User reviews

As I anticipate my coming milestone birthday, the big seven-oh, I for some weird reason decided to watch Some Kind of Heaven. I guess I am curious about how different people handle the challenge of ageing gracefully. Well, now I kind of wish I hadn't watched it as it left me feeling pretty depressed.

But I think it's because of the way the film was done, i.e., the characters the writer and/or director chose to focus on. Two of the women just seemed so sad it was awful. A couple of the men, too, were struggling. I'm thinking now that the film's producers should have included a character or two who were actually happy, just for balance.

Interestingly, though, the people who seemed the most troubled - Reggie and Anne, and Dennis, had histories that preceded and led up to their current troubled states shown in the film. I guess one of the conclusions one can draw from the film is that you carry your problems with you, i.e., a change of venue doesn't solve the deeper issues.

Bottom line: it was very well done but I would have liked more information about each character as well as about the place itself. Also, I wish there had been at least one resident who was content.

If one were to head into Lance Oppenheim's feature documentary not knowing that what they were about to see is in fact very real, there's every chance that the unsuspecting viewer would wonder what type of fever dream they have managed to enter into.

A stunningly well-shot examination of life and times in a Disneyland like retirement community in Florida known simply as The Villages, the Darren Aronofsky and New York Times backed doco Some Type of Heaven is a unique and at times wonderous beast that lacks a true focus or narrative drive but offers us a chance to gain insight into what life in a "dreamlike" retirement community may look like.

Full of sun, Hawaiian shirts and more wrinkled and sun-withered skin than any human should dare lay witness too, Oppenheim and his crew follow the exploits and daily activities of a raft of Village residents that includes a lonely widow, an 80 plus year old playboy hellbent on discovering love (aka money) too finally enjoy and a long time married couple that find their marriage tested in the face of ailing mental health and of all things a drug carrying conviction, with Heaven showcasing that not all is fun and games in what appears to be retiree nirvana.

As we watch the films participants drink, dance, golf and go about their daily routines against the backdrop of the picturesque surrounds of their slice of paradise, there's no doubt that viewers at times will be envious of what joys these folk can now partake in on a regular occurrence but their is an underlying sense of foreboding and despair that also lays in wait in this American dreamland and it's here that Oppenheim and his film make their biggest marks on the viewer; not even Disneyworld for retirees is as perfect as it at times may seem.

One of the other huge pluses to this off-beat affair is the fact that Oppenheim and his D. O. P David Bolen capture some of the most starkly beautiful and captivating imagery that I can recall seeing in the past 12 - 18 months of cinema, with the Villages and its residents providing a raft of unforgettable images and moments that are at times magical and other times hauntingly honest in their depictions of dreams clashing with harsh realities.

It's a shame there wasn't more glue holding all of this magic together when it comes to what drives the film or where the tales destination is wanting to take us but despite all of this, its unlikely you've ever seen either a narrative or documentary film quite like this before.

Final Say -

Bizarre, wonderous and depressing all in equal measure, Some Kind of Heaven is a majestically shot documentary that shines a light on one of the most unique places in the world.

3 1/2 golf carts out of 5.

This documentary is very interesting. It has the best cinematography I've ever seen in a documentary and it covers quite a serious subject with respect.

This documentary follows four residents of The Villages, a massive retirement home in Florida - Anne and Reggie, a married couple; Barbara, a widow; and Dennis, a man who doesn't actually live at The Villages. Anne struggles with her marriage, due to Reggie's drug addiction and worsening mental health. Barbara's husband died four months before filming and she is nervous about dating again. Dennis lives in his van, and hangs around The Villages in hopes of finding a wealthy woman in his last few years.

Before this film, I had never heard of The Villages. I found the story of its residents fascinating. The Villages is often referred to as "The Disneyworld for Retirees," and when you hear that, you imagine a perfect place to spend the later part of your life. The problem with utopias is that they're basically impossible. And the goal of the film is to showcase that The Villages is not a perfect utopia. It follows the struggles of these four people and how they can't just escape their pain with tennis or acting classes. One thing I like about this film is that it doesn't come off as malicious. It's not trying to expose The Villages for being a place of fake happiness or mock the residents or anything like that. Instead I got the impression that the director wanted to tell a story about real people trying to cope with their problems and I can respect that.

