CATRIONA PAUL at the movies.

AN ACADEMY AWARD nominated documentary and winner of countless best docs at fests from Sundance to Sâo Paulo, you may be tempted to see this film based solely on its critical acclaim. The cinema trailers back the good press: slick, stylish and intriguing. Via home movie clips and recent interview soundbites, you gather something happened to the Friedmans. Something big corrupted this family of five from Long Island, but each has a different story.
 
Let me temper your curiosity – the film’s about whether Arnie Friedman and his youngest son, Jesse, sexually abused a dozen or more boys who attended computer class at the teacher’s home. It’s difficult viewing. You hang in there because you want two questions answered: did they do it? and if so, why did they do it?
 
Director Andrew Jarecki won’t give you an answer on the first question although he does spend a lot of time on the theme of how families go bad. This decision not to cut a line through the confusion of evidence and opinion becomes frustrating. Jarecki allows layers of allegation, opinion and secrets to fall without tidying them into piles which might help you determine guilt.
 
The home movies, soundbites, and family history work exceptionally well to create an interest in what went wrong with the family. But once the seriousness of what might have happened is revealed, you want to cut to the quick, find out the truth and get far far away from the cinema. If there is a case to review the convictions, it should have been made plain. Otherwise, you’re simply left gawping at how disturbed the family is and personally, I’d rather leave those case notes to the professionals.
 
CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS
General release, selected cinemas.

Director: Andrew Jarecki
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 107 mins
Country: USA
Year: 2003
 
 
© Catriona Paul, 2004