Change Your Image
Bdubwatty
Reviews
Town of Runners (2012)
Film shows the struggles of Olympic runners in their home country
This was a great documentary, but a sad one. The film documents the pressure of young boys and girls who feel their only chance for a better life comes with making it on the national team for their country. In many ways, I felt the sense of desperation for the families in holding high hopes that something will come out of the many sacrifices made to have more opportunity. Many to most of the runners recruited are severally taken advantage of and once they do make it to the team, it comes with more costs that may include a lot of extortion, corruption, and unfulfilled promises by those who are there to "help" and "manage" their careers, as evidenced by numerous news stories about Olympic runners once they return home. There could easily be another film as a series to this story.
In the very least, it opens up the struggle to get where they are and illustrations the immense sacrifice and struggle to make a better life for themselves and their families.
Supremacy (2014)
Intense illustration of what racial hatred can drive people to do
This film started out pretty intense. The racial language was charged and uncomfortable. The main character played by Joe Anderson showed an inner torment that was both expected and at times, nonsensical. The actress who played Doreen, I felt did not do an adequate job of portraying a supposed Aryan Brotherhood worshiper. The emotion in many parts of her character didn't seem to fit the moment.
I don't believe this film was meant to be shown for entertainment value, but more for opening up discussion on racism and the complexities of society and justice. I felt it could have developed the subtleties and nuances of racism besides the obvious and extreme state of racism as in the characters in the film.
The family all stay very calm and collected throughout most of the film, which felt unnatural and was a surprise to me.
Overall, it was the lack of believability of some of the characters that made me rate this film lower than I wanted to.
Here is a link to the real story: http://www.sonomasheriff.org/memoriam.php