Aaron's Thoughts
I rarely (if ever) have this reaction to a movie, but this made me angry, like really really angry.
It’s rare to get the opportunity to sit down and watch a documentary about someone as important as Jerry West. He is such a one of one that he almost lived three separate lives (playing days, coaching days, GM days) over the course of his life.
So it’s appalling that the guy who gets tapped with the honor of making a documentary about West may be the most self centered filmmaker I’ve ever encountered (Rachel Fleit is up there as well).
This guy literally opens the documentary with him on camera writing a letter and explaining how he is a first time documentary maker (trust me we could tell) and how he didn’t know if he was the right person to tell this story. And that is just the tip of the iceberg with how much he inserts himself into the film. I kid you not, when he is interviewing his subjects, he literally has a second camera pointed back at him. AND HE CUTS TO IT LIKE 15 TIMES THROUGHOUT THE FILM.
I’m sorry? Is your name being on the film not enough? Is us hearing you asking the questions not enough? Are you that desperate for attention that you have to hijack a movie meant to celebrate one of the greatest basketball icons to ever live?
All of that is bad enough, but layered on top of this is the pretty important fact that it’s just a poorly made documentary. The bizarre music choices, the maximalist approach that is taken to feel every frame to the brim with AI looking graphics, and the questions being asked of the subjects are all head scratching. It feels like the kind of thing you would get back if you asked a group of sixth graders to make a documentary.
Jerry West deserved so much better than this garbage.
Oh and if you are curious what project this moron has lined up next, just buckle up! He is set to write and direct a remake of Its a Wonderful Life 🤣
