April 15, 2008
Lying Journalist Comes Clean
...Or how I learned to regret taking out my frustrations on Director Morgan Spurlock for not seeing a previous screening...
Back during my coverage of SXSW, I posted a spoof movie review on a whim. It was funny, I thought, and I have seen no negative feedback from it. Perhaps it went un-noticed, which is probably best. When I received an email inviting me to a special screening of the same movie, which is a fairly re-occuring event around here, I decided I owed it to the SXSW Film Festival, Morgan Spurlock, and even blog readers to go see it and comment on it. You see, I drove an hour to see the film Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden during SXSW, only to be turned away as the film sold out. Turns out it was a really good documentary. It was especially relevant and fresh for me, since I had seen two other movies at SXSW about the war on terror, the war in Iraq, and Iraq. This movie showed Morgan taking it upon himself to try to find the whereabouts of the world's most wanted man.
It brought up a dilemma for any journalist: If you found him, who would you tell? If you told the US military, how long would it take before he was captured. As a journalist, how would that be objective? Anyway, he took on the task probably knowing that he wouldn't actually find him, but he would be exposed to a lot of interesting things in the process of looking. Turns out he was right. It was a really interesting perspective on our efforts to fight terrorism.
One particularly enlightening quote was from an Arab man who explained to the famouse documentary maker, "Extremism nourishes itself from darkness." It was a reference to the need to give young people in these countries their economic and political opportunity.
It was interesting when he visited Israel (after Egypt, Morroco, and before Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Pakistan). He talked to Palistineans who drove home a point that their cause is being usurped by Arab causes around the world (including Al Qaeda), but who do nothing to help that cause. It's a phony rally cry. Very interesting. It was a drag to see hatred coming from some unspecified Jewish religious people in some parts of Israel, who did not want to talk nor did they welcome the camera crew.
Lots of Muslims commented on their thoughts on Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. In the film one hears the prayers (and English translation in subtitles) from mosques in Egypt, which were friendly and peaceful and encouraging of receiving mercy from God and showing it to others; and a particular mosque in Saudi Arabia (the radical one that raised Bin Laden), which prayed "...to make Palestine a grave for Jews and Christians." Wow.
The conclusion of the movie rocked, with a really neat collage that underscored the value of people and our worldwide struggle to live and get along. During the credits the Nick Lowe tune (sung by Elvis Costello), "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding" played. There was another song that acted as a title track, which was sung in goofy Southern Rock spoof and story-telling mode a la Charlie Daniels. Very funny. Once again Morgan Spurlock did a good job of making a documentary fun, using lots of humor and the common human element.
After this movie I was bribed with a couple slices of pizza to stay and watch another screening -- My Blueberry Nights, which starred Nora Jones in her first film. Nora done good. The movie was like a crazy montage that focuses on the periphery around one person's travel/run/return. Jones' character (Elizabeth) meets one character after another. Each one "like a mirror that she measured herself by..." liking herself just a little bit more after each.