A-List: Documentaries and Mocumentaries
By Josh Spiegel
August 13, 2009
BoxOfficeProphets.com
For a long time, of course, documentaries were just people talking into cameras, discussing histories from the recent and distant past. In 1984, things changed dramatically, even though a certain heavy metal band wasn't the first to plumb the depths of the mockumentary (though said band may well have inspired the term). Nowadays, filmmakers are constantly working to break down barriers of the documentary. Some have become auteurs of the genre; from Michael Moore to Ken Burns to Errol Morris, documentary filmmakers are easily as well-known for their stylistic choices and their topics as are most mainstream filmmakers.
So, in honor of the awesome-looking District 9, which is likely the only movie to have aliens and humans coexist in documentary-style footage (I think we can all agree that Cloverfield didn't feature any kind of happy coexistence), this week's A-List looks at some great documentaries and mockumentaries. Two movies that won't show up, though, are Blair Witch and Cloverfield; though these certainly paved the way for District 9, I have to be honest and tell you that, I think, the first is wildly overrated and the second is just not that great. There will be, though, lighthearted mockumentaries (moreso than those two horror movies, for sure), and some heavy documentaries that will make you think. Let's take a look at the list.
Roger & Me
Nowadays, people have an opinion on Michael Moore. This, in fact, may be one of the few statements I can make about the man that wouldn't garner vitriol from either side of the argument. Of course, even in 1988, when Roger & Me was released, people had their opinions of Moore. However, it wasn't until the 21st century, with movies like Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Sicko that Moore got the attention of pretty much everyone in this country. Though each of those movies are, in some way, good (the latter is the most accomplished, partly because Moore doesn't show up on screen for the first hour), his best film remains his first major mainstream effort, about how the auto industry was eating Michigan alive even in the 1980s.
Moore spends most of the movie discussing his efforts in trying to get Roger Smith, the CEO of General Motors at the time, to talk to him about why hundreds of thousands of jobs were being taken away from workers in Flint, Michigan in times of crisis. There are, of course, diversions along the way, as Moore invites the viewers into the homes and lives of various Flint citizens whose lives have changed for the worse because of General Motors. Moore doesn't get to talk to Smith, who is always close to the camera but manages to evade it easily. That doesn't mean that Moore is unable to prove a point or even win a moral victory here. As disappointing as it is to not see Smith get a bit of a verbal shellacking, the evidence is damning enough. This is a hot-button issue dealt with as wildly as possible.
This Is Spinal Tap
Here is the movie that made many, many careers. First of all, there is the unflappable trio of Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer. These three comic geniuses, who portray the three members of English heavy metal band Spinal Tap (or, at least, the members who don't die mysteriously), are still working today in various TV shows and movies (Shearer is most frequently around, as he voices many characters on The Simpsons). Then, there's Rob Reiner, who not only plays Marty DiBergi, the man making the "movie" on Spinal Tap, but directed This Is Spinal Tap. Reiner went on to direct such films as The Princess Bride, Stand By Me, and Misery. Of course, we can't forget the many actors who show up at least for a cameo, including Billy Crystal, Fran Drescher, Dana Carvey, Ed Begley, Jr. and Fred Willard.
What's more, the movie is damn funny. Chronicling the exploits of the band, always hopeful but always idiotic, This Is Spinal Tap led to the crystallization of the mockumentary, which is far more popular these days than it was before 1984. Shows such as Arrested Development and The Office owe a great debt to this film, as do the aforementioned horror movies, even if they're not interested in making you laugh. For Guest, this movie led him to, in the late 1990s, bringing back the comic crew for such films as Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind. Here, though, is the very best mockumentary. From 1 to 10, this movie...oh, okay, I won't make the requisite "goes to 11" joke, but how could you blame me for trying?
The Fog of War
Errol Morris has been making unnerving documentaries for years, from Gates of Heaven to The Thin Blue Line. I call them unnerving because of a unique filming technique Morris utilizes to great effect, especially in 2004's The Fog of War, which focuses on the checkered life of Robert McNamara, the U.S. Secretary of Defense who helped pushed American forces into the Vietnam War. The technique, a device called the Interrotron, enables Morris to ask his subjects questions and have them respond as if looking directly at the audience. Essentially, The Fog of War is a movie where the main character, McNamara, spends almost the entire movie breaking the fourth wall of filmmaking and staring down every single audience member as he talks of his motives and methods. All of Morris's movies are fascinating and compelling, but The Fog of War, dealing with as dicey a topic now as it was in Vietnam, and an eloquent lead, is must-see.
Best In Show
If This Is Spinal Tap is the best mockumentary, I'd argue that this 2000 comedy is the second best. Sure, Best In Show is lacking in its music, but nothing's as cute as dogs participating in a dog show, right? Well, to be fair, there's a lot less dog action on screen, and far more embarrassing, awkward humor. Christopher Guest takes the helm behind the camera here, and also stars as Harlan Pepper, a man who brings his bloodhound to the top dog show in the country, along with a slew of others. Harlan is one of the more sane characters here; the craziest are easily Meg and Hamilton Swan (Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock), married yuppies who are so creepy, they've scared away any lovable nature their competing dog may have ever had. To watch Meg's frantic breakdown in a toy store when looking for just the right stuffed animal is epic.
Of course, I can't talk about Best In Show without discussing the scene-stealer, Fred Willard. As Buck Laughlin, the color commentator of the dog show's TV coverage, he is easily the funniest character in the movie, with as many non sequiturs up his sleeve as a magician has cheap tricks. Laughlin is only onscreen for the film's final 30 minutes, but the wait is well worth it. It's just a shame that Willard didn't get a well-deserved Oscar nod for his role. Overall, Best In Show is a little more barbed than This Is Spinal Tap, but with so many strong performances from performers such as Eugene Levy, Michael McKean, and John Michael Higgins, it's funny, memorable, and has just enough cute dogs without being too much.
Baseball
Okay, I'm breaking the rules just a little bit here, but there's no way I can talk about documentaries, and not discuss Ken Burns' epic, nine-part documentary that aired on PBS in September of 1994. Discussing, up to that point, the entirety of baseball in America, this is must-see viewing if you consider yourself a fan of the real American pastime (I love football, basketball, and hockey, but don't fool yourself: baseball is the be-all and end-all). With fascinating tales about the Black Sox Scandal, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and many more; music that will stay with you for a long time, whether it's a plaintive rendition of the national anthem or an upbeat ode to watching the great game; and insights from fans and historians alike, Baseball is possibly the best documentary ever made, but then again, as a fan, I'm a bit biased.