The cinematography is one of the stand-out aspects of this film. Every shot looks staged, as if they were from a typical fiction movie. There's a surprising amount of close-ups for a documentary. It was to the point that I didn't actually believe I was watching a documentary at first. I'm very impressed with the cinematography - shout-out to David Bolen, the cinematographer.

There is a lot to learn from this film. Life is full of pain and struggles; and, as sad as it may sound, that's inescapable. It's impossible to always be happy, even in the utopic Disney World for Retirees.

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. It comes out January 15, 2021. Reviewed by Calista B., KIDS FIRST!

The stuff in this documentary feels faker than most non-documentaries, and I appreciate it being filmed like a scripted feature to further this feeling. It's not that you think the whole thing is staged, but rather that's how absurd the subject matter is. The movie is a horrifying and hilarious dreamscape. One that is way too possible to not be a nightmare. How is this real? How did these people get like this? And, most importantly, how do I avoid it like the plague? This documentary is funnier than the sitcom version of the same story would be, precisely because you know it isn't a sitcom. Life can and has become just a checklist for a lot of people. Though the subjects have their redemptive moments of vulnerability, I mostly walked away with viewing their stories as a cautionary tale. Life is short, but not at the villages.

I like to see situations where people who have contributed to society have a measure of comfort as they get older and that should apply across every form of employment. The old con-man living in the van deserves to end his days in his rusty old van - it would be interesting to read the path of destruction he left as he free-loaded through life!

Marriage is hard. For many people, being alone is hard. Hell, being human is hard, I don't care who you are. I was very pleased there was no talk of the politics of The Villages, but you will get the gist of the place. And if you're in the right mood to see real people caught up in the human condition , I think you'll enjoy. It stayed with me for a while.

Disguised as a documentary set in the The Villages, an idyllic, fast-growing retirement community in Florida, this is really more of an effective commentary on mental illness. The three characters are unable to truly enjoy the privileged resources surrounding them because they refuse to let go of their baggage, and the fourth one is merely a cheat and doesn't really belong here. The Villages has become very popular over the years because it offers a positive way to spend the last years of life - so many resources, so many activities, so many events, so many potential friends. Any thankful person with self-respect would want to take advantage of such things and engage in stimulating activities for their health and well-being as they ride off into the sunset. The ones who would squander all of this away haven't already learned in their late years that the key to happiness is letting go. But then again, not injecting some crisis and conflict into this staged documentary would make it really boring.

Some kind of heaven follows five different people living in the villages, the largest retirement village is the USA. The goal of the villages is to give the feeling of youth once again to the retired residents, many feel as if they do, but the few people we follow aren't really getting the intended experience.

It was fascinating to see how living in a place like the villages can affect your perception of what life is so much, most everyone living there has become detached from reality. And the thing is, that doesn't matter, all they need to know is the villages for the rest of their lives.

The presentation is interesting and unusual for a documentary, I'm all for it, but the methodical presentation clashed with the musical score, I'll get into that soon. Wide angles and slow zooms are frequently used, this gives you the choice of what to focus on. You could look at a group dancing on the street, a couple standing at the bar or somebody sunbathing. no matter what you choose to focus on you are observing these peoples day to day lives.

I absolutely loved the score, as music. But I don't think it was used appropriately. There's some great interesting jazz, fantastical strings and some more disorienting distorted strings, unfortunately I think there's a bit too much going on. When presenting something the way some kind of heaven is presented I feel like less striking music is a more effective choice as the main focus is the people we follow. Using such a unique score that more people are drawn to takes the focus off the focus of your film. It's not like the people in the film aren't interesting either, I would be just as engaged in the conversation and habits of these characters with no music at all. On the other hand though the score gives a personality the film wouldn't have otherwise, it has such a unique character that I've never seen or heard in a documentary before.

The cinematography is very good, the vibrant setting absolutely helps. I liked the slow zoom sequences a lot. DOP David Bolen was able to make wine look really sexy.

