Trophy Kids

Chris Bell, 2013

IMDB

3/5

We have all probably been the uncomfortable witnesses to that parent at the middle school sporting event. The one that is way too invested in whats really supposed to be an innocent exhibition match for young people to learn the fundamentals of athletic competition. But there is that very small percentage of parents that have way too much emotion invested. Trophy Kids is their story. Or at least the story of four different parents in four different sports. Golf, Basketball, Tennis and Football to be exact. Chris Bell, documentary filmmaker been known for 2008's Bigger Stronger Faster, directed this film that really puts you uncomfortably close to these overbearing parents. Bell eases his way into it as well. At first you might consider the parents to not be so bad, you can see the passion but nothing too outrageous yet. But the layers of the onion are unpeeled, and by the end of the film you don't really have any good feelings about any of them.

The documentary focuses on four parents in four different sports. Golf, basketball, tennis and football. Each parents has their own disciplinary style. 3/4 are very aggressive and verbally demanding, classic authoritarian. The fourth (tennis mom) is more new agey, spiritual, more subtle. But they are all striving for one singular goal: for their kids to become superstar athletes like Tiger Woods or the Williams sisters.

This is clearly an environment built on a foundation of unreasonable expectations. These poor kids are missing out on basic kid stuff; playing with their friends or having girlfriends or boyfriends. Instead, they are forced to train for long hours. You are undoubtedly witnessing child abuse. Long, calculated, child abuse. These parents are despicable. They are narcissistic. They should be ashamed. Hopefully they will be. Hopefully they will look back on this film years from now and completely regret all of the unreasonable things that they said to their poor children. Its another film where you are impressed with the access and the unfiltered nature of it. Why would they be okay with this film being released portraying them in this light? It's this factor that makes this film a success. That Bell managed to be present with his cameras, and was able to capture this behavior in a natural setting. With natural emotions laid out. 

The Battered Bastards of Baseball

Chapman Way & Maclain Way, 2014

Can I Stream It?

4/5

Documentaries are so great because they often expose the viewer to a particular subject that may have become forgotten in time. Something under-appreciated. Something that may have slipped between the cracks. Quite often its something that surely should not have, something that needs to be remembered. Something that needs to be cemented in the fabric of time forever. The King of Kong introduced us to the bitter Donkey Kong high-score world record bitter battle between Steve Wiebe and super-douche Billy Mitchell. If you haven't yet seen this doc, it's a must see. If you have, it was another great story that had you rooting for the underdog. There's certainly an underdog in the Battered Bastards, and it's the Portland Mavericks. Most sports fans have probably never heard of them. But they were a team of misfits, put together by retired-actor Bing Russell (father of Kurt Russell, star of shows Maverick & Bonanza). These are men who were forgotten by the the commercial Baseball empire. Big Baseball, if you will. They were pushed to the side. But Bing Russell opened the doors for them. He introduced open tryouts to anyone who would like a shot at the team. Expecting a handful of applicants, he was surprised to find hundreds at the door waiting for their chance to prove themselves. And much to everyone's surprise, they were good. They were scrappy. They had a chip on their shoulders. They played their hearts out. Some of them, like pitcher Jim Bouton, were even ex-MLBers who were blackballed by the league and found a new home in the independent circuit. They broke the rules of baseball etiquette, with their facial hair and questionable hygienic practices. They probably would have failed a drug test had they been given one. But they were a loyal bunch who would jump into the stands and drink a beer with their fans after a victory. Men of the people. A team a city can easily get behind, and they did. They came in droves.

Like all great stories (and many great documentaries), you need your bad guy. The bad guy in this story is Big Baseball. Embarrassed after the Mavericks not only proved to be successful on their own but even defeated actual Minor League franchises, they had to clean the egg off of their faces. And so they attempted to. But the real hero in the story is Bing Russell. He gave the everyman a chance with the most fan-friendly team ever created. You find that these players not only enjoyed their success with the Mavericks but even credit that period of their life to future successes. You can certainly credit Bing with creating an accessible team whose story is worthy of the film treatment.

Touching the Void

Kevin MacDonald, 2003


3/5

Using first-hand interviews interlaced with accurate reenactment footage, this docu-drama covers the story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, a pair mountain climbers who run into trouble when one of them falls and breaks their leg while attempting to climb the west face of the Siula Grande in the Andes mountains in 1985.

It is undeniably a story worth telling. Using the technique of reenacting the journey, it certainly puts you in the action. The camera is not just fixated on the side of the mountain either. Unique locations like elevated above the climbers, down at the base of the snow where you see chips of ice falling on the lens. It makes the work much more cinematic, more entertaining than if you were just sitting watching two veteran climbers reflect on their journey. When the heavy snow is pinning them to the sides of the cliff at night while they look above with miner's lights on their helmets - you really get a sense of the comradery involved. Connected by a piece of rope, their lives are really in each others hands. The sudden decision made by one of the climbers is made in a few seconds but is clearly a life-changing one. It certainly presents a moral dilemma to the film that leaves the viewer wondering what he or she would do in the same situation. When the film makes a shift into a more survival-based theme, its very reminiscent of the struggle in Danny Boyle's 127 Hours. Like that story, there is a focus on the resilience of the human body. The film certainly explores the concept that perhaps there are parts to this world that are not meant to be accessed. But that wouldn't be human nature would it? We are curious creatures, bound to take risks. We are eager to put our foot in virgin soil. We want to make our mark.

Venus and Serena

Maiken Baird & Michelle Major, 2012


3/5

Baird and Major direct this documentary about the Williams sisters that follows them through their 2011 tennis season, but also peppers in archival footage dating all the way back to their youth in Compton, CA.

