Startup.com

Main problem I had what this documentary was that it didn't really ever focus truly on anything. It doesn't go into depth with anything. It could had easily put some more focus on its subject, starting a dot com company, or more on the 2 main founders of it.

The documentary really doesn't explain thoroughly what the entire idea and functionality behind govWorks.com was. So the viewers are being pretty much clueless at what the creators of this website are actually trying to achieve and how they think that they can rule the market with their one idea and concept. It's therefore hard to truly distinctive for the viewers what they were doing right and what they did wrong with their concept.

It also doesn't help much that none of the key persons in this documentary very rarely recapitulate or explain anything into the camera. We don't get to see why they made certain choices or even how the website got developed or marketed. or why certain people had to leave the company because they weren't considered suitable enough for the job. Apparently this got shot over the course of about 2 years but the movie is being told and cut in such a way that it actually feels like a couple of weeks. Seems to me that the camera only showed up once for a day every two weeks, or only when a special event or important day got planned. So to me the documentary just doesn't feel like a natural and well flowing whole because too much stuff and time got omitted and it was lacking in focus or detail.

Perhaps this all could had been saved and more interesting if the two main founders were presented as some more interesting individuals as well. They now instead more come across as two inexperienced young guys who have plenty of ambition but are pretty much clueless at what they are getting themselves involved with and the movie really doesn't focus enough on their characters at who they are and what is driving them. Because of this you are not really feeling at all involved with any of them, or their dreams and goals.

It probably sounds as if I hated this documentary but this is far from the truth really. It still remains a good watch because it still has a good subject and it's always fun and interesting to see other people working hard and dealing with all kinds of ups and downs. And there is plenty happening in this documentary, I only wish it all got presented a bit better.

A good enough watch all but it still remains a real missed opportunity, that had far more potential in it.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

I think the greatest thing about this film is how it really shows the audience the future while the people in the film have no idea what is coming around the corner.

We get a real sense of what is to come early on when Tuzman comes back from a meeting trying to raise capital. He bitches about how he got ripped to shreds by one investor (you have no project experience etc... etc..). It's a very telling sign.

and it is amazing to watch how Tuzman was duplicated over and over again by several people who just threw money at a phenomenon without understanding it. It was an amazing thing to witness and Startup.Com captures it like nothing I have ever seen before.

Add in some dramatic moments, an office break in, a missing lawyer, a ruthless competitor, and a telling firing.. and startup.com is one documentary that will engage you.

Rating 8 out of 10

I myself worked in one of the ubiquitous .com's in the late 90's and this movie is frightening realistic, from the long hours and technical glitches right down to the embarrassingly lame cheers.

I read on the web the filmmakers set out to document their friends impending wealth and business fortune with this documentary, but what they got was the complete opposite. I think that speaks volumes for expectations during this era.

I feel like some of the other IMDb reviews are off the mark. Yes, the movie is sometimes hard to follow. But it was shot in the Cinéma-vérité genre and that is to be expected. It is an uncompromising real life look, and it is up to the viewer to decipher; sometimes this works sometimes not. Some previous reviews wondered how the company folded. Honestly its a movie about an internet company, why do you think it failed? Having said this, I think more could have been shown of why Tom got the axe and the love relationships of Kaliel could have been better developed.

According to the DVD the producers cut some realistic (and boringly technical) scenes to focus more on the relationship between Tom and Kaleil. This is where they succeeded. They are trying to tell the story of the company downfall through the interplay of these two characters. It is fascinating because it is real. The most compelling part is the coorelation between their relationship eroding as does the company. Viewed from that point of view this movie is really not a documentary. Nevertheless it is entertaining and gripping. What amazed me was the unfettered greed and their enormous hubris which prevented them from acknowledge their role in this sinking ship.

Those who are commenting on the mediocrity of the craftmanship of this movie are missing the point. The rise and fall of the dot-coms have become a meaningful part of American history and lore. Stock tickers, balance sheets and bankruptcy sales tell part of the story, but there's a difference between arriving at the scene of a train wreck and actually watching it happen.

The value of this movie is that, in spite of all of its flaws, you get to watch the train wreck knowing full well what's going to come, you can see why the principals didn't see the things that seem so obvious to us watching the film now, and you can see how their hubris, lack of technical understanding and lack of focus lead to their downfall.

I'm sure that it could been a better movie, but it's the only behind the scenes account we have of what must have happened hundreds of times all over the country. Like the Zapruder film and Hanlon & Naudet's account of 9/11, it's value comes from the fact that the cameras were there, catching history as it happened.

This movie should be required viewing for all B-School students, sort of like making student drivers watch Red Asphalt.

I have friends who either work for or own a Dotcom company. So many fail, but they keep going at it. For those who make it, life can be sweet. It use to be a world where everyone can make it until the NASDAC fell apart.

This film by former MTVers, is a slick and glossy look at a rise and fall of a Dotcom company. We follow two high school buddies (Kaleil and Tom) from their coming up with a name and idea for their site to their breakup and demise. The emotions are all there, from elation to despair. You are there for everything. Though the film has no narration you can still tell what is going on if you pay attention.

This is an interesting piece of life in the late 20th century. You'll think about these guys the next time you go cruising through the internet. If you see it, rent it.