I saw two weirdly compelling documentaries this weekend.
Capturing the Friedmans and Reversal of Fortune.
The former is about convicted pedo__philes(sic) Jesse and his father Arnold. It was odd and compelling. The family was dysfunctional is a way that is hard to describe. The parents are prototypical Post War Long Islanders. They live a quiet, modest life until Arnold is arrested for ch_ild pr0nografy (sic). He orders a magazine from Holland and it gets him in trouble. From there, things get progressively worse very quickly. Participants tell conflicting stories and the film leaves it up to the viewer to decide what actually happened. I'm not spoiling anything by telling you I think Arnold while a pedo__phile probably never assaulted the kids who accused him. As his son points out, there is no physical evidence. The assaults were supposed to be so brutal and frequent yet not one child complained or ever tried to get out of going. I know children are eager to please and often don't contradict their parents but if something is so horrible as this is happening, there would be mood changes, aggression, kids skipping the piano/computer lessons where this all took place. The point is also made that the sheer volume of complaints is nearly impossible. One victim claims to have been assualted three times a week for 12 weeks straight. Combine that with other victim's accounts running concurrently and it approaches a staggering number. See the film. It's compelling and awful at the same time.
Reversal of Fortune is a documentary about a homeless man who is given $100,000 and what he does with the money. It's like watching a slow motion car crash. To me, this is he best example of poverty as a behavioral disorder. To be fair, the guy is generous to a fault and that does hurt him but not nearly as much as he hurts himself by making very poor economic choices. Simply put, he didn't have the ability to manage that much money at once. He starts by talking about making the smart choices, some spending but on matters of health and getting a job. That quickly goes by the wayside as drinking and smoking pot is much more fun than looking for a job.
Capturing the Friedmans and Reversal of Fortune.
The former is about convicted pedo__philes(sic) Jesse and his father Arnold. It was odd and compelling. The family was dysfunctional is a way that is hard to describe. The parents are prototypical Post War Long Islanders. They live a quiet, modest life until Arnold is arrested for ch_ild pr0nografy (sic). He orders a magazine from Holland and it gets him in trouble. From there, things get progressively worse very quickly. Participants tell conflicting stories and the film leaves it up to the viewer to decide what actually happened. I'm not spoiling anything by telling you I think Arnold while a pedo__phile probably never assaulted the kids who accused him. As his son points out, there is no physical evidence. The assaults were supposed to be so brutal and frequent yet not one child complained or ever tried to get out of going. I know children are eager to please and often don't contradict their parents but if something is so horrible as this is happening, there would be mood changes, aggression, kids skipping the piano/computer lessons where this all took place. The point is also made that the sheer volume of complaints is nearly impossible. One victim claims to have been assualted three times a week for 12 weeks straight. Combine that with other victim's accounts running concurrently and it approaches a staggering number. See the film. It's compelling and awful at the same time.
Reversal of Fortune is a documentary about a homeless man who is given $100,000 and what he does with the money. It's like watching a slow motion car crash. To me, this is he best example of poverty as a behavioral disorder. To be fair, the guy is generous to a fault and that does hurt him but not nearly as much as he hurts himself by making very poor economic choices. Simply put, he didn't have the ability to manage that much money at once. He starts by talking about making the smart choices, some spending but on matters of health and getting a job. That quickly goes by the wayside as drinking and smoking pot is much more fun than looking for a job.
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