CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS

Director: Andrew Jarecki (no major film work)
Starring: documentary

I've seen movies where bodies are exploded, where blood and guts and violence fill each frame. I've seen movies where psychopaths prey on the innocent. I've seen a lot of disturbing things in film. This documentary was one of the most disturbing films I've ever seen. Conversely, it was disturbing in the most meaningful way possible. This isn't a horror/shocker film trying to capitalize on disgusting things to sell tickets. It's rather a meaningful, insightful and excellent biography of a very strange family that bears much resemblance to your own. Except that they might just be evil.

The Friedmans are a Jewish, Long Island clan with a mild-manner father, a desperate mother and 3 very confused sons. Bit by bit, this very average American family reveals more and more about itself through interviews and immensly unsettling home videos that should never have been made. In the end, the father and a son are convicted child rapists and so many psychological demons are let loose that we can't even be sure what's legitimate and what's fantasy. These people are awful, and very average at the same time. They're weird, but are they really all that stranger than the rest of us? How awful and weird are they really? We'll never know. It's a fascinating voyeuristic voyage into the lives of our neighbors, and really into the potential we all have to do evil. I think this is an exceptionally important film. One of the year's best, if not the best we'll see in 2003.

Standouts: The filmmaker got lucky to get a hoard of home videos from this family. They are extraordinarily telling and strange pieces fitting into this well done whole.
Blowouts: Not much. It'll be hard to make a documentary too much better than this.

Grade: A+