Some Kind of Heaven is a documentary that takes place in The Villages, a huge retirement community in central Florida. As a Floridian, I am very familiar with The Villages and its reputation as a geriatric "party central". Billboards all along I-75 advertise the good times and good life to be had there. So I was especially interested in how life at The Villages would be portrayed in this film. On the surface, it seems like it might actually be "some kind of heaven." There are dozens of golf courses, swimming pools, lovely little homes on well-maintained streets, shopping centers, banks - it's a community you never have to leave if you don't want to. Every day presents the opportunity to join in on social activity, take up a new hobby, or simply ride around in a customized golf cart. But we quickly get underneath the happy surface as the documentary focuses in on the lives of four residents for whom The Villages hasn't quite lived up to the dream.

Anne and Reggie have been married for 47 years, and looked forward to a happy retirement life. But Reggie got lost somewhere along the way, both to dementia and to the pursuit of drugs. It is up to Anne to try to bring him back, and help him out of a drug charge he finds himself facing. David is not actually a resident of The Villages, but lives in his motor home and is cruising around the community looking for a woman who will let him move in with her. He is running out of money and needs to find someone quickly. Barbara is a widow who moved to The Villages from Massachusetts with her husband, who died shortly afterwards. She is lonely, longing to move back home, but can't afford to relocate. She is the only one of the four who is still working, holding down a full-time job at the community rehab center.

Cinematographer David Bolen does an excellent job of portraying the dichotomy between the image of this community and the reality being experienced by some of its residents. We see sweeping views of beautiful sunsets, pristine golf courses, and large outdoor party areas filled with twinkling lights and seemingly happy retirees. Then the camera focuses on someone like Barbara, cautiously approaching the dance floor and dancing by herself. We see people talking and laughing in their homes, and then David trying to sleep on the cramped couch in his motor home. We switch back and forth between Reggie having a strange drug trip on the golf course and Anne back at home decorating their house for their wedding anniversary. The themes of longing and disillusionment become clearer with each new challenge encountered by our four main characters.

There is some welcome humor to the film as well. The dance classes, drama lessons, synchronized swimming sessions and similar forms of entertainment make us laugh. David's antics in finding a woman keep us chuckling at his audacity. But these moments also also make us wonder what really constitutes happiness. How many new activities do we need to feel good about ourselves and believe we are living the life we worked so hard for throughout our lives? Do these activities give us joy and fulfillment or just help us pass the time? Is there something else that makes life worth living? Director Lance Oppenheim does an admirable job of bringing those questions to the forefront as we consider the irony of unfulfilled desire in the midst of the "Disneyland of retirement". I walked away from the film with a sadness for the people who seemed to be just filling empty hours with no greater sense of purpose or meaning.

Oppenheim clearly made his point about his character's disconnect with the life they expected at The Villages. However, he could have could have taken this message even further. It would have been interesting to know how many other residents found this life less than satisfying, or to hear more from those for whom it had fulfilled all their dreams. Are there more people like these four residents, or are they just outliers? My sense is that their views are more common than the promoters of The Villages would like to admit. Finding out whether this was true would make this film an even more useful commentary on the aging population in our country.

Pretty interesting look into a FL retirement community. The trailer made it sound a bit crazier than it is (I was almost expecting a cult-like devotion and atmosphere). Some of it is actually sad because it features elderly people who have lost things in life or are contemplating mortality. All in all, it maintains a pretty light-hearted, fun tone though.

I don't recommend this film. I have no problems for a film to show depressing people lives in a retirement community but to provide no balance of inspirational or uplifting stories of other retirees is just plain dumb. I didn't enjoy watching it...I had to skip a few minutes here and there on screen because it was depressing. If the film had shown more or focus into the lives of the other retirees who were happy in their community then I probably would have enjoyed it. Give this film a miss and google The Villages if you want some info on this community.

I found the movie interesting, but found that there were aspects of interest left out. The right-wing politics that the communities are famous for were nowhere to be seen, surprising given that it was released in 2020.

