Wednesday, February 05, 2014

Salinger (2013) - Documentary



One of the best documentaries that I have seen in past couple of years for sure which as per me very well qualifies to be called as a perfect “Biography” too and as I read more about it on its wiki page – they intended to make a movie with Daniel Day Lewis in lead initially. Even otherwise – this isn’t any less than a thriller of sorts, with full on suspense and drama too. Life of acclaimed / reclusive writer JD Salinger – unfortunately I am ashamed to confess that I never heard of that name before today and now I am all inclined to first get that amazing book “The Catcher in the Rye” ASAP and read it back to back, after such a delightful insight on the writer as well as the back – I am sure no one will be able to resist it and the books sale is going to soar after this. If this one doesn’t get an Academy Award for what it contains – I will be totally shocked. The film features interviews with 150 subjects including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, John Cusack, Danny DeVito (whose interviews were cut from the film's official release), John Guare, Martin Sheen, David Milch, Robert Towne, Tom Wolfe, E. L. Doctorow, and Pulitzer Prize winners A. Scott Berg, Elizabeth Frank and the late Gore Vidal. The parts of it were told by his wife, daughter, friends, neighbors and a couple of other people who almost went that close to have a glimpse of the man himself. The documentary is almost a little over two hours long but the pace and the footage – something that’s never seen before and the company that he kept all his serving years in the army is something totally amazing. I am sure I have never rated a documentary that high but this one deserves a 4.5/5 and will be a collector’s delight. I am definitely keeping a copy for future viewing of course after I read the book as well as the movie that’s slated to be made in next couple of years. A must watch for all thriller / drama / suspense lovers. I am sure this will certainly send you searching the book online like it did to me.

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