marychain

This film had me absorbed within minutes, the way the director introduces the premise while not giving too much away creates suspense and mystery from the beginning which is carried until the end. Sarah Rich's performance is extremely strong, showing both the turmoil and fear this girl is going through, as well as believable teenage behavior when she is with her friends. Marc Menchaca's performance as the main suspect is also very strong, and the film is beautifully shot with a tense, minimal score. Great work overall from director Sarah Pirozek, I look forward to seeing what she does next!

While this documentary is a much-needed portrait of a very interesting artist and individual, it is the archival footage and clips from Jack Smith's own films which make the film valuable. The film itself is somewhat clumsily structured, and the modern-day interviews look like they were shot by a monkey (constant zooming in and out, jerky movement as the camera is moved from side to side on a tripod, unattractive low angles, etc). I would have liked more details on Jack Smith's personal life, and on his youth. Above all, I left the movie theater feeling like I knew more about Jack Smith's films and how the world reacted (or didn't react) to them, but not much more about the man himself. The doc has sound clips of what is presumably Jack Smith speaking running throughout, but it is never made clear where these sound clips come from (were they part of an interview, when was the interview conducted, etc). Still, the film is worth a look for anyone who is a fan of Jack Smith's work and what it stood for.