Koch

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch died at age 88 on February 1, 2013, the same day that Neil Barsky's documentary about his life and legacy opened in Manhattan. Almost two years in the making, Koch nicely captures Koch's refreshingly acerbic candor, beginning with his account of once flying into New York, and looking down and thinking “All this is mine!” Born in the Bronx, Ed Koch began his controversial political life as a reformist Democratic congressman from Greenwich Village before going on to serve for three terms (1978-1989) as New York City's 105th Mayor. At the time of his initial election, the Big Apple was rotting. Traveling to Washington, D.C., in an effort to head off the city's bankruptcy, Koch instituted draconian budget cuts, even closing Harlem's Sydenham Hospital (which he admits was a mistake), a move that earned him the ire of the black community. Koch also had run-ins with the gay community, which accused him of exacerbating the AIDS crisis. Since he never married, many believe that Koch was a closeted homosexual (when asked about his sexual orientation, Koch snaps, “It's none of your fucking business!”). According to Barsky, the price that Koch paid for being in the public eye was not having a lifelong companion. A former Wall Street Journal reporter, Barsky shot extensive interview footage of Koch puttering around his small apartment, appearing at political functions, attending TV gigs, and just walking around the city, asking everyone in his characteristically whiny voice: “How'm I doing?” This engaging portrait serves as a fine celebratory eulogy for this outspoken, yet also polarizing, political legend. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include an interview with director Neil Barsky conducted by filmmaker Ondi Timoner for BYOD: Bring Your Own Doc (36 min.), Barsky's new short “Witnesses NYC” featuring 1980s archival footage and interviews with New Yorkers (29 min.), an Ed Koch Q&A at the New York Jewish Film Festival (18 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fine biographical doc.] (S. Granger)