film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: Grace Williams

  • Nightstalker: The Hunt For Serial Killer – The BRWC Review

    Nightstalker: The Hunt For Serial Killer – The BRWC Review

    Serial killer (amongst other labels) Richard Ramirez AKA the Nightstalker has been portrayed on the big and little screen many times over the years. However, for a case so complicated and so foul, it was high time the serial killer’s story got the in-depth docuseries treatment. 

    Tiller Russell’s Nightstalker: The Hunt For Serial Killer is a focused look at the full case history of the crimes committed by Ramirez, including first-hand accounts from detectives, witnesses and news reporters. The series itself incorporates archive clips, photo evidence and first hand accounts to weave a thriller-esque experience out of a documentary.

    The American style of the documentary can sometimes feel a little over the top (when there’s voice over with a cut to the interviewee doing something that was obviously in between takes but fits the dramatic narrative), and some of the graphics lent themselves more to a computer game than crime scene renderings.

    The general graphics and music at times also felt counterproductive to the general tone. However, the series is thorough, and not only shows an in-depth analysis of the case, but also shows the intricacies of detective work and the power of community.

    Tiller did an incredible job of assembling family members of victims and survivors of Ramirez ,which humanised the victims, lifting them above the crime photos and remembering them as people, celebrating their lives (difficult to assemble that many I’m sure with such a high victim rate). 

    If you’re looking for a Netflix binge, then I do not recommend this series. Each episode needs to be digested and reflected on before the next. They are intense, and I’m sure bring up a lot of memories and emotions for people who remember the case.

    If you’re looking for an in-depth analysis of true crime and the frustrations of catching a killer, this is for you. 

  • Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn – Review

    Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn – Review

    Muta’Ali Muhammed revisits the historic 1989 protests of New York in Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn. The documentary weaves interviews, graphics and evidential archive footage to map the timeline of events, and the political and social aftermath of the killing of Hawkins. In August 1989, Hawkins and his friends travel to a neighbourhood to buy a car, but he ends up being fatally wounded in a racially motivated attack. 

    The film is well balanced, giving both sides of the case a chance to tell their version of events, including Joseph Fama, who was convicted of Hawkin’s murder. Not only does the film focus on the effects on the family and the community, but also the unrest in New York at the time, and the lackadaisical attitudes of local government in relation to race crime in Brooklyn and beyond.

    The film also peppers in cultural references such as Spike Lee’s ‘Do The Right Thing’ (Lee is interviewed in archival footage) and the rise of rap group Public Enemy, which reinforces to the viewer the socio-political changes in American culture at the time.

    One can’t help comparing some of the archival footage with the present-day interviews and feel unsettled with the rhetoric and views that haven’t changed in 30 years. Photographic and video evidence shows segregation and racism in Brooklyn, yet, some of the interviewees are still denying it. 

    I wish we could watch these documentaries thinking ‘thank goodness this is a thing of the past’, but you will be left reeling by how relevant and true the events in this film are today. Films like this should not be watched under a political flame, but with a sense of compassion and fairness. Watching a film about a family destroyed because their loved one is murdered because of the colour of their skin is something that should stir change, not division.

    Here’s hoping that a documentary like this will be released in 30 years, and the events are historical with a united audience that watches in disbelief. 

  • All The Pretty Girls: Review

    All The Pretty Girls: Review

    Ncube’s All The Pretty Girls is the story of prisoners of war in Rostock, MeckPomm, in the late 70s. It blends docu film and fiction, in its exploration of what to do with the problem of evil. 

    The film is very personal and adopts a unique tone and style. The director presents the film, telling the story of its origin as a play, and the sociological and political context for the film.

    It is definitely a film of passion and a unique one at that. It definitely feels more like an art film rather than a documentary or a narrative piece. The process is deconstructed by Ncube, showing scenes and characters that he has cut, and sharing ideas about his process. 

    70% of the film is effectively Ncube’s play, on screen, in chrome, with a vignette on it, in 16:9 ratio. It is well acted and has a good script, but the whole thing does feel incomplete and difficult to actualise outside of its original theatre setting. It’s rare that a film set in one room is effective, let alone one where the actors and room don’t match the setting.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pcaXSW8EOE

    A very difficult subject matter which was very bold of Ncube to deconstruct and tell his story. It would be nice to see this idea developed further with a bigger budget and as a full feature some day, as I think it will permeate audiences a lot easier. 

  • Marley: Review

    Marley: Review

    I first watched Kevin Macdonald’s Marley in Bath during its 2012 release. Watching a film about a true Rasta, in the city where Haile Selassie exiled (and watched newsreels of Ethiopia in the very cinema I was watching the doc in) was a somewhat spiritual experience. 

    Now, with a rewatch, the afterburn of the film has left a different sensation. 

    Marley is an extensive look into the life of legendary Bob Marley, with insightful interviews with family members, band mates and colleagues. As Marley’s career was so politically and socially infused, we not only get a life analysis, but also context to troubles in Jamaica and beyond. 

    There’s no doubt this film has been made with love, focusing on the positives of Marley, his amazing achievements both politically and musically. There is a distinct lack of musical and studio process, which is a bit of a shame as it was a revolutionary time for Reggae music.

    It did however encapsulate the legacy of Marley, his spiritual leadership and mission. It was sometimes a bit tonally askew, especially surrounding the topics of Marley’s womanising and domineering behaviour in the middle section of the film. One moment Marley is a peaceful being, the next he is a rule implementing misogynist, then back again, which at times leaves you feeling torn. Yet it is brave for Macdonald to have gone so deep into Marley’s character and to show Marley in every light.

    There is a bitterness to the rewatch, however, especially when watching the end credits with people from lots of countries singing Marley’s songs, as the unity and peace that he strove so hard for through his music still hasn’t come to fruition in society. It is also evident that no one like Marley has entered the music industry since.

    A must-see documentary for Bob Marley fans, but also fans of politics and making change! 

  • Olympia: Review

    Olympia: Review

    Harry Mavromichalis’ Olympia delivers a deeply personal and philosophical documentary, following Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis over the course of several years.

    Beginning as Olympia turns 80, the film shows present day accolades and daily living, whilst interjecting stories and footage from her past. There is a heavy theme of Dukakis’ reflection on her origin and purpose, which although is not an original theme in documentary, is fresh coming from a woman of such quirkiness and eccentricity.

    As a viewer who is not so familiar with Dukakis’ career, what struck me about the documentary is how Mavromichalis has captured the peaks and troths of womanhood and how that fits within the entertainment industry. We see Dukakis receiving a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, a flash back to her Oscar win, but also raw performances taken from her illustrious stage career.

    It’s easy to see why he wanted to capture this woman’s career. The third act of film takes an unexpected turn, as Dukakis’ and the women of her family take a pilgrimage to the village in Greece where their relatives originated. There is a shift to theology and lineage which goes further than roots, to a mini-study on women in power and the role of woman in religion, history and mythology.

    It’s certainly a jolt in tone, yet it somewhat reflects the life of Dukakis. There is a scene where she watches a turtle being released back into the wild. She comments on how it pauses, before tasting more of the sea and going forward before another break, and how she feels like that turtle. This documentary is a bit like that turtle too.

    We watch, we pause, we try some more, eventually being released into the ‘wild’, or, the core of her self.