Reviews of There's a way..... 40

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  ... but what's the point?
  A review of There's a way.....
  by Piebochan on 05/11/2009
  I read the blurb on this before watching and it seems like perhaps the director got a kicking from previous reviewers for his commentary throughout this piece about being unsympathetic to the subject of this mini-documentary and so decided that was unfair and re-issued it without the commentary... not having seen the 1st incarnation I can't judge if this is any better or worse... I read the blurb on this before watching and it seems like perhaps the director got a kicking from previous reviewers for his commentary throughout this piece about being unsympathetic to the subject of this mini-documentary and so decided that was unfair and re-issued it without the commentary... not having seen the 1st incarnation I can't judge if this is any better or worse but based on this piece alone I would have to say the kicking was well deserved! I could not see the point of this piece! The camera shakily focussing on this sad man, living in his own drug induced world, oblivious to reality, is demeaned and exploited even further - he gets caught out with the lie about not having shot up in 'weeks' when we see the caption 'a few days earlier' we watch him boast about what good quality drugs he's just scored and this gets repeated not just once, twice or even three times but the message is hammered home no fewer than 5 times!!! It's shot on the street with no production values to give it it's authentic look, which succeeds but just leaves the viewer wondering 'Why?' Just using the natural light is fine, but when dusk starts to settle we can't see anything! I'm sure all viewers will feel sympathy for the guy, but that is due to his sad prediciment and harmless look, nothing to do with our erstwhile film maker here drawing attention to the situation that has led to this man and many many others steering their life in this downward direction. I sincerely hope the guy was bought a meal for his trouble!!! read
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  Painful
  A review of There's a way.....
  by esullivan on 09/08/2008
  There's a classic moral dilemma that occurs in art: clever films about unclever people = condescending. You stated in your production notes that some viewers found your treatment of the subject "unsympathetic". I would have to say I agree, because time after time you re-write his version of events and replace it with your "more reliable" interpretation. For instance, cutting... There's a classic moral dilemma that occurs in art: clever films about unclever people = condescending. You stated in your production notes that some viewers found your treatment of the subject "unsympathetic". I would have to say I agree, because time after time you re-write his version of events and replace it with your "more reliable" interpretation. For instance, cutting to the previous day to catch him telling a lie only serves to emphasize his shortcomings and your superiority at storytelling. Also, you've probably been watching too many low-budget liberal documentaries, which tend to veer towards heated treatments of subjects. This is not a great subject to apply this style to. Reshaping his words by looping emphasized lines was absurd; let the man speak for himself. Regardless of your conscious intentions, you exploited this man and your editing methods made a mockery of him, to boot. You should consider re-editing this piece from scratch and finding a more harmonious way to let his footage speak. read
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  There's a way review
  A review of There's a way.....
  by MikeyMook on 07/30/2008
  What makes this film interesting is that it treads the line of decency. I'm torn between feeling interested in this character to hating the filmmaker for exploiting his subject in an extremely vile way. The decision to represent this person in this manner (bearing in mind your DJ style editing of particular sound bites) is verging on shameless. This might well be an attempt... What makes this film interesting is that it treads the line of decency.
  
  I'm torn between feeling interested in this character to hating the filmmaker for exploiting his subject in an extremely vile way. The decision to represent this person in this manner (bearing in mind your DJ style editing of particular sound bites) is verging on shameless. This might well be an attempt at an observational piece, I can't be certain of the filmmaker's intent, but what it comes across as is a rather self-centred and heavy-handed view of a person who deserved due care in his representation.
  
  You have certainly created a talking-point and yes films should be provocative, but you left me feeling that I can't trust you as a filmmaker. read
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  Review
  A review of There's a way.....
  by jdzone2001 on 07/16/2008
  Unfortunately I did not enjoy this and was kind of boring. What was the point? I did not get it. Was it to exploit this poor addict? The camera work was terrible. Editing was not very good. Sound was not very good either. Sorry I can not find anything positive to say, and missed the message if there was one.
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  Same as the other version
  A review of There's a way.....
  by Corleone on 07/15/2008
  I'd been assigned the other version of this video previously and didn't like it. My reaction was the same with this version. There's really nothing that can be critiqued about this video. There's no story, no acting, hardly any editing, the camerawork is just a guy holding a camera and the lighting is just the ambient street light. Like I said about the previous version,... I'd been assigned the other version of this video previously and didn't like it. My reaction was the same with this version.
  
  There's really nothing that can be critiqued about this video. There's no story, no acting, hardly any editing, the camerawork is just a guy holding a camera and the lighting is just the ambient street light.
  
