Every so often, a craze wears on me. In general, the present day non-fiction is becoming too much to handle. The past non-fiction, especially with an element where there is a sense of righteousness in the face of decadence offers an escapism that the heart dearly espouses. This provides a false sense of hope that things may turn around, even for today's present; that there may be a change at the corner.
Or at the every least, someone will make a film about it :)
Truth - 3.5/5
CBS 60 minutes covered an episode alleging that the George W. Bush got favors to get in to a flying school and missed exams etc to avoid being deployed to the war. The evidence was flimsy, later on retracted, but the substance of the evidence had a lot of merit. Mary Mapes was the show producer responsible for this and was fired for this. She earlier got a Pulitzer for her coverage of Abu Gharib prisoner.
Truth the film covers this whole episode, how she got hold of this evidence and how it all turned out to be false. It also shows the birth of media trials, how the small points are attacked to misdirect from the main story. It starts here and ends in a Rhea being framed for a SSR suicide. Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford are awesome in this.
Game Change - 4/5
My introduction of US politics happened with the Obama elections. It also became a staple popcorn entertainment with the introduction of Sarah Palin. I had always wondered how was she even considered for this post, what kind of background due diligence do these folks do etc. Game Change covers exactly this. Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin is awesome. I am a bigger fan of Sarah Paulson after this and also of Woody Harrelson. The acting is top notch and it is a very well made film of a period that defines the right wing extremism in present day America. It is a harbinger of time to come that we see now.
The Wizard of Lies - 3.5/5
Bernie Madoff made all the headines when he was arrested on the charges of running a fraud of $50Bn. In the digital age, there was a point when he was considered for the post of head of SEC, the regulatory agency; so blatant and from everyone. The movie starts couple of days before his arrest and largely covers the trial, and the aftermath. It does cover some ground on how he ran the operation, how he kept others, including his sons in the dark. How his sons struggled with this with one even committing suicide.
It is a tragic story but well narrated with great acting craft. DeNiro plays Bernie and sets the tone. Good watch. The ending with the commentary on Bernie being compared to Ted Bundy, on asking whether he is a sociopath is very well done.
Unbelievable - 4/5
This one was so good that it started as a Sunday evening one episode flick and then I binge watched it the whole Sunday night with Mon being a working day. I slept at 5 with great difficult as the mind was so active. I am a very big fan of Meritt Wever after this. Women power oozes out on this one. It is very well made, very well acted. In the first case, how very well intentioned people, screw up so royally. How the victim has to repeat her statement over and over again, systemic flaws are so open. How two people, two women, put everything on the line to get this done. This is an amazing story, very well made.
Side note - Normally I hate Netflix movies/series now, the new ones are full on trashy, 95% of them. But these 5% are very rewarding. I think Netflix may win the eyeballs war but the HBO quality/brand will be so elusive.
Bad Education - 3/5
A 16 year old girl brings down the curtains on a $11Mn corruption scandal in a school district of Rosalyn, in her local school newspaper. This 16yr old did more investigative journalism than the today's media journos. It is so easy to be corrupt, so many gaps when checks and balances are not there. Well intentioned people become corrupt without even realizing and how they are able to compartmentalise their actions.
Dark Waters - 3/5
Mark Ruffalo stars in a film that shows the path of how Teflon came to be know as such a cancer-causing substance. It is literally the evident truth, one person against the system and a system full of corporate greed. The movie could benefit with a tighter editing, more procedural focus. But what it presents is so grim. Those farmers lost everything - lands, health, kids, future. So many similarities to tribal places in India.
