This is the third feature length film I've seen by directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky working as team. I chose to watch this film based on previous good ratings I've given other films by this director and to better my favorite directors by algorithm listing.
Brother's Keeper
The two other films I've seen by Joe and Bruce are the first and second Paradise Lost films. In a way, the story of those films are the same in that they are both about an ambiguous murder trial. But in many ways they are opposites within that context. Both take place in kind of rural areas, but in one the locals band together to support the accused where as in the other most locals have turned against the accused. In one the accused is rather old, and in the other they are quite young. There are too many interesting similarities and polar opposites to go through the list, but the point is that these directors know how to find these interesting cases and document them in a way that seems true but also narratively involving.
I think there area lot of mixed feelings about these filmmakers in the documentary world. Their style is a bit different from some of the other stuff that has been seen. They were able to get access to a small group of people living much of their lives in much privacy and seclusion. This is a fascinating thing to see. It's both a regional story and a courtroom drama, both of which I find appealing. And it was made at a time that was still before cameras and reality TV had become so present in society that it was hard to capture people in real life without them altering their behavior for the camera. If you do too, then don't miss out on this one!
Interesting fact: This was the #1 movie on Ethan Coen's list top five favorite movies of all time. The list also included Salesman by the Maysles brothers who Joe and Bruce had worked with before and met each other through their production company.
Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky:
Total feature length films seen: 3
Previous average film score: 9
New average film score: 9
Rating: 9/10