Also, there were cameos of several people of color, but no mention of the fact that the demographic of the place is over 95% White, way out of scale with the US's diversity. I was left wondering if this is self-selection or something darker.

There was a bit of the history of The Villages, but that's another part I would have liked to see more fleshed out.

The cinematography was well-done, though, and we got to know several of the characters pretty well.

I found this documentary very NOT boring! I'm not sure why...maybe it was the realism of it. Real people...real feelings...real problems...everyone with their own unique personality, not just the "personality of an Old Person."

Seeing older people as just everyday people....and not necessarily "The Elderly" was somewhat eye-opening. All of the movies these days about this age group (usually written by younger people, I'm sure) make them see like they're so "different." This show proves they are not. They have hopes, dreams, problems, crushes, marriage difficulties...just like everyone else! And that's somehow refreshing...

The Villages as a whole, however, seem sort of odd. Somewhat....surreal. Not part of "real life," as one of the people even admitted. "It's like you're living in a bubble." I can compare it to how I felt after vacationing in Disney...that whole "bubble" feeling. Actually, it's not a bad feeling! Sort of reminds me of life on the ship in the movie "Wall-E" without all the technology. But just give it time.

The constant parties and dancing and group activity...I wonder, does everyone participate in all that, all the time? Maybe it would have been good if the show pointed out that some residents are not total "party animals" and just enjoy "doing their own thing." Honestly, watching this show, I was feeling that these older people are leading way more exciting lives than I am, I can tell you that much!

The "ready socialization" the community provides is nice...if you want it. Not that you would want it constantly. Although, maybe some people do. Anyway, I found the whole thing interesting. Why not make a documentary about older people? This society has the mistaken idea that only young people are interesting. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I would recommend this show ...especially to anyone who might be interested in moving to this place...although a few of the people the show focused on did seem a bit odd (and yea, one was a real loser).

I was really amazed by this film in terms of the characters, cinematography, music, editing, and overall production for a first feature premiere. Lance Oppenheim's vision and sensitivity to Reggie and Anne, Barbara, and Dennis was incredible, especially considering the director's age. The film is not one of those boring docs but rather presents issues that make the viewer, regardless of age, think (I am still thinking of the movie and it has been three days since I saw it!) of aging, self-fulfillment, love, and happiness. The film has a universal message of hope and understanding, and strikes an emotive chord. Rarely does a film make you laugh and yet feel a bit melancholy at the same time.

All said: I watched the film twice and LOVED it. Could see a potential series spin off of the film.

This is a MUST see and kudos to all involved!

A superb trio of stories set within a retirement oasis, each insanely engaging and representing a sobering reality of the American dream. Homeless bachelor Dennis is a gold-digging disaster; his segments are Kubrick-esque. Mild-mannered, recently-widowed Barbara's story is sweetly melancholy; her segments have a Vinterberg realism to them. My favorite is the couple, a sad and disturbing vision of marriage that plays like a Christopher Guest mockumentary that's more dramatic than funny.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this little gem. It feels like Errol Morris directed a Todd Solondz script. The fact that this is a 20 something year old's first feature is really exciting, as this guy has a whole career's worth of work ahead of him. Absurdity has never been so humane.

A weirdly-entrancing documentary about the lives of four residents within Florida's quasi-cultish retirement community The Villages, Some Kind of Heaven is endearing, passionate, and head-shakingly raw. This is a story about those twilighted individuals who do not want life to end, at least not in a whimper, and preferably not alone.

The Villages is often called the "Disneyland for Retirees." From synchronized swimming to pickleball, residents play golf, take acting classes, and exercise as cheerleaders. Life is good. If you can afford it. And if you buy into the package. Some Kind of Heaven focuses, however, on four residents living on the margins, striving to find happiness. Lance Oppenheim displays their dreams turned to woe with The Villages providing the background color. And there is woe to be had, self-inflicted or not.

As a documentary, the storytelling exists to showcase The Villages' uncomfortable reality; in showing the cracks in the walls; the holes in the characters' lives.

