In its quiet, unobtrusive way, Andrew Jarecki's documentary is one of the most frightening films ever made. Originally setting out to make a picture about New York City's birthday clowns, Jarecki met David Friedman, the acknowledged “dean” of the profession, and learned that he was the eldest son of Arnold Friedman, a Great Neck computer teacher (and confessed pedophile) who'd been charged for possession of child pornography in 1988 and later pleaded guilty to multiple counts of molesting his young pupils. As if the case against Arnold weren't already dubious enough, David's younger brother Jesse was also implicated, and eventually jailed. Covering the Friedmans' ordeal through contemporary interviews, archival news footage, and various print sources, the film's extraordinary power comes from an incredibly revealing trove of home movie footage shot by the Friedmans themselves, material that gives the story remarkable immediacy and visceral punch: we watch, as mute witnesses, while the family literally falls apart before our eyes. Ultimately, Capturing the Friedmans not only reminds us of how slippery the truth is, but like the best works of art forces us to think about our own perceptions and values. A profoundly disturbing and brilliant film, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: DVD extras on this double-disc set include audio commentary by director/producer Andrew Jarecki and editor/producer Richard Hankin, and featurettes broken down into several categories. “The Discussion” featurettes include “An Altercation at the New York Premiere” (9 min.), “The Judge Speaks Out at the Great Neck Premiere” (6 min.), six “Answers to Frequently Asked Questions” segments, and the 19-minute “Charlie Rose Interviews director Andrew Jarecki.” “The Case” featurettes include “The Investigation” (8 