soontobewriter

I am grateful to Werner Herzog for convincing Errol Morris to become a filmmaker. "Vernon, Florida" is an intriguing look at the inhabitants of a small town with a beautiful setting in the southern United States. Like most of his films, if not all, Morris remains completely aloof, and instead allows his subjects to speak for themselves. One can easily mock the old, toothless men and the man who just loves "gobblers" (turkeys) but that would be too easy. There is something poignant about the way the people of this small town attempt to express their feelings, as if in many cases, they do not have the vocabulary to articulate their ideas. However, underlying their simple way of life is something that touches humanity. They love their lives and live them day to day without a care in the world. A friend of mine said that these guys are actually a lot smarter than we think because they know something better than probably anyone else around, even if it is cultivating worms. I think perhaps they know a lot more than we think about what it is to be human; they are earnest and humble. I watched this film three times and after each viewing I came to have a deeper appreciation for every one of them. Errol Morris is perhaps the best documentary filmmaker around today and this film was a little treat. A must see for all.

This film was a slight disappointment but I feel that one should not have high expectations for such a simple film. The filmmakers did a wonderful job in capturing the Emperor penguins in perhaps the harshest conditions on Earth. The penguins slip and slide out of the water, onto ice, and back again and the shots are quite stunning. However, the narration by Morgan Freeman is unnecessary and at times, annoying. This is, in some ways, a children's film, yet some of the scenes may be quite disturbing for younger viewers. If one wants to see a superior film about birds (including penguins), I would recommend "Winged Migration". In fact, "March of the Penguins" incorporates very similar shots, particular the gruesome scene where the albatross eats the baby penguins. For some reason, when some viewers may want to actually be informed, the narration is silenced. This film is very simple entertainment with some beautiful shots; but with a running time of approximately one hour and twenty minutes, I wouldn't run out tonight to rent it.