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Jimmy Carter Man From Plains (2007) DVD Review
Jimmy Carter Man From Plains (2007) DVD Credits:
Jimmy Carter Man From Plains (2007) Directed by:
Jonathan Demme
Jimmy Carter Man From Plains (2007) Written by:
Not available at this time
Jimmy Carter Man From Plains (2007) Cast:
Not available at this time
Jimmy Carter Man From Plains (2007) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
Jimmy Carter Man From Plains (2007) DVD Release Date:
24th March 2008
Our Rating: Extras Rating:

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Jimmy Carter Man From Plains (2007) Synopsis:

"Jimmy Carter Man From Plains" is an intimate, surprising encounter with President Jimmy Carter. Following the path of Mr. Carter's recent controversial book tour for Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, Academy Award©-winning director Jonathan Demme reveals a complex individual who, with the gusto and determination of a youngster, criss-crosses the country to get his message across, even as that message creates a media onslaught in which his credibility and judgment are called into question. "Jimmy Carter Man From Plains" explores both the private and public sides of Jimmy Carter, whose intense sense of justice compels him to pursue, with undiminished energy and hope, his lifelong and deeply spiritual vision of reconciliation and peace.

Jimmy Carter Man From Plains (2007) DVD Review:

I feared what Jimmy Carter Man From Plains would contain, not because I disagree with any politics that Jimmy Carter is still active in or once was responsible for, but because I sincerely dislike documentaries about politics. Politics are interesting and often infuriating, but more than anything else it feels untrustworthy to believe anything given in a documentary without investigating the entire subject yourself. The sad fact is that many people have begun to use the medium as an extremely large podium. Jonathan Demme is an excellent director, and for that reason alone I had high hopes that this film might be about something more interesting than politics, and I was not disappointed. Demme has created an illustrating portrait of an active and intelligent piece of American history, but more importantly he is able to confidently capture the passion of this active former President.

Following Carter on the book tour of his controversial new book, “Palestine Peace Not Apartheid”, we see Carter subjected to an onslaught of criticism. There is nothing more illuminating than watching how a person reacts to criticism and negativity, and Carter is truly a strong and immensely giving human being. Regardless of the politics he believes to be true, and which he argues very convincingly, or the fact that he was once the president of The United States, Jimmy Carter is a fascinating individual. He has lived an incredible life, from childhood on, and he sincerely seems to be a self-aware, God-loving, incredibly decent and passionate man. I would gladly watch a documentary about a man like this, and it helps that the film is so well done, and willingly shows the argument from the other side in the many attacks Carter takes publicly during his tour.

The very fact that I can’t seem to remember the way in which Demme approaches the footage is a testament to how smoothly he is able to capture what is happening, mixing in the actual footage from Carter’s television appearances for the book with the footage taken by Demme and his crew. The footage is mixed together wonderfully with scenes of travel and an incredibly vibrant and energetic soundtrack. I am always finding myself impressed by the music used in documentaries. They usually tend to feel more effective than the scores used in the narrative films, perhaps because of the over-reliance on the latest hit bands. The original score in Man From Plains is done by Djamel, Ben Yelles, and Alejandro Escovedo. It is a perfect blend of music styles and there is a featurette in the special features on the recording of this soundtrack. The special features also include a few bonus scenes and a commentary track with Demme, who gives a few more stories about what was happening behind the scenes.

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Jimmy Carter Man From Plains (2007) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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