(Germany/Netherlands, 90 min.)
Dir. Uli Gaulke
Programme: Next
(Canadian Premiere)
I won’t emphasize “You must remember this…” as a caveat for
anyone planning their doc screenings in the coming months, but As Time Goes By in Shanghai is sure to
please fans of sweet nostalgic music. This German-Dutch co-pro tells of
Shanghai’s legendary Peace Old Jazz Band, which holds the Guinness world record
for oldest band. They’ve only been playing together since 1980, but the members
are mostly over eighty years old. They put on a swell show for a group of
old-timers.
The Peace Old Jazz Band is becoming world famous as they make their way to The Netherlands to perform in an international music festival. Along the way, director Uli Gaulke profiles the band in depth, and draws out numerous lessons on China’s Cultural Revolution, which is intricately connected to the band’s own history. (As Time goes By in Shanghai is thus a good companion piece to this year’s other Chinese culture pic Chimeras.) Unfortunately, though, As Time Goes By in Shanghai undercuts much of its historical richness by offering a catalogue of clichés about milquetoast geriatrics and “cute” old folks. As Time Goes By in Shanghai is slight, but the soundtrack is lovely and listening to the jazz group perform is reason enough to see the film. Well, we’ll always have Paris?
Rating: ★★★ (out of ★★★★★)
The Crash Reel
(USA, 100 min.)
Dir. Lucy Walker
Programme: Special
Presentations (Canadian Premiere)
I flinched several times during The Crash Reel. Director Lucy Walker offers some extraordinary
footage in this compelling and tightly constructed documentary. The Crash Reel looks at the tragic case
of snowboarder Kevin Pearce, whose strong prospects at taking home an Olympic
gold medal fell short when he suffered a major brain trauma in a fall during a routine
practice on a half-pipe. Walker shows the gut-wrenching accident, which sees
Kevin catch a tip on the pipe and then careen head first onto the packed snow
many feet below. He hits the ground like a hardcover book instead of like a rag
doll. His outlook doesn’t seem good from the opening scene.
The footage of Kevin’s accident is covered so well that one
would almost guess that the filmmaker was profiling Kevin before his fall. (The
clips on the half-pip were pieced together from five different sources, yet
there isn’t a frame lost.) Walker structures the film quite smartly so that
viewers who are not fully aware of Kevin’s incident will be on the edge of
their seats as they determine the likelihood of his recovery. The Crash Reel is a tragic account of athletes
cut from the peak of their power and the top of their game. Walker uncovers the
various factors that make the rush of the sports such a risk (such as
sponsorship, entertainment value, and completion) and contribute to pressure
burdened upon athletes who push themselves to such extremes. The Crash Reel finds the larger story
behind Kevin’s accident, and makes a persuasive argument that athletes in
extreme sports need to see what’s at stake in the adrenaline-rush of their
game, for the slightest miscalculation or twist of fate could leave them—and their
families—in the most tragic of circumstances.
The Crash Reel
deserves a high standing on the podium for this year’s Hot Docs winners. Walker
offers an astonishing range of footage from a variety of sources—television shows,
home movies, and even random bystanders—that is edited together seamlessly in a
tight, adrenaline pumping arc. Paired with an excellent soundtrack, The Crash Reel captures the thrill of
extreme sports, but emphasizes the hidden costs of the game, as relationships
and even one’s own life are far more valuable than a medal. The Crash Reel is one of the strongest
sports documentaries I’ve seen in a while.
Rating: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★★)
Rating: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★★)