Oppenheim firmly sets out to show the lives of four individuals with The Villages playing that silent fifth man. As striking as the narrative is for the residents, the allure of this weird setting screams for more attention; a request that goes unheeded. This equates to the only unevenness of an otherwise stellar feature. The viewer certainly gains a sense of closure on the characters but the environment remains unsettled. Are The Villages truly a Flordian dream to aspire? Where perfect weather and non-stop activities provide a contextual Fountain of Youth? Or is this slice of heaven as flawed as its community where every moment is a mere distraction of the inevitable?

Perhaps yoga, and margaritas, and golf carts are resignations not paradise.

This documentary has been on my list for around 3 years, and I'm so glad I finally got down to watching it. I am only 20 years old, but this film really resonated with me. It was a mind-opening experience that plunged me further into my existential crisis, and which reaffirmed something that I had been in denial of- that nothing stays the same, and that I need to accept this as a fact and eventually embrace it. Though I did appreciate the beauty in this film, it did scare me, and I'm sure I'll be thinking about it and the concept of death further down the road- which is, of course, bittersweet, but a needed intervention.

From a safe distance, far north of The Villages, this is as close as I want to get.

It's kind of a joke... like moving north to Miami used to be. Get old, sell out, move to The Villages, shave a few points off the handicap, turn the crank, leave a widowed spouse, fade into the vast pool of roughly 100 billion humans that have ever lived most of whom died in well earned obscurity. Validate Camus and Kierkegard, even if you have no idea who they are.

At least it's orderly. Clean. Neat. And it's a damned faithful analogy to American society in general, a meaningless march via materialism into nothingness and despair.

But this isn't a comment about The Villages...it's about the movie, which I hated and still rated a 10. It does exactly what it intended to do, and very well. Left me to fill in the blanks and suss out the story fillers with my own biases, while painting pictures of the lightly enameled prettyness/pettiness of this place and this place/time for the puzzled twilight residents. To the degree it stimulates people to think beyond the raw mechanics of aging and into the generally dismal nature of the entire human condition of mortality and morbidity, towards a more considered valuation of our time and impact, it's a great public service.

Is life really about pickle ball? Margaritas? Elaines beyond measure? Golf carts? Pot and coke? Palm trees and uniformity and stability of streetscapes? Images of gated community presence rivaling the traffic directors of the empty streets of North Korea? "Old" painted on new buildings in place of history? Is that what all the stress of career and family comes down to? This movie megaphones a resounding "No" in spirit and a deafening "Yes" in reality. That's what the American Dream is.... We invented shallow. We elected trump. We glorify actors and preachers and worship money. We have the values of ignorant children amplified by tumorous wallets and teenager wisdom. We think gold plate is valuable. That diamonds really are forever. That all of our silly careers actually mean anything to this huge, impersonal, infinite universe.

Glad I watched this. Pretty much tells me that my assessment of Florida has been spot on, all these 7 decades. I'd rather be in hell with a backache than have eternal "life" in The Villages. Best $5 rental I have spent in years, though I had to avert my eyes or shut them sometimes and just listen to the dialogue... Nope. Not me. Rather be axe murdered than die on a golf course in The Villages. I didn't need much convincing, of course. Mar A Lago tells me everything I need to know about Florida, but this.... this is a fat period on a very conclusive paragraph.

Nothing much happens in this documentary, it's as if the people making it lost interest (as I did) in the first ten minutes and it just sort of ambles along with shots of mundane people doing mundane things. I didn't much care for any of the people in the film, being mostly self obsessed and one dimensional at least this was how they were portrayed.

I had no expectations going into this story about the Villages, FloRIDA. To start, the trailer sold it for me because the synopsis doesn't sound interesting.

The movie begins, and steers you into the sunny, happy and free expectations these people must be living. You'll soon find out it's vaulting you up for the terrific slide.

...same characters you've known your whole life, but you have to die with them. Some seriously depressing stories, but was beautifully done with the unique clips, bad music, and "The Villages" personalities. Truly well done movie making. . One of the best movies I've seen since the regular flow of movies died.. In these times, I've been waiting for a really good one, and this is it. There's not a rosy spin you can put on this--it lingers hard!