It's an interesting film that catalogs a truly American story. Two sisters grow up in the rough neighborhood of Compton. Their overprotective father really wants whats best for his daughters, helping them cultivate their skills and carve a niche for themselves so they can elevate their lives to the point that they can get out of the rough neighborhood. The early footage of them as two little girls really shows the long road they've traveled to get to where they are. The innocence of the two standing on the sun-cracked courts in Compton is captivating. Of course the confidence builds at an early age, and their success is known. The documentary does a good job of capturing them behind the scenes, in some intimate moments. Serena struggles through injury and the film does a good job of capturing the frustration and anticipation. You see the competitive nature of the two sisters, but also the comradery and support of each other. They may defeat each other on the court, but there is no jealousy or animosity. While Richard Williams may not have been the best husband, its without question that he was and still is a good father to Venus and Serena. He raised them with a sense of pride and integrity that they have refined over the years. He raised them to have a healthy sense of competition. He also raised them with a religious foundation - as Jehovah's Witnesses. The absence of traditional American holidays only reinforced their all-in mentality with Tennis. Venus even stated herself in the film that they missed out on a lot of things growing up, but she has no regrets. Richard Williams surely draws a lot of comparisons to Earl Woods, father to Tiger Woods. The comparisons are very fitting. Both fathers wanted their kin to make an impression in a mainly Caucasian-dominated sport, and pushed them to do so from an early age. Both fathers also maintained a presence as a mentor/coach into their professional careers. Unfortunately the dilemma the two sisters face is a problem felt by many professional athletes: Father time. As they've become older, they've been reminded of their own mortality. Their 30-year-old bodies are not as agile as their 20-year-old bodies, and they are constantly reminded of that. Issues that didn't exist before are now in the foreground. The film itself is edited nicely, with a fitting soundtrack. There are some interesting interviews (ie. Chris Rock, Bill Clinton, John McEnroe) that reinforce the sisters effect on popular culture as well as their effect on American sports. It's an entertaining film that follows two sisters whose tennis careers are certainly not over, but have certainly passed some important milestones.

The Endless Summer

Bruce Brown, 1966


4/5

          Two all-american surfer buddies (Michael Hynson & Robert August) come up with an ambitious idea of traveling around the world, following the warm summer climate so that they can create an idealistic "Endless Summer", optimized to create superior surfing conditions for them.
          In the late 1960's there weren't Go Pro cameras. If you wanted to shoot an adventure documentary you used 16mm film. Bruce Brown, a surfer himself, puts himself close to the action and captures some really wonderful surfing with the backdrop of various Equatorial paradises. He also narrates the film, and adds a Bob Hope-esque light-hearted comedic tone that really adds to the innocent nature of it all. When the duo travels to Africa, the natives have never even SEEN a surfboard before. What follows is quite heartwarming... literally pulling panels off of their homes so they can attempt to surf along with them on makeshift boards. A good example of cross-culture pollination. It's a very heartening look at humanity, different cultures coming together even in times of political unrest. Most people wouldn't want to travel to Africa in the 1960's, let alone swim in the shark-infested waters. Hynson and August are clearly courageous and obviously in a deep love with their sport. Another notable shot is when the two travel to South Africa, they motivate the hundred native surfers to take the day off of work to go surfing with them. What follows is a memorable shot of several Volkswagen Beetles navigating the rocky S curves, with surfboards tied to the roof.
          It's an insightful look back in time, when the sport of Surfing was completely untarnished. There were no pretenses. It was long before the surfing cliches were established (although I DID hear a "Hang Ten" when they were in Africa). The salad days of surfing are gone. Now, the contemporary surfer-dude cherishes his copy of The Endless Summer like it's a sacred scripture, just like the 300 lb. firefighter locks away his treasured copy of Backdraft in his fire-safe next to his wedding photos. Their nostalgic ode. Paying tribute to the paragon. I suppose you can't fault people for looking back at someone or something and holding it in high regard when it was in its purest form. Surfing is just another example of something that isn't what it was fifty years ago, but fortunately those classic days were captured on film.

Senna

Asif Kapadia, 2010


4/5

Archival footage fuels this documentary that tells the story of Ayrton Senna, the champion Formula One racer. The film uses a combination of interview footage, in-car camera footage, and news footage to paint a fast-paced, compelling picture. I was guilty of not knowing anything about Senna going into this film, but that only made it better. I am also guilty of not being a fan of racing, but I was on the edge of my seat throughout it. Senna was a talented, humble, reserved figure with a high racing IQ. He was determined to make his mark in the sport, and it didn't take long to do so. Clearly a prodigy-type, he was born to excel at Formula One. I liked the honesty of finding out that Senna came from a privileged background, but never had to make any excuses for himself. He was an intimidating force on the track without having to be an intimidating figure off of it. Some fly-on-the-wall shots of pre-race discussions do a good job of displaying Senna's confidence and ability to assess the conditions of the racetrack. The noticeable sense of animosity from other the other racers really showed Senna's threatening ability.

The method used in making this film is so refreshing. I've never seen a documentary that is made using 100% archival footage, and I'm eager to see more films like this. The wealth of footage provided a perspective that helped to quickly identify with Senna. You literally see the physical evolution of his persona, from a teenage go-kart racer to a confident Formula One racer at the peak of his career. He was not only a racer but an inspiring patriotic figure to poverty-stricken Brazil. The imagery of a nation behind a single figure is quite powerful.

This is a documentary with no faults, at least none that I can think of. Even the soundtrack, done by Antonio Pinto, was perfectly fitting. It was present without being too pronounced and distracting - reminding me of a more ambient Chemical Brothers. This one sat on my Netflix queue for over a year, even after hearing many people raving about it. Wish I had watched it then, but happy I did now.