  Like I said about the previous version, this guy is interesting, but there needs to be a story here. Interviews by themselves will not hold an audience's interest for 7-minutes. read
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  Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
  A review of There's a way.....
  by **DELETED ACCOUNT** on 04/07/2007
  ...and yet, there's still hope. A very compelling short documentary. The 'Roadhouse Blues' segment is actually funny, & may go on a bit long, however, the 'Heart Of Gold' part is just as heart-breaking. Other than that, I think you've made a very good short. I really like the flashback to '3 days ago', while Greg speaks about his dilemma & denial. You let the story confront... ...and yet, there's still hope. A very compelling short documentary. The 'Roadhouse Blues' segment is actually funny, & may go on a bit long, however, the 'Heart Of Gold' part is just as heart-breaking. Other than that, I think you've made a very good short. I really like the flashback to '3 days ago', while Greg speaks about his dilemma & denial. You let the story confront his own. The juxtaposition between the two sides of Greg is both fascinating & depressing. You capture & deliver it very nicely. The echoes of rehab/counseling, & the stark reality of his present situation. The denial, hope, & desperation continue to swirl. The camera is very good. Alot of hand-held, close-ups. Good job, & good luck. May I dare to ask about an update on Greg? I noticed this was posted in Jan. 2003. Thanks. read
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  Interesting character piece
  A review of There's a way.....
  by elmerlang on 10/06/2006
  Interesting character piece of a doper and his life. The best of the first part was lessened a bit by the slightly sentimental tone of the music used. The man was an appealing character at times, and an appalling character at times. Kinda like most people, but writ large. Since I know no one on close examination who turns out to be perfect his imperfections mirror our own... Interesting character piece of a doper and his life. The best of the first part was lessened a bit by the slightly sentimental tone of the music used. The man was an appealing character at times, and an appalling character at times. Kinda like most people, but writ large. Since I know no one on close examination who turns out to be perfect his imperfections mirror our own. Pretty good job, good luck. read
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  Smack is baaaad.
  A review of There's a way.....
  by muddlestock on 12/06/2005
  Very interesting. You mention a different, less sympathetic version. I would be curious to see how Greg could come off as anything but a sad, tragic, example of good drugs gone bad. As for the production there were several things I liked. The camera work did well to mimic the instability of the subjects life and thought process. I thought 95 percent of the editing was... Very interesting. You mention a different, less sympathetic version. I would be curious to see how Greg could come off as anything but a sad, tragic, example of good drugs gone bad. As for the production there were several things I liked. The camera work did well to mimic the instability of the subjects life and thought process. I thought 95 percent of the editing was good with the "I just did two bags of heroin" scene standing out as very good. I could have done without some of the repetitive cuts, and I would have liked some of the shots to be lit better. On the whole I found this to be a well done film with a serious and compelling subject matter. read
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  THERE'S A WAY..... Review
  A review of There's a way.....
  by doonae on 11/17/2005
  When doing a documentary it's essential to have an interesting subject and I think the area you're looking to explore here is rife with possibilities.I think as a character study you kind of got half way there - the disclosure of the abuse and drug use are pretty powerful but they're surrounded by a fair bit of babbling. I'd say you have 30% serious material here and 70% 'fluff'... When doing a documentary it's essential to have an interesting subject and I think the area you're looking to explore here is rife with possibilities.I think as a character study you kind of got half way there - the disclosure of the abuse and drug use are pretty powerful but they're surrounded by a fair bit of babbling. I'd say you have 30% serious material here and 70% 'fluff' - if it was the other way round you'd really have something. Technically the background noise and music somtimes detracted from what Greg was saying and it may have been better to use a fixed focus. Very intersting overall though. read
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  IN RESPECT
  A review of There's a way.....
  by THUNDY on 10/07/2004
  Documentaries are not my bag. I like to believe this was an exercise in trying to show the plight of America, because if ti was designed to show off some funny street guy for people to laugh at it would be quite upsetting. With that said - This is a sad, lonely, homeless person who still believes if there's a will there's a way. It really makes one think about the gifts... Documentaries are not my bag. I like to believe this was an exercise in trying to show the plight of America, because if ti was designed to show off some funny street guy for people to laugh at it would be quite upsetting. With that said - This is a sad, lonely, homeless person who still believes if there's a will there's a way. It really makes one think about the gifts we recieve on a daily basis, and that people are worse off than you are. For pitty sakes this poor guy still has hope, maybe that's all, but it's something.Again this isn't my thing, but it is a very interesting character. read