Mickey: The Story of a Mouse discusses the positives and negatives of the history of Mickey.

The cultural significance of the nearly 100-year-old cartoon mouse. As one of the world’s most beloved characters, Mickey Mouse is recognized as a symbol of joy and childhood innocence. An exclusive animated short film, “Mickey in a Minute.”

Mickey: A Story Of a Mouse for the most part is a lot of common knowledge, of course it goes through how the mouse came to be, what Walt Disney himself was thinking while creating Mickey, what his goals were with Disney as an animation studio and we even get the story of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and the whole battle over the character. Something that did surprise me is the documentary goes over Mickey Mouse doing blackface in the old cartoons and other issues as well, it’s a bit surprising due to Disney having the tendency to avoid talking about their past that even some fans of the cartoons want to address. There’s a very strong approach towards the topic that the documentary takes here especially with the interviewers, while the interviewers are fans of Disney they are very open to talking about the very rough history of the cartoons. Plus the documentary really hammers it in that the past should be open for discussion as well as being addressed, a lot of other Disney documentaries tend to avoid the topic of blackface being used in some of the old cartoons so I give credit where credit is due. There’s genuine heart out into the documentary and doesn’t feel manufactured which is again refreshing, there’s charming interviews and some engaging bits that have heart in them. Mickey: A Story Of a Mouse isn’t anything groundbreaking but it is refreshing when it comes to Disney documentaries.

Mickey: The Story of a Mouse is available on Disney+

7/10 B

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song is an inspiring documentary.

An exploration of the life of singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen as seen through the prism of his internationally renowned hymn, `Hallelujah’.

There really isn’t a whole lot to say about Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song, it goes over pretty much a lot of common knowledge about Leonard Cohen and one of the most beautiful songs ever written Hallelujah. Plus the song’s impact on the music and parts of the film industry as well, there’s some interviews that are truly touching as well as footage of Cohen commenting on parts of his career and when he made his resurgence. The documentary really makes it known just how influential Hallelujah became from being covered by so many artists, to being sung by several people on American Idol, X-Factor ect as well as being used in a lot of films most notably Shrek. It’s a song that’s been celebrated and will continue to be celebrated, the documentary has so much heart and soul put into it mainly from the footage of Cohen himself. It’s honestly a inspirational documentary that really goes deep into Cohen’s career, definitely check this out if you are a fan or if you are interested as this is quite a good introduction to Leonard Cohen.

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me is a honest documented journey about mental health.

After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness.

Selena Gomez is someone I’ve always been a fan of, whether that be due to her overall personality or her determination to talk about mental health and keep the conversation going, plus her role in Wizards Of Waverley Place is a favorite of mine growing up. In this documentary Selena Gomez talks about her struggles with fame, her physical and mental health when being diagnosed with lupus and bipolar disorder. The major thing that brings this documentary together is honesty of it all, there isn’t anything that feels manufactured for a quick buck like some other celebrity documentaries tend to have. The documentary is Selena Gomez and the people who know her telling you about Selena’s mental health, which in a lot of ways could be relatable to some people. The film does that by having up close and personal shot of Selena Gomez as she talks to the camera like she’s inviting you to a conversation, it’s some pretty clever camera movements that really make it go the long way. I definitely think one of the major highlights of the film heck Selena herself says it’s a highlight of her life is the Kenya Trip. Not only does Selena Gomez share her experiences with Kenyan women but they themselves share their experiences with Selena, it’s a really touching and quite inspiring moment of seeing two perspectives both of which are very compelling in their own ways. The documentary really does a fantastic job with the topic of mental health it’s done very respectfully which isn’t a surprise since Selena regularly uses her platform when talking about mental health, as I said before the film is honest and focuses on having a conversation which it accomplishes quite well! This is something I truly recommend checking out!

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me is available on Apple TV+

9/10 A

Moonage Daydream is a beautiful tribute to David Bowie.

A cinematic odyssey exploring David Bowie’s creative and musical journey. From visionary filmmaker Brett Morgen, and sanctioned by the Bowie estate.

Moonage Daydream is yet another beautiful documentary that’s entirely made up of archival footage, this year has already had a decent amount of those including The Princess (Princess Diana documentary), Fire Of Love and Riotsville USA. The documentary shows a lot of concerts from David Bowie as well as some very interesting interviews that the film goes over in great detail, the editing combined with the film’s style is truly fantastic. It completely matches David Bowie’s style and what made him so recognizable what’s even better is despite simply showing archival footage the documentary still has a large goal, which is to give compelling insight in Bowie’s career what he thought of certain times of his career, and his path as an artist. David Bowie was a major influence to several people and film is very aware of that, Bowie share’s his experiences through his career as well as his goals. The music is fantastic as always reminding us of Bowie’s talent which really dives head first into entertaining the viewer, Brett Morgan does a fantastic job creating a journal like film for David Bowie. It’s one of those documentaries where it’s a lot more personal, like David Bowie’s narration at times feels like he’s having a direct conversation with you. It’s truly a beautiful showcase of never before seen footage combined with excellent visuals both of which blend so well together to create a stunning portrait.

