When an specific event takes place that was witnessed by many people, you could ask all of them to tell them what happened and you will get different stories. Some will not only tell you the facts, but others might add extra layers explaining their feelings, the atmosphere and small details that make it come alive. Although documentaries are about real events, it is the way you tell them that can make or break a documentary. Just like any other movie it needs to be edited in the right way in order to make the viewer care about what you are seeing. A director like Werner Herzog is almost poetic in his voicovers for his documentaries and that really adds a lot. Zion, this short documentary now available on Netflix, unfortunately lacks a proper story. Continue reading
Category Archives: Sports
Williams (2017) – Review
Even though the Formula 1 season has ended, fans of this racing class still can watch more about the sport in the form of movies having to do with Formula 1. Just think of films like Grand Prix or Rush. But maybe documentaries about the subject are even more interesting to watch as they can teach you quite a bit about the history of the sport, including interviews with the drivers. Just think of 1: Life on the Limit or the masterful Senna. This year brings some new documentaries like McLaren, one about Ferrari and this documentary which is available through Netflix, Williams. Continue reading
Bleed for This (2016) – Review
Sometimes there are those actors whose potential is obvious, but who don’t always appear in the films in which they can realize it. Miles Teller is a good example of this . Although he was amazing in Whiplash, he was mainly seen in lighter fare like the Divergent series, Fantastic Four, War Dogs, That Awkward Moment and Two Night Stand. With Bleed for This, a biopic, he portrays boxer Vinnie Pazienza. Continue reading
Tour de Pharmacy (2017) – Review
There are quite a few movies about cycling and the sport is still very popular. But it is a sport with a lot of controversy surrounding it and many sponsors have decided to stop investing in it because of the scandals. Things seem to have improved, but cycling does have an image of substance abuse, which is exactly what this HBO comedy makes fun of. Continue reading
Eddie the Eagle (2016) – Review
How big were you willing to dream when growing up? And what were you willing to give up in order to realise those dreams? Michael “Eddie” Edwards (Taron Egerton (Kingsmen)) has dreamt of competing during the Olympics since he was a kid. Although his parents are there for him, they don’t support him in chasing his dream, he keeps trying to do everything in order to compete. He doesn’t seem to have much talent, but by being motivated he hopes to make it. When he finds out that it’s fairly easy to compete as a ski jumper (as England hasn’t competed in the event for decades), he sees an opportunity. He decides to travel to Germany to practise and qualify. There he meets Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman), who once was a champion, but who has left the past behind him and doesn’t want to stand out. Eddie manages to convince him to give some tips. Continue reading
Southpaw (2015)
Jake Gyllenhaal is one of those actors I’ll blindly watch any movie of. Last year he was amazing in Nightcrawler, for which he lost a lot of weight. In Southpaw he plays a boxer and he has gained a lot of weight giving him an impressive muscular appearance. This film was originally meant as the second big film for rapper Eminem after 8 Mile. The story was based on the issues he was dealing with the last few years, with boxing as a metaphor for it. When Eminem decided to focus on his music he was replaced by Gyllenhaal (Eminem is present on the soundtrack though). Continue reading
Pawn Sacrifice (2014)
Hollywood loves making movies in which a genius finds success, but at the same time is plagued by his excentric side, disability or psychological issues (just think of movies like A Beautiful Mind, Rain Man, The Imitation Game or The Theory of Everything). It makes it easier to offer the viewer a story about someone who is able to solve complex issues which are important, but at the same time is a human being with a flaw. Of course that means there is a lot of predictability in this type of film. With the good ones that isn’t an issue, so the question is what about this one? Continue reading
I Am Evel Knievel (2014)
Every sport needs its pioneers and when it comes to stunt driving on a motorcycle there is only one name that comes to mind: Evel Knievel. Even though a lot of people won’t know exactly what he did, his name is still well-known. This documentary shows the life of a legend and tells the story about how a simple boy eventually found his calling and made a career out of it which would earn him millions. Continue reading
Dawg Fight (2015)
When I use Netflix and have to decide what to watch, then chances are that I first dive into the documentary section. It’s a genre which I watch a lot and the number of good documentaries I’ve seen is high. I came across this title and as I always found martial arts interesting, I was very curious what was on offer this film. It introduced me to a world I did not know, that of the backyard fights. Continue reading
Manny (2014)
When growing up I regularly watched boxing matches. It always was an event when Mike Tyson or “Prince’ Naseem were fighting. Tyson was so explosive that you knew in advance that you were going to see a short match, but that it would be spectacular. Times have changed though and I haven’t followed the world of boxing anymore, which also meant that I didn’t know anything about boxer Manny Pacquiao, the subject of this documentary. Continue reading