Capturing The Friedmans (2004) Movie Review

Capturing The Friedmans (2004) Movie Credits:

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Capturing The Friedmans (2004) Directed by:

Andrew Jarecki

Capturing The Friedmans (2004) Written by:

Capturing The Friedmans (2004) U.S. Cinema Release Date:

Unknown

Capturing The Friedmans (2004) U.K. Cinema Release Date:

9^th Apr 2004

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Capturing The Friedmans (2004) Synopsis:

The Friedmans are a seemingly typical, upper-middle-class Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes. Caught up in hysteria and with their community in an uproar, the family undergoes a media onslaught. The film inquires not just into the life of a family but into a community, a legal system, and an era.

Capturing The Friedmans (2004) Review:

There's a startling genius to this documentary that sucks us in with astonishing footage of a real family disintegrating in the most unthinkable way ... right in front of our eyes. Jarecki somehow got permission from the Friedman family to not only interview them extensively on camera (only two people are missing), but also to use their library of incredibly personal home movies and videos. And the result is much more than just a collection of memories and old footage, it's an examination of a society and judicial system that simply doesn't work.

The Friedmans were prominent members of their Long Island community, Mom and Dad and three sons living the American Dream. Then Dad (Arnold) was arrested for possession of child pornography, and investigators found evidence of widespread sexual abuse of students both by Arnold and one of his sons. Throughout the gruelling case, the Friedmans continue to film their family meetings--now shouting matches. This gives us a fascinating glimpse into their life, and muddles the simplistic story the media was trumpeting to the nation.

This is a gripping and often macabre film that's impossible to look away from even as it makes us feels like voyeurs watching the destruction of a happy family. It's also astonishing how Jarecki never takes sides, showing us what happens from every angle and letting us draw our own conclusions. The only thing that becomes clear is that most of the people outside the family (cops, lawyers, journalists, relatives) are deeply mistaken about what happened, if anything did. The film is full of bracingly honest self-examination, raw humour and a fascinating vein of hysteria and emotion, but its real power is in the intimate examination of family ties. Through Jarecki's careful filmmaking, each of the Friedmans becomes a compelling, involving character who we watch over the course of some 40 years. The revealing interviews, quirky details and wrap-up epilogue are not only strongly moving, but they leave us wanting to know even more about them all.