My Movie Journal is Better Than Yours

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Notes History

Date Viewed	Venue	Note
11.08.08	Internet	This Screening is part of event: DVRfest 2008 The Golden Gate Bridge: World capital of suicide. This documentary... I'm really kind of curious about the method used for this movie. It seems a little morbid to film every pedestrian on the bridge for a year in hopes that they jump, but this guy got some very clear footage of what looks like very real people jumping to their very real deaths. Pretty powerful. But after that, the movie's basically depressing talking heads from people who knew people who "used" the bridge and how sad they were and how sad it makes them that they were so sad. Granted, suicide is a pretty sad affair, but I was really hoping for more from this doc. The most interesting part for me was the interview with the kid who jumped and survived, but that couldn't help but veer into the nature and pathos of mental illness just as much as anything to do with some bridge. Overall, I'd say it's a chilling fact to hear about the Golden Gate and some of the raw imagery is haunting and beautiful, but it's not much of a film. I remember some HBO hourlong America Undercover doc that handled suicide being much more involving. Oh well. Whew. Next up is hopefully something a bit more upbeat although truth be told I have no idea what it's actually about. All I know is that I'll see an elephant swim in slow motion. Check back!