2nd Quarter 2019 - Movies

[fauxklore]

Why, yes, I do like documentaries.

1. RBG: This documentary about Ruth Bader Ginsburg was both informative and entertaining. There are interviews with a wide range of friends, associates, and family members, as the film traces Ginsburg’s career, emphasizing her focus on eliminating gender-based discrimination. Her late husband comes across as a remarkable man, too, with his deep support for her career. Well worth watching.
   
   
2. On the Basis of Sex: This is the other movie about RBG, but is a biopic (with Felicity Jones as Ginsburg) rather than a documentary. It is more focused on her early career than RBG is glossier, but those are intentional choices. Whether you should see just one of these movies or both depends on what your personal tastes are. Both are worth seeing and inspiring in their own ways. RBG paints a fuller picture, but this makes the stronger political statement.
   
   
3. Game Changers: A documentary on the history of game shows, starring Alex Trebek. There are interviews with lots of hosts and producers. As a fan of the genre (I competed on two game shows) I had to watch this and I enjoyed it. I’d have liked something on game shows in other countries, since only Canada is mentioned and only briefly. And it felt a bit tacky not to even acknowledge Art Fleming. But it’s still a must see for all of us game show geeks – and probably of at least some interest to normal people.
   
   
4. Mean Girls: While I’d seen the musical based on this, I hadn’t watched this movie until it turned up among United’s entertaining offerings on a flight. I knew the plot and many lines more than I thought I would. It’s a great reminder of the cruelty of teenage girls and the social landmines of high school. And the script Is genuinely funny. It may be from 2004, but is still a must-see.
   
   
5. Chewdaism:This documentary is subtitled A Taste of Jewish Montreal and was made by Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman of Yidlife Crisis. Basically, they spent a day eating their way around Montreal. There re bagels, there’s smoked meat, there chocolate babka. But there is also a raucous Sephardic meal and modern fusion food. It all looks delicious. Beyond that, Eli and Jamie are genuinely funny. A feast of a film for those who love Jewish food.
   
   
6. The Spy Behind Home Plate: I was lucky enough to see this documentary about Moe Berg with a talkback with director, Aviva Kempner. Given my obsession with Jewish baseball players, this was obligatory. Berg was an interesting character. The main thing I learned is that his father disapproved of his baseball career and refused to ever go to a game. Aviva also dismissed the theory that he was homosexual. During the talk-back, she mostly emphasized his OSS career and his achievements as a spy during World War II. Also, she got access to a lot of archival footage from Princeton, which was particularly interesting.