The Amazing Johnathan Documentary

Not a fan of when documentarians turn the camera on themselves and that happened about 30 minutes in. Started off strong, but it just slowly fizzles out over the last hour.

There was a great story to be told here, but unfortunately this doc missed the mark.

Spoiler Alert: This is not a documentary about the Amazing Jonathan, this is a movie about a film maker's attempt to make a documentary about the Amazing Johnathan. People are giving this movie low reviews because it feels like a bait and switch when halfway through the film the focus changes from what we assume are the Amazing Jonathan last days to the director's Ben Berman's plight as a documentary maker. If you go into the film with the understanding that this is not a film about the Amazing Jonathan, you will enjoy the film much much more. The producers would have done a much better job if they had just named it Not The Amazing Johnathan Documentary.

So I watched that Hulu amazing Johnathan documentary and I can see why people hate it but I actually think it was decent. TBH it should have a different name. That's probably what threw some people off. It shouldn't be called "the amazing Johnathan documentary" because it doesn't have much to do about his life it more so has to do with this director trying to make a documentary but being blocked by other documentary crews and even Johnathan himself. So I would've called it something like "trying to make an amazing Johnathan documentary". So if you want to watch a movie about the amazing Johnathan then maybe skip this movie since he's not really in it that much but if you want to watch a movie about a film maker struggling to find out what's going on and if he is being screw or not then this movie is solid.

Though this documentary sets out to be the story of "the amazing Johnathan", it's a better story about when the subject of the documentary gives you lemons, make lemonade! The subject of the documentary, though interesting, was less interesting to me than Ben Berman who made this documentary. A lot was occurring in relation to making this, and we feel the struggles that Berman goes through after learning he wasn't the first or even second person making this. Then the question remains on who knew what and, really, who was being hoodwinked about many things. I give a ton of credit to Berman on the process (and many struggles) in seeing his way to making this, and his VERY clever approach to making this documentary! This is NOT your "average documentary". Way to go, Ben, with your amazing ability on story telling (and telling the story ABOUT telling a story!!)

Tantamount to walking into the 'Hall of Mirrors' the local {annual} state fair, usually held early fall, in virtually every hometown-city USA, and then, w great expectation & abject certainty, spending the next 15-20 minutes, in search of a common-denominator, (before that inevitable carnival-barker appears & shouts.... This Way Folks......This way to The Exit!

Admittedly, although there were a number of jumping off spots, littered throughout this film & met w the temptation to act accordingly... There exists (in all candor), an intrinsic & worthwhile redeeming value, for those that, make the approx., 90-minute time-investment {e.g. Leaving w a deeper understanding & compassion, for experiencing & connecting w humanity}. ...No Foolin'.