what (not) to doc

New to DVD this week:
FIGURES OF SPEECH

Director:
Ari Levinson

Premiere:
Newport Beach 2015

Select Festivals:
Bentonville, Imperial Valley

About:
A look at competitive high school forensics, focusing on the duo interpretation event.

While broader audiences might be familiar with the world of high school debate, other competitive speech events that take place under the same general rubric are lesser known, among them dramatic or humorous interpretation, performed by individuals, or, as is the focus in Levinson’s project, duo interpretation. Duo sees a pair of students perform a short piece of writing, often from a play, under certain constraints – notably an absence of props and a restriction on engaging in eye- or physical contact. Referred to in the doc as “competitive acting,” the event has been an early avenue of artistic expression for a number of now well-known actors or public figures. Levinson follows several duo teams – including quirky twin brothers and high school sweethearts – along the forensic competition circuit, with the goal of qualifying for, and ultimately winning, Nationals. While offering some nostalgic coming-of-age appeal, the film errs in including at least a pair of subjects too many, and in not showcasing quite enough of the teams’ actual interpretations, making for an overlong – and distracting overscored – survey that unfortunately neither fully fleshes out its characters nor the appeal of the forensic event.

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, March 3:
BURLESQUE: HEART OF THE GLITTER TRIBE

Director:
Jon Manning

Premiere:
limited theatrical engagements (February 2017)

About:
A survey of the neo-burlesque scene in Portland OR.

After a long fallow period, burlesque, the once-popular if risqué entertainment known for its focus on the striptease, experienced a revival beginning in the mid-1990s that has continued into the present day, with its presence felt in most larger American cities as well as internationally. Manning focuses his profile on several performers in Portland – among them Zora von Pavonine, Babs Jamboree, Angelique DeVil, Isaiah Esquire, and the Stagedoor Johnnies – none household names like Dita von Teese, but that’s largely the point in this scrappy if conventional doc. These showgirls and showboys appreciate the local spotlight, but they perform for the love of burlesque – as more than one points out, they typically lose money practicing their craft, but they enjoy themselves while doing it. While breaking no new ground, addressing topics familiar from past burlesque-focused docs, and suffering from attempting to cover too many subjects, Manning’s film nevertheless offers a welcome, empowering message of self-acceptance, sex- and body-positivity, and the impact of being part of an intentional community.

New to DVD this week:
THE BUSINESS OF AMATEURS

Director:
Bob DeMars

Premiere:
Portland 2015

About:
A former student athlete questions the policies of the NCAA.

Former USC linebacker-turned-filmmaker DeMars enjoyed his time as a student athlete but contends with the health consequences to this day. Sharing his story along with those of several other former amateur collegiate athletes, he launches into a broad consideration of the imbalance of power between student athletes and the NCAA, theoretically charged with looking out for their best interests, but in many ways exploiting them or otherwise hampering their ability to make a sustainable living, receive an adequate education, plan for a future after collegiate athletics, and cope with health concerns resulting from their amateur careers. DeMars’ project is earnest and honest, seeking answers for how and why amateur athletes are treated, and searching for a more equitable system that would truly serve them better. Unfortunately, the film is marred by excessive narration that bogs down and cheapens the storytelling, as well as a tendency to cover far too much, too quickly, introducing interesting or provocative ideas before immediately jettisoning them for another topic.