Hot Docs Reaction Wrap: LADIES IN BLUE, SHADOW PLAY and THE CANAL STREET MADAM

Alright…let’s wrap up this crazy caper. Short opinions about the last three docs I saw, and musings on the festival in general are after the jump.

Not to phone this in or anything, but at this point I’m slightly gassed. furthermore, these were three docs I saw that I found “OK”, and didn’t really have much to rant or rave about when it all came down the line.

LADIES IN BLUE was an amusing doc, but didn’t seem to have much of a point. It was a look at the very dedicated fans of Quebec crooner Michel Louvain (somewhat of a French Canadian version of Wayne Newton). He’s a gracious guy, and very engaging when it comes to his fans…thus the women who love him feel a genuine closeness to him. Thing is, while his fans are nice enough, I’m not sure what this film was trying to say about them. Pick any popular musician – odds are you’ll find fans like these. Furthermore, the most interesting woman they talk to only seems to have a passing interest in Louvain.

Overall amusing, but underwhelming.

THE CANAL STREET MADAM is the story of Jeanette Maier, the woman whose moniker this film is named after. After being busted for running a brothel, she is valiantly trying to live a life of meaning, keep her family together, and make a difference for sex workers everywhere. She is a strong and multifaceted woman, and quite high in moral character…y’know, for a madam. My only problem with this film is a negligible one, and that is the fact that it seems to come back to the same few shots of home video footage too many times. That aside, it’s a well-told story, and one that will have you wondering what you would do if you were in her shoes.

Give it a look if you have a chance.

SHADOW PLAY was one of my bigger disappointments. Anton Corbijn is a professional hero of mine, and though I don’t take nearly as many photos as I used to, when I did I often wanted to be him. While I found the movie rather amusing, that only happened because I’m a fan of the man and of the famous people he photographs. His work is not incorporated in any inventive manner, there is precious little glimpse at his technique, and the (many) cuts back to his experiences on the set of CONTROL are in no way insightful.

I had fun ’cause I’m a fan, but sadly I can’t recommend this movie.

And so it goes! Not sure what y’all thought of my zillion and one posts over the last eleven days, but from this side of the keyboard, I can tell you that I couldn’t have asked for a better experience for my first kick at being an accredited member of the media.

I got to talk to some very gracious and encouraging directors. I became friends with some very talented bloggers. And by the time it was all over, I watched twenty-two kick-ass films in eleven days. I realize that many of these movies might not play your local theatre, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t keep an eye out for them. Keep in mind that avenues like Netflix, You Tube, and DVD are the best friends of many documentary directors.

Thanks again for reading.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled movie blog…