I watch a lot of documentaries, so many, in fact, that I've started to lose patience with feature films, what with their flashy effects and too pat story-telling. Which isn't to say I can't intellectually appreciate big explosions and bravura performances, just that I tend to not get too emotionally invested in them.
Yeah, I'm big fun at parties.
My recent dread illness gave me lots of couch time to catch up on my docs. And, just in case you, too, like a good true tale, here are three that I didn't fall asleep during:
* The Diplomat -- while I was old enough during the Balkan crisis to know that there was one, I wasn't old enough to really understand what was going on. I get it, now, and am retroactively horrified. What might be most interesting about this film isn't so much the history but what it means for a son to tell the story of his famous (and infamous) Dad, who seemed to be at the table during quite a few global conflicts.
* How to Dance in Ohio -- Three young adults on the autism spectrum get ready for a dance. The filmmakers never overtly go for the viewer's heartstrings but still tug 'em by being honest. (Some of the same team also made Stagedoor, which is what every kid who wants to be in the theater should watch.)
* Mile Mile and a Half -- A group of artists decide to hike the John Muir Trail. Unlike Wild, which is certainly on my list of most favorite films (even though it is not strictly a documentary), Mile... has zero drama. It's not deep. They all get along. Nothing terribly dramatic happens. The result, however, is gorgeous. Almost gorgeous enough to make me want to hike the JMT, which is crazy talk.
And not a movie and (hopefully) not a documentary: Getting On, which just returned for its third and final season. While a comedy (sort of) about geriatric ward might not be to every viewer's taste, it most decidedly is to mine. Plus, I have an abiding love for Laurie Metcalf and Alex Bornstein (whose recent (seriously NSFW) stint on @midnight nearly killed me.)
So what films/shows have tickled your fancy lately?