Friday, July 15, 2005
Murderball is pretty darn good
My boss is reading a novel, right now. No, really. Things are just that slow today. I've done nothing productive today. No, really. Not a thing. Well, maybe one thing. But that's it.
Anyway, point is that you should go check out the new documentary Murderball when you have the chance. Wheelchair-bound rugby players and the lives they lead. Tantalizing, no? It's quite an experience. The filmmakers should be comended for not falling into that tempting trap of emotional manipulation. Given the subject matter, it would've been cheap and incredibly easy to just tug on the viewers heart strings for 90 minutes without really delving into any sort of character. But Murderball, thankfully, takes the high road. You're still going to get the sob stories of how these guys found their way to the wheelchair, of course. It's necessary. But their lives and the sanctuary of playing quad rugby boost the human stories to a whole new level. Pretty dynamic characters to focus on, too. Joe Soares is a total asshole, but shown in very human way. Mark Zupan is a total badass. The stuff between him and his high school buddy responsible for the life-altering car accident is incredibly compelling. The post-game footage in Athens is genuinely heart-breaking. You've invested so much into these guys, that you're crest-fallen whenever they stumble. Really great material. Again, it's definitely not a sob story at all. There are plenty of funny moments. I highly recommend this one to anyone who has the chance to see it.
Oh, and I'm totally in love with Zupan's girlfriend. I probably shouldn't write that because there's the odd chance that he tracks me down and kicks my ass. But man, she is the girl next door dream.
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Anyway, point is that you should go check out the new documentary Murderball when you have the chance. Wheelchair-bound rugby players and the lives they lead. Tantalizing, no? It's quite an experience. The filmmakers should be comended for not falling into that tempting trap of emotional manipulation. Given the subject matter, it would've been cheap and incredibly easy to just tug on the viewers heart strings for 90 minutes without really delving into any sort of character. But Murderball, thankfully, takes the high road. You're still going to get the sob stories of how these guys found their way to the wheelchair, of course. It's necessary. But their lives and the sanctuary of playing quad rugby boost the human stories to a whole new level. Pretty dynamic characters to focus on, too. Joe Soares is a total asshole, but shown in very human way. Mark Zupan is a total badass. The stuff between him and his high school buddy responsible for the life-altering car accident is incredibly compelling. The post-game footage in Athens is genuinely heart-breaking. You've invested so much into these guys, that you're crest-fallen whenever they stumble. Really great material. Again, it's definitely not a sob story at all. There are plenty of funny moments. I highly recommend this one to anyone who has the chance to see it.
Oh, and I'm totally in love with Zupan's girlfriend. I probably shouldn't write that because there's the odd chance that he tracks me down and kicks my ass. But man, she is the girl next door dream.
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