Coming Home

Sooner or later, every filmmaker makes a documentary about their mother.

Joel does it in the most Joel way possible: a documentary about his mom that feels like a fake documentary about himself, which repeatedly flirts with becoming something else-something bigger, something more crafted-only to ultimately prove that nothing is more compelling than a filmmaker sincerely portraying a person they love.

Documentaries are always, in some way, an act of love. Always. And when a filmmaker tells the story of their mother, if they're honest about what they do and who she is-if they're truly sincere and skilled-then a grainy, desaturated, MiniDV close-up can become cinema.

And really, that's true for all of Haver's films. He's a filmmaker who, by stripping away everything-lights, sets, scripts-reveals the essence of authorship. And at his core, he's an artist who speaks about love.

Real love doesn't need embellishments. And he doesn't rely on gimmicks, or trendy "purity pledges" like Dogme 95. No. Haver removes the unnecessary so that, with his own means and sensibility, he can do what every great filmmaker should: to speak about something they love.

In this instance: love.

Calling this a documentary is misleading. This is just a home movie about Joel's mom moving and Joel singing her some songs.

Joel deserves some leeway since this was the twelfth film in his successful effort to direct twelve feature films in a calendar year, but this pushes the boundaries of what qualifies as a "documentary." I shot a video of when my debate team went to nationals in Indianapolis. If I find the old VHS tape and upload it to YouTube, can I list it on IMDB as a travel documentary?

Joel has loyal fans, and I consider myself one of them, but giving this more than four stars is a sign that you need to step back and reassess your parasocial relationship with your favorite YouTuber.

Hey, this one was actually pretty nice!

I started this year with some disagreements about Joel's philosophy, and I watched all 12 of these to challenge my own views on things, so here are my big takeaways from the year:

1. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Sure it's an impressive amount of work but like, I could easily make and publish 12 movies in a single day. But if I did that and put them out into the world fully believing that they deserved consumption, I think that would make me a bit of a jerk. 12 months is not a single day, but maybe it begs the question of what the statute of limitations is for putting out 12 films without being a tad mite self-indulgent. I think we've found 2 answers to what it's not. HOWEVER....

2. There is inherent value in the act of creation: Joel clearly loves filmmaking and he finds it therapeutic. While I'm sure this year was stressful (and I'm sure people like me added to that stress) I'm sure it was also very fulfilling. It should have been. Good for Joel. BUT...

3. A creation doesn't have inherent value simply because it was created: I'm sorry but this is just the reality. It's on this front that I've been pretty critical this year. Joel has held his own work to be equal to or better than other current productions, and I'm sorry but they just aren't. This is in large part BECAUSE...

4. Time, care, and intention (surprise surprise) make for higher quality art: Yes, there is a lot (a LOT) of corporate focus-tested schlock coming out today. Budgets and long production times do not a good film make. You can absolutely make a masterpiece on no budget. But the whole "cheap, fast good: pick 3" thing? I've really just seen no evidence of that this year. But SURE...

5. There are exceptions: Look at Nirvana the Band the Web Series. That is a perfect show made quickly for nothing. But, like, even Matt Johnson started working through traditional channels when given the opportunity: like with Nirvana the Band the Show. Sure he kept a paired back production and the mumblecore aesthetics, but at that point it was because that's what was right for the show, not because of some internal philosophy about the right way to do something. SO...

6. You can't have your cake and eat it too: I don't say this to be smug but it's inevitable that, when you make something your career, many parts of it will become less fulfilling. It can absolutely be fulfilling but it's gonna be more of a mixed bag than with a hobby or a passion. I suspect this is what Joel has experienced with his shorts. If Joel ever gets past his phase of needing to do things in the most therapeutic way possible, then I'm sure he has a film or two in him with value for the consumer, rather than just the filmmaker. Part of that will have to come from his philosophy THAT...

7. The best subject for a film is your own life: ...what? No. No no no. Absolutely not. Yes, there has to be some internal honesty, you have to speak to a truth you know and understand. But, like... no. I acknowledge that I've left some room for doubt or rebuttal on this point, but I'm not too worried about it AS (and this is an important one)...

8. Haver stans don't count: Joel could literally post a 2-hour video of a wall and some of y'all would praise its genius. We need to be honest that the audience for these films is (by a LARGE majority) people who are predisposed to eat absolutely anything out of Joel's hand. Don't @ me if you haven't rated a single one of these below a 4, there's not a director in the world that doesn't have a miss out of 12. And, LASTLY...

9. Documentary!: I was surprised that it took until film 10 for us to get a documentary. Everything I dislike about Joel's films works wonderfully in the documentary format! The improvisational preference, the lighting, the run and gun quick productions, the intense heavy-handed focus on the subject, the lack of a coherent script. I even think that my issues with the acting come from the fact that Joel is attracted to charismatic, quirky, interesting individuals who, when acting "naturally" for them, don't quite read as real people on screen, despite the fact that they are actually like this. Joel himself is a prime example of that. Oh oh oh wait I lied before because that last sentence reminded me of one more thing I have to say and I can't be expected to go back and editorialize my own comment to eliminate inconsistencies. So, FOR REAL THIS TIME...

10. Trent and Dax can do no wrong: That is all

TLDR: I dunno man, a bunch of words. Too many in fact. Just, like, don't bother. There's not really anything of value in there anyway I'm just some guy on the internet.