Abel Ferrara: Not Guilty

Abel Ferrara: Not Guilty (2003)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

If you're a fan of Abel Ferrara then you'll certainly want to check out this documentary, which was a part of the French series Cinema, de notre temps. In the documentary we see the French crew arriving in New York where they are to follow Ferrara around and what the viewer gets is a real treat as we get to see the director dealing with fans, people he knows as well as him at work.

If you're looking for a well-detailed sit down with Ferrara then you're not going to get that here but then again it's doubtful anyone will ever do that with the controversial director. What this documentary does is pretty much just follow the director around as he carries on in a normal day. If you're familiar with Ferrara then you should already know that he's a loose cannon and you never quite know where his mind is going to go and that's certainly on full display here.

There are some really great moments where the director is just simply talking to a taxi man or some people who come up to him on the streets. It's certainly great getting to see Ferrara in these situations but it's also great to listen to him talk about a few of his films as well as him discussing why he refuses to bow down to Hollywood and their rules.

Abel Ferrara is the director behind the excellent KING OF NEW YORK (1990) and BAD LIEUTENANT (1992). He's often wound up folks in Hollywood, refusing to fit into the respectable facade that directors are supposed to project. In NOT GUILTY (taken from a French TV documentary series) we see Ferrara in all of a glory, a hulking guy with messed up teeth and a bottle and cigarette always in his hands. He carries something of the charm of Bukowski... a lumbering, likable and talented rogue who pulls other people along with him.

But Ferrara hasn't made a truly notable feature film since the superb THE FUNERAL in 1996, and has often ended up making shitty sleaze, music videos, documentaries and short films. He's been attached to various projects that he's pulled out of - like GAME OF DEATH - and failed to get funding for grand visions like JECKYLL AND HYDE because - as he says - he "refuses to kiss the feet of Hollywood" Ever since he burst onto the scene with his low-grade horror DRILLER KILLER, Ferrara has been considered eccentric and untameable. NOT GUILTY captures this side of Ferrara very well. He talks - often very interestingly - to anyway who takes his fancy. He describes a chase scene to a guy in a music shop (who says - after Ferrara leaves - that the first time he came into the shop he had to throw him out), flirts outrageously with some gals in the street, directs a music video, and gives some wisdom on New York life as he cruises around with his buddies. And all this is in what is essentially a 24 hour snapshot of Ferrara's life.

The snapshot nature of the film is a positive in some ways. In fact, you can almost see Ferrara slowly sober up (then get drunk again) and it captures Ferrara's hectic, fun but often shambolic life. The bullshit he spouts to girls is frequently hilarious and - somehow - he almost seems to be winning them over....

But the character of Ferrara is so wacky that you'd prefer to see more. A proper documentary following him for a longer period of time, ideally taking in how he behaves on a full film set. It's little wonder Harvey Keitel's version of the "Bad Lieutenant" is so loopy with Ferrara at the helm, probably stripped naked and making aeroplane noises to show Keitel exactly what he wants.

NOT GUILTY is a fun watch. It's one that will play much better for fans of Ferrara's (good) movies, but should also appeal to fans of lovable drunks.

Abel Ferrara ... I don't know what you think of him, if you ever saw anything of his. Just the movies or him personally. He is quite .. energetic, if I were to put it mildly and in a positive spin. So you have to want to watch this, because the way he behaves ... well let's just say nowadays even more so than ever, may very well be offensive to some viewers.

While I wouldn't call myself squeamish and I'd like to believe his heart is in the right place, when he cat calls a woman during one of his .. walks in the city ... well I didn't like that at all. Now you may feel differently or even stronger than I do. I'm just giving you one example of how his behaviour may not just be irritating, but hurtful to watch.

You decide if that is something you can endure. Or his rantings ... most makes sense, but sometimes he doesn't answer the right question and goes off on something different. Can be enganging, can be draining and exhausting too though ... your choice.