personal as it is to these men as filmmakers and to me as a movie blogger, that’s nothing like the personal level we witness between Roger and Chaz, his wife. Roger’s health issues and numerous operations and rehabilitation stints show the courage and love of these two. This was heart-warming and gut-wrenching all at the same time … the kind of movie that Roger would have given a big thumbs up.

Here is what I posted the day after Roger Ebert died:  https://moviereviewsfromthedark.com/2013/04/05/

watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9ud1HUHgug

 

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE ACT OF KILLING (2013, doc)

August 14, 2013

act of killing Greetings again from the darkness. To some: a national hero. To others: a monster or war criminal. Co-director Joshua Oppenheimer’s concept was either to re-examine history or study the dark side of human nature. Either way, this is one of the most disturbing, difficult to watch documentaries I’ve ever seen.

The film begins with this quote from Voltaire: “It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets”. We then read text that provides the only historical background provided by the film … the Indonesian coup in 1965 that led to a year long slaughter of anyone deemed to be a communist. In reality, the definition was quite broad and basically included anyone who wasn’t totally onboard with the new power structure.

To carry out the massacre, a death squad of gangsters was employed and Oppenheimer recruits one of the most brutal of these gangsters to an “art” project: recreate your most heinous kills in whatever film genre you prefer. Anwar Congo agrees and even arranges for his accomplices to join in. The result is the most bizarre mixture of classic-type Hollywood crime thrillers and even a surreal musical number with bold colors and a giant metal fish.

That’s the best description I can provide. While I found myself unable to look away, this is not one that can really be recommended as a form of entertainment. There are some stunning moments here, but it’s nauseating to recall. An Indonesian TV talk show host is giddy to have these “heroic” gangsters on her show. Congo gathers his grandchildren to watch a brutal re-enactment of one of his missions. Their discussions of how important movies were to their murderous activities could lead to further analysis of the role of art in violence, but instead it points out why Congo agreed to this project in the first place – his ego is such that he seems himself as a Bogart type hero.

Renowned documentary filmmakers Werner Herzog and Errol Morris are both listed as producers, but some of the crew is listed as “anonymous” and who can blame them? While there seems to be no regret and no guilt for previous actions, there is an odd, extended scene where Congo’s guttural bellows and dry-heaving leave us wondering if maybe there is a crack in his facade … or is he just caught up in his performance. I’m not sure and I hope to never watch this again.

watch the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD5oMxbMcHM

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Posted by David Ferguson

TABLOID

July 24, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. Truth is often stranger than fiction. But what happens when the truth is elusive? Well Tabloid demonstrates how little the truth matters … strange is still strange! Master documentarian Errol Morris serves up his most ‘whacked out’ profile yet.

Mr. Morris has described his work in documentary films as falling into one of two categories: ‘Completely Whacked Out’ and ‘Politically Concerned’. The latter category includes his brilliant films The Fog of War and The Thin Blue Line. The ‘whacked’ category includes Fast, Cheap & Out of Control and Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A Leuchter. I highly recommend any and all of these.

 This latest subject, Joyce McKinney, may not be immediately familiar to you. In 1977, she became infamous as the key player in the British tabloid storyline named “Case of the Manacled Mormon”. She was accused of following a Mormon missionary to the U.K., kidnapping him, handcuffing him to a bed, and using him as her sex slave. To really understand the story, one must realize the lack of knowledge that the British press had towards the Mormon church at the time. They truly viewed it as a cult.

Ms. McKinney has never stopped her accusations that the Mormon leaders created a cult environment, and brain-washed both men and women. Her stance is a huge part of why her story, or stories, are impossible to take seriously. Her story is that she and Kirk Anderson fell in love and the church forced them apart by shipping Anderson off on a missionary trip to England. Mr. Anderson has refused all interview requests since his release, but he claimed he requested the trip to escape the obsessive clutches of Joyce.

The amazing thing that I noticed while watching this film is that I didn’t really care about the truth. Even the filmmaker, Mr. Morris, doesn’t seem to care about the truth. The fascination is with the personality of the enigmatic Joyce McKinney. Her direct interviews are mesmerizing. When she states “a person can tell a lie so many times that they believe it’s true“, we have to laugh outloud. Her stories are so convoluted, yet told with such conviction.

 I certainly don’t wish to spoil the entertainment value afforded by her first person story telling, so I will concentrate on the presentation by Mr. Morris (pictured, left). He seems to really enjoy the tabloid approach and uses graphics and imagery to add detail and structure. His use of the score is highly effective and quite unusual for a documentary. He provides the stage for this former Miss Wyoming to perform. And perform she does!  Her most famous quote will give you an idea of her personality: “I loved him so much that I would have skiied naked down Mount Everest with a carnation up my nose if he asked me to.” 

You will notice I have been purposefully vague.  The impact of the movie will be much greater the less you know about the details.  For comparison purposes, I have nothing. My first thought was a train wreck. Then a circus side show. Neither of those do justice to this unique story of a most unusual woman presented by a visionary filmmaker. All I can say is, you must see it to believe it … or not.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: like me, you enjoy practicing amateur psychology – we couldn’t ask for a better challenge than Joyce McKinney!

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: the thought of listening to one more con artist, regardless of how entertaining she might be, is just more than your Reality TV mode can handle.

For a well written article on the entire story, click on this link to read what Mike Dash had to say in 2009 for The Charles Fort Institute:  http://blogs.forteana.org/node/68

For a taste, watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson