Absolute gems here.
With Irish features like I, Dolours and A Mother Brings Her Son to Be Shot making a strong impression at the cinema, it’s indicative of the fact that the documentary genre is in an incredibly healthy position right now.
On top of this, the plethora of features being released by the likes of Netflix, HBO, Channel 4 and our own Irish broadcasters have meant that audiences are truly spoiled for choice.
On this note, The Big Reviewski team picked their favourite documentaries to receive a cinematic release and here’s what they came up with. We also got a few great shouts from the listeners.
Paul Moore
Grizzly Man
Plot: A devastating and heartrending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzlies in Alaska.
Metacritic rating: 87%
Watch it because: The story itself is unlike anything you’ve ever heard and as for the footage that’s captured, it’s breathtaking.
Clip via Movieclips Classic Trailers
Rory Cashin
The Imposter
Plot: A young man in Spain claims to be the 19-year-old son of a grieving Texas family, who haven’t seen him in three years. After showing up to their doorstep, the family know this isn’t their son. He knows that he’s not their son, but why do they take him in?
Metacritic rating: 77%
Watch it because: It’s intense, incredible and a seemingly implausible story. Right up until the final few frames, you’ll have no idea which way this story will turn.
Clip via Picturehouse
Eoghan Doherty
Searching for Sugar Man
Plot: Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
Watch it because: It’s a stunning tribute to the power of music and how art can truly change people’s lives without the artist even knowing.
Clip via Sony Pictures Classics
The Big Reviewski listeners
Senna
Plot: The remarkable story of the beloved F1 driver, Ayrton Senna, the documentary charts his physical and spiritual achievements on the track and off, his quest for perfection and the mythical status he has since attained. The documentary looks at the racing legend’s years as an F1 driver, from his opening season in 1984 to his final, tragic race a decade later.
Watch it because: This is pure cinema that defines the genius of a race car driver. His rivalry with Alain Prost had the ability to transcend their sport but this film is more concerned with a rivalry between two conflicting personalities than the sport itself.
Clip via Universal Pictures UK
4 Little Girls
Plot: On September 15, 1963, a bomb destroyed a black church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four young girls who were there for Sunday school. It was a crime that shocked the nation and a defining moment in the history of America’s civil-rights movement. Acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee tells the full story of the bombing, through heart-wrenching testimonials from surviving members of the victims’ families.
Watch it because: Felt angry after watching BlacKkKlansman? This Oscar-nominated film from Spike Lee is arguably better and just as furious.
Clip via Bobby Rivers
The Atlantic
Plot: Once upon a time, the Atlantic Ocean was seen as Ireland’s most valuable resource, but following industrialisation we turned our back on the sea, coming to see it merely as a route over which to send our goods and our young, work-seeking people. This feature examines the striking differences between Ireland and her coastal neighbours.
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 100%
Watch it because: It’s an eye-opening look at an industry that’s often overlooked in Irish society.
Clip via Atlantic Stream
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