No is a Chilean film about the 1988 ad campaign to vote Pinochet out of power. It either shot on a camcorder from the 80's or digitally shot and filtered in that style. It creates a documentary type feel and adds ambiance but the lack of picture definition throughout the movie was periodically distracting. It's not a film that needs to be seen in the theater. A lot of the film is understated, a lot of things are left unsaid, there is a lot of subtext that we can read any number of things into. It explores the vital role advertising plays in politics and the strength of what a group of people with good ideas can do against a system that is seemingly insurmountable.
The film is a spotlight on a particular time in a particular country which people in the US probably don't know much about. It's engaging but doesn't evoke the desire for repeated viewing.
Rent It.
A Place At The Table is a documentary about hunger and obesity in America. The subject matter of the documentary is no doubt important but the film unfolds in a very standard way. One shot expert testimony cut together with personal stories. It's almost as if the filmmakers saw a bunch of documentaries and decided to make their own without having any previous film experience. Very cookie-cutter. The film is manipulative in the extreme(albeit for a good cause) and has total tunnel vision in regards to it's subject. It feels like such a blatant tug on the old heart strings it gives the sense that something is off.
The one piece of information I found enlightening was the fact that childhood obesity and hunger go hand in hand. Food with the most calories(chips, ramen, chef boyardee etc.) can be purchased at little cost, where as fresh fruits and vegetables are comparatively expensive. But one interesting fact does not a movie make.
The statement the film makes could be covered in a 500 word article.
Don't See It.
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