Moonage Daydream is available in theaters.

9/10 A

We Met In Virtual Reality is a surprisingly touching documentary about the VR Chat community.

Filmed entirely inside the world of VR, a look at the excitement and surprising intimacy of a burgeoning cultural movement, demonstrating the power of online connection in an isolated world.

I know very little about the VR Chat program itself, I know that it exists and has a decent amount of people within the community but that’s really it. However We Met in Virtual Reality really teaches you quite a lot about the community itself, it’s actually surprising how much this documentary covers, the footage is entirely the VR program which is pretty impressive and has it’s own charm to it. Jenny who is one of the people interviewed in the documentary teaches ASL to a class full of students some of which are deaf and others who simply want to learn it. You have someone named DustBunny who teaches belly dancing as well, the film also follows the relationships of DustBunny and Toaster and ItsYourBoi and DragonHeart. The documentary was done during the COVID-19 pandemic so with a lot of bad in the world during the time it’s a very beautiful thing to see community where they can express who they are, interact with friends and even find love. And by watching the documentary start to completely understand how and why the VR Chat helped certain people in the community during the pandemic. There’s a lot of heart out into this documentary and really shows how a community bonds incredibly well through very tough times! Finally there’s a few genuinely touching scenes that are absolutely beautiful here make sure to go watch this one.

We Met In Virtual Reality is available on HBO Max!

9/10 A

Halftime is a decent documentary but leaves the viewer wanting more.

Global superstar Jennifer Lopez reflects on her multifaceted career and the pressure of life in the spotlight.

It honestly pains me to give the rating I’m going to give Halftime, I’ve always been a fan of Jennifer Lopez even if a lot of her performances are misses. Her music has always been enjoyable and lately her performances (Hustlers and Marry Me) have been quite great. I will say that a lot of articles are flat out lying about what this documentary is about, it’s not some “Jennifer Lopez attacks Shakira because of the Halftime show” situation that articles would have you believe. In fact Lopez herself does not blame Shakira at all, most of the documentary is about the NFL and the 92nd Academy Awards aka the Oscars. Anyone who remembers the huge discourse about The Oscars that year would tell you how badly the Oscars dropped the ball with some of the nominations, so many people got snubbed for ridiculous reasons Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers) and Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems) being the main two. It was nice that Jennifer Lopez told how she felt about the situation and the message of wanting to be taken seriously as an artist only for people to flat out laugh at you definitely sticks with you plus can feel quite relatable. The main problem is this documentary is it feels like it’s trying to say something much more before ending abruptly, it also doesn’t help that it doesn’t fully connect the viewer to Jennifer Lopez. Some of the last few celebrity documentaries such as the Billie Eilish one and The Blackpink one were successful because they connected the viewer with Billie or Blackpink, it felt like we got to know them more as people and saw their day to day life. You don’t get that same freedom in Halftime, it feels much more closer which is unfortunate. The only people who are going to instantly connect are fans of Jennifer Lopez, which is fine but it’s such a shame to try and included a bigger audience. Overall Halftime isn’t a bad documentary and as I said before it’s nice Jennifer Lopez told her story and how she felt. It’s just a documentary that needed a lot more power to it and deserved a lot better.

Halftime is available on Netflix!

6/10 C+

Cow is a disturbing yet important film about the daily life of a Cow.

Chronicling the daily life of a dairy cow in an attempt to move humans closer to them. Hoping to see both their beauty and the challenge of their lives. Hoping to understand one dairy cow’s reality and acknowledging her great service.

Cow is one of those films where it’s sort of hard to describe, the plot summary is exactly what it is the daily life of a dairy cow, the first scene even starting with the birth of the cow the film follows which is named Luma. Throughout the film we follow Luma and director Andrea Arnold who’s on a mission to humanize Luma and get the audience to feel for the other cows as well. Arnold succeeds in ways that feel much more organic than what other movies would, she uses camera angels, a ton of moments with no dialogue and it’s just the cows. If you know anything that eventually happens to cows that is hinted at and shown in the film and the empty atmosphere makes it all the more horrifying to watch. Milk being forcibly out by machinery is shown, tattooing and drilling through the skin are shown. Arnold show’s how cows are treated from birth all the way till the end, by the near end cows like Luma are emotionally drained it’s absolutely heartbreaking to watch. Arnold doesn’t really give a answer to the film of “what can be done?” However the film does end with a hopeful light despite the scenery being very haunting. Overall Cow is a very strong film that definitely get’s the message across, it’s definitely a disturbing but very meaningful film that will stick with you.

