The Amazing Johnathan Documentary

Though this documentary sets out to be the story of "the amazing Johnathan", it's a better story about when the subject of the documentary gives you lemons, make lemonade! The subject of the documentary, though interesting, was less interesting to me than Ben Berman who made this documentary. A lot was occurring in relation to making this, and we feel the struggles that Berman goes through after learning he wasn't the first or even second person making this. Then the question remains on who knew what and, really, who was being hoodwinked about many things. I give a ton of credit to Berman on the process (and many struggles) in seeing his way to making this, and his VERY clever approach to making this documentary! This is NOT your "average documentary". Way to go, Ben, with your amazing ability on story telling (and telling the story ABOUT telling a story!!)

I've never heard of the Amazing Jonathan, I'm not sure anyone in the UK has, thankfully the movie became less and less about him and more and more about making the documentary. I would have stopped watching if it had of been totally about him. With all these kind of films they seem to be made in the edit. It's hard to work out what's true but I enjoyed the overall film and Ben made the film enjoyable.

This documentary is a trick. A complicated truck with plot twists around every corner. Watch with an open mind and prepare to be entertained.

Spoiler Alert: This is not a documentary about the Amazing Jonathan, this is a movie about a film maker's attempt to make a documentary about the Amazing Johnathan. People are giving this movie low reviews because it feels like a bait and switch when halfway through the film the focus changes from what we assume are the Amazing Jonathan last days to the director's Ben Berman's plight as a documentary maker. If you go into the film with the understanding that this is not a film about the Amazing Jonathan, you will enjoy the film much much more. The producers would have done a much better job if they had just named it Not The Amazing Johnathan Documentary.

Much of this doc *is* very interesting on the surface. The story of a terminally ill magician who likes to smoke crack? Sign me up! And, perhaps, its meta commentary on the documentary artform and its significance among a deluge of reality-based content is the most interesting element. But the climactic confrontation interview between the principles (director and subject) comes off poorly, and derails all emotional force in the final act. Both men feel like they're acting and neither are actors; the only thing that's clear is that they desperately want the latter to be true. The audience doesn't know what to believe, and not in an interesting, mysterious way. It's rare that "too cute for its own good" is too cute for me, but this one hit that (unfortunate) sweet spot.