Quick Movie Reviews: The Way We Get By, My Winnipeg

The Way We Get By (2009)

Bottomline: Excellent and poignant documentary.

Pros: Tightly produced documentary that moves you to care about the three people it focuses on and the soliders they love.

Cons: Feels slightly manipulative in some ways. In particular focusing on some of the dreadful living circumstances of Bill. There is enough material here without us having to be emotionally manipulated.

Where Can I See This Documentary? I saw it on PBS but it is available for rental on DVD.

Bottomline: Bangor, Maine, is the central point for the deployment and return of troops going to and from Iraq and Afghanistan. Almost 1 million soliders have passed through this airport. To show their thanks for their service, a group of elderly men and women have been at the airport 24 hours a day, six days a week for six years greeting and saying good-bye to the troops. The documentary focuses on three of these people -- Bill, Joan and Jerry. It is incredibly inspirational and surprisingly multi-layered. These three older people are facing their own mortality while showing how much they care about these soldiers facing their mortality. The soldiers are incredibly grateful for this dedication and this recognition of their service to our country.

My Winnipeg (2008)

Bottomline: Interesting and fascinating docudrama.

Pros: Incredibly inventive. Reminds me of a long-form ode -- to Winnipeg. The idea of recreating certain events in your childhood is particularly interesting.

Cons: This is a cross between a documentary and drama. Found myself wondering what was true and what wasn't. Has a tendency to drag and become tedious.

Where Can I See This? At the moment, it is not available for rent. I found it on IFC Channel.

Bottomline: You always have to pat filmmakers on the back who are willing to push the medium. Guy Maddin has done this in My Winnipeg, which is his ode to Winnipeg. He combines documentary-style filmmaking with dramatic license. It is an interesting approach that starts from the basis that Guy wants to leave Winnipeg but cannot until he gets some closure on some issues. Winnipeg has broken his heart but he clearly loves the place. It is incredibly fascinating piece of filmmaking that begins to drag in certain parts but then picks itself back up. The most interesting parts for me were the parts where Maddin actually goes to his childhood home, casts his family (his mother plays herself) and then re-enacts key moments in his childhood.