10.The Ivory Game
Filmmakers went under cover for 16 months, infiltrating and documenting the deep – rooted corruption at the heart of the global ivory trafficking crisis. Leonardo DiCaprio is actually really good as the narrator and the pacing is perfect, I thought the subject matter actually interested for me personally, but unfortunately I was wrong as the subject matter just went over my head as this one is too uneven.
9.Notes On Blindness
In the summer of 1983, just days before the birth of his first son, writer and theologian John Hull went blind. In order to make sense of the upheaval in his life, he began keeping a diary on audiocassette. I really wanted to like this documentary and I thought this would be so moving and uplifting, in some ways it would make sense the real John Hull would appear in this documentary, instead you got a comedian who pretend to be blind and mimic the words as well, too be honest with you I thought this is totally unnecessary and not nice at all.
8.Mission Blue
Feature documentary about legendary oceanographer, marine biologist, environmentalist, and National Geographic Explorer – in – Residence Sylvia Earle and her campaign to create a global network of protected marine sanctuaries. Just breathtaking beautiful with the under-water aspect as it look magnificent, overall this documentary isn’t memorable enough and it lacking the poignancy moment, I wanted to like it a bit more and I just can’t get into this documentary.
7.Gaga: Five Feet Two
This documentary goes behind the scenes with pop provocateur Lady Gaga as she releases a bold new album and prepares for her Super Bowl halftime show. Having listen to Lady Gaga music and she is an interesting person so I thought this would be amazing, but it feel like a random concert type of documentary and we never get to her as a person, it not revealing enough and we still don’t know the real Lady Gaga like her flaws and her background.
6.Virunga
A team of brave individuals risk their lives to protect the last mountain gorillas in the eastern Congo in Africa. Gorgeous looking scenery and that look spectacular and overall this documentary is well made, it try to be sincere and moving but I just don’t feel anything for this documentary and I wanted to connect with this, but I can’t whatsoever and for me personally this is a real shame.
5.Icarus
When Bryan Fogel sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller. Firstly this is well – made and a well – intentioned documentary, it has got an interesting subject but this is too overlong and the pacing is wrong, it doesn’t hold your interested and by the end of it you just wanted it to end.
4.The Dissident
When Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears in Istanbul, his fiancée and dissident around the world piece together the clues to a murder and expose a global cover up. Everything about this documentary is almost perfect, the thing is, it becomes too overcomplicated and it also not very clear and it could be gripping, unpredictable and exciting, It also got potential but it falters and never recover.
3.The Reason I Jump
Based on the book by Naoki Higashida, this immersive film explores the experiences of non – speaking autistic people around the world. Definitely looking forward to this documentary as I got friends who got autistic, unfortunately I wasn’t moved by this and it is hard to connect with this as I wanted to liked it, the people in this documentary are hard to like and it not watchable with this documentary.
2.The Biggest Little Farm
Documentarian John Chester and his wife Molly work to develop a sustainable farm on 200 acres outside of Los Angeles. Could have been inspirational and a pick me up type of documentary that would made you smile, this is too safe and it feel rather forced and with music in the background and it have got potential, it is such a shame that this documentary doesn’t really reach the height of other documentaries.
1.13th
An in depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation’s history of racial inequality. Being a sensitive topic which I really like and I thought this would be moving and poignancy, so I thought I give this documentary a chance but it doesn’t leave you a lasting impression on you, it also doesn’t offer you anything new and this is not memorable enough.
MDC Reviews 