It has been a bit since I have been able to comment on another category in last year's Oscars. But with Taxi to the Dark Side, I have completed all the contenders for best documentary.
This was an excellent group of movies. The winner of the Oscar was Taxi to the Dark Side, which was superb. And I can see why it won. The other contenders were: No End in Sight, a look at how we ended up in Iraq, why we blew it and how bad it is; Operation Homecoming, Writing the Wartime Experience, a movie I was disappointed in, as it chronicled soldiers writings from Iraq; Sicko, Michael Moore's funny and scary look at America's health care industry; and War/Dance, about a group of war orphaned children in Africa, competing in a national dance contest.
As I said, Operation Homecoming was disappointing...a great idea, but not skillfully rendered. And War/Dance was excellent, but ultimately did not have the importance of the other movies. That brings me to Sicko. Michael Moore is great, and he did another great movie...and in many years, this would have been the winner. But with two movies left, this did not quite make it.
So Taxi to the Dark Side or No End in Sight?
The winner of the Andrew Award for best documentary is----It is a tie!!!! No End in Sight and Taxi to the Dark Side. Sadly, these documentaries show some of the worst of my country. It is sad that these even had to be made. But they are powerful films, dealing with difficult issues. And they highlight the failure of this administration to do just about anything right, and also show how they deliberately did wrong.
One more category to go...Best Foreign Film. I have watched two of the nominees (I will review Beaufort soon), and will soon be watching Mongol. But the last two films (Katyn and 12) have not had their release dates announced yet. I hope I get to see them before next years awards.
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