kickstand

I caught this film on the Independent Film Channel, having no idea what it was. My reaction to this movie progressed as follows: mild boredom, strong boredom, some interest when they get to Loch Ness, confusion, (looked up film on IMDb), some amusement, then finally disappointment.

The first 20 minutes of the film are dull as dishwater and don't work either as documentary or docu-parody. Endless footage of Herzog's party and the filmmaker wandering around aimlessly. Once the joke really starts to kick in (basically when we get on the water) there are some mildly amusing moments. But the cast is rather wooden throughout, and the joke is ultimately spread too thin. Herzog is simultaneously not famous enough to really hold my interest or for me to get all the in-jokes (which are over-explained anyhow), yet too famous to "become" the role (would a real producer second-guess this formidable film legend?) A nice try but ultimately it's not really funny.

Best hacker movie? Well, it doesn't really seem like a hacker movie to me, more like a high-tech caper movie, the kind which has been done better (more recently in Mission Impossible or even the Ocean's Eleven remake).

The film centers around the search for a high-tech MacGuffin, and takes its time with the setup. In fact, the whole first half of this film is slow going, and has a whole lot of plot holes for a film that relies so heavily on plot. (a scientist invented something that "any government in the world would kill for" and guess where he keeps it!?!?!?)

However, the film is redeemed by a riveting 2nd half, and performances by a near-legendary acting ensemble, all of whom have done their best work elsewhere, but are still fun to watch. Somehow this is a film that seems better in one's memory after you've seen it, rather than in the actual watching.

P.S. It does seem to me that the climactic "sneak" was pretty much stolen by Mission Impossible, and I have to say, M.I. does it better.

The subject at hand -- the reception of black immigrants by small-town America -- is an important subject indeed. The filmmaker does a pretty good job of getting different perspectives on the situation without demonizing either side. He seems to have been present at all the major events of the situation and got some extremely good footage, especially quotes from former Lewiston mayors Jenkins and Tara. (by the way, he should have fact-checked spelling of 'Kaileigh Tara')

There's a serious problem, however, in the editing room. The editor imposes what might be called a "bad MTV" style on the film. He has a habit of interrupting sentences, cutting people off, and jumping back-and-forth between people on opposing sides of the issue in a confusing, irritating manner that does not shed any light on anything. One example of many: Maine Governor talks about his upbringing, and a white supremacist talks about, um, something. Back and forth about 4 or 5 times between them in short bites. I found it hard to concentrate and understand what they were saying.

Another bad habit is showing apparent stock footage of OTHER white supremacist rallies without attribution. He definitely makes it seem that several violent demonstrations might have taken place in Lewiston; they did not. He also cuts back-and-forth between the two rallies (one for peace and one for hate) in such a way that it is not entirely clear to the viewer which one is onscreen at a given moment.

Finally, I suggest that the filmmaker gives disproportionate screen time to the white supremacist and outsider David Stearns. While at the time his presence might have seemed provocative, I expect that over time he will have largely become a forgotten footnote in Lewiston history.