The Insurrectionist Next Door

Very well done and informative. What surprised me was the genuine compassion Ms. Pelosi has for these people, even the ones who expressed no remorse for their actions. I don't think I would be as generous to people who wished harm to my mother. Letting them speak for themselves was the correct approach, and it helped me understand a little better why they did what they did. It's heartbreaking to see how damaged people were manipulated into doing terrible things. Maybe understanding how powerful people dupe their followers will help us avoid repeating this kind of violence. I wish I were more confident of that.

Upon viewing the film, there's no denying its potential. It promised an insightful look into a complex issue, and the anticipation was palpable. Pelosi's role, however, raises eyebrows due to her prominence in the political arena. One can't help but wonder about the level of objectivity and impartiality that was brought to the storytelling. While there appeared to be sincere attempts to strike a balance in presenting different facets of the story, the end result often left viewers scratching their heads, searching for more definitive answers and a clearer perspective. The narrative sometimes meandered, creating a disjointed feeling that reminded one of a student film, albeit with a significantly larger budget. It is indeed an intriguing decision on HBO's part to include this in their repertoire. But then, it's also commendable that they are willing to showcase a wide range of perspectives, emphasizing the importance of diversity in storytelling.

The beginning of this film said it was made by HBO Documentary Films, and after seeing the filmmaker make a great pitch on Bill Maher, I was convinced I would see a side of the January 6th topic that was new and interesting. Instead, this was seemingly a extra long YouTube video. The filmmaker is a horrible interviewer and often leads the conversation, which makes her sound like a hateful older sister trying to get their little brother say something condemning on video. She talks to the person she is interviewing with such disgust, hate and cold contempt it is often very irritating and very "showing of her privilege", she often makes fun of her interviewee in a way that they don't always catch, which also makes her a bully.

I'm as anti-Trump as they come, and an avid watcher of every documentary related to the travesty of his failed attempt at governance. But this was one was a yawn fest and so cringe fully awkward that I had to bail less than a quarter of my way through. The only reason it's made it this far in terms of promotion and airtime is because of the obvious nepotism around the producer's family name, which can only allow something to go so far in an industry before it falls laughably flat once it enters the town square of public opinion. This documentary had a lot of potential and I'm hoping someone more cinematographically competent can pick up its broken pieces and run with the construct to make a piece decent for television.

Being a democrat as well as a UX professional, I can honestly say this was one of THE most poorly produced films I have ever watched. When doing contextual interviews, the interviewer should never "lead" (verbally imply) ANYTHING that could "set the stage" for the interviewee's answer. Peloci's delivery and tone were directly manipulative, accusatory and snarky. She held the camera, asked the questions, AS WELL AS has the same last name as the woman who's office was defiled! How are they supposed to respond!?

I REALLY wanted to like this. I wanted to see, hear and feel what the "other side" was/is experiencing. Instead I was left confused, STILL not knowing what we are NOT understanding about their struggles and hardships.