Cow is available on all VOD Platforms.

8/10 B+

Olivia Rodrigo: Driving Home 2 U (A Sour Film) is a entertaining and well crafted film on Olivia Rodrigo’s music!

Singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo takes a familiar road trip from Salt Lake City, where she began writing her debut album ‘SOUR’, to Los Angeles. Along the way, Rodrigo recounts the memories of writing and creating her record-breaking debut album.

Watching Olivia Rodrigo’s career quickly skyrocket and transform has only been and will still continue to be a beautiful site. There isn’t a whole lot to be said here as it is another one of those films where it plays out like a concert film, however what makes Driving home 2 u so successful is Rodrigo’s personality, the journey that’s being taken place in the film and how it’s honestly just beautifully made. It feels like a personal film from Olivia Rodrigo, she gives her opinions on each of her songs and what she liked or disliked about them. Plus giving some more context of each of the songs which is always nice, the songs are well done and the filming is quite beautiful as well particularly Brutal which was only thought of in one day but went on to be a huge favorite from audiences and fans (myself included). Lastly what really helps with this film is Olivia Rodrigo herself, she comes off as a genuine person which the same can’t be said for a lot of other celebrities, in this case it feels like you are actually learning a bit more about her which is truly a breath of fresh air. If you are a fan of Olivia Rodrigo this is definitely something worth watching and if you are someone who wants a great introduction to her this is honestly the best way to start.

Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u (A Sour Film) is available on Disney+

9/10 A

SXSW Review: Tony Hawk Until The Wheels Fall Off (2022)

Follows famous skater Tony Hawk’s personal life, career and relationship with skateboarding, including never-before-seen footage and unprecedented access to Hawk, along with interviews with figures from the skateboarding world.

Honestly there isn’t a lot here to be said despite the documentary being 2 hours and 15 minutes, what we have here is a deep dive into Tony Hawk’s career and him as a person. The documentary surprisingly goes in great depth and has this element in it about moving on as you get older. Tony Hawk is a skateboarding icon heck a sports icon at this point, yet we still learn so much more about him from this documentary it feels very personal and really grabs the attention of the viewer quite well. There’s so much detail in this documentary to the point where it’s quite fascinating and while yes some of the information is common knowledge it’s still beautiful to hear Tony Hawk talk about his career, the only main flaw with the documentary is the running time as I said earlier it’s 2 hours and 15 minutes. Which I do feel like 10-13 minutes could have easily been trimmed because it does feel like the documentary crams a little too much information at once at times. However everything else about this documentary is incredibly solid and quite interesting, even if you aren’t a fan of Tony Hawk or skateboarding I do highly recommend checking this out!

Tony Hawk: Until The Wheels Fall Off will release April 5th on HBO and HBO Max!

8/10 B+

SXSW Review: Under The Influence (2022)

When Casey Neistat first sat down to interview YouTube sensation, David Dobrik, neither of them knew they were about to capture one of the most precipitous rise and falls in the history of the internet… in real-time. David, protected by the belief that he’s just a kid with a camera, has constantly assumed risks. Even as a story of a sexual assault breaks, he’s busy covering up a near-lethal accident caught on film, intended to be entertainment. In the real world, these kinds of actions have life-changing consequences, but in the gold rush ecosystem of Social Media influence, the audience decides who succeeds, and who gets banished forever.

I heard about a David Dobrik documentary being made but I assumed that it was going to be slapped on to YouTube and that would be the end of it. So I was surprised to see it at SXSW and decided to watch it out of pure curiosity, this is pretty much the story of David Dobrik and the controversies that happened particularly what happened to Jeff Wittek and the situation involving Durte Dom. If you were going into the documentary hoping for new information you aren’t going to get any here, if you know everything that happened nothing in this documentary is going to be new maybe except a few reactions from a few people. The most interesting thing about this documentary is how the public who has no idea about this situation is going to react, will the discussion of why Dobrik walked away with his career still intact be discussed again? Will this lead to more people speaking up and coming forward? As far as filmmaking goes it’s fine, there’s really nothing noteworthy about it outside of a few shots that are pretty neat. I do think there’s a conversation to be had about how your own platform can turn you into a completely different person in a negative way, which is definitely the strongest part about the documentary. But everything else is either common knowledge or nothing very interesting, overall Under The Influence is a documentary that will be good for people who have no idea about David Dobrik not so much for people who are well knowledgeable about the subject.

Under The Influence currently has no release date.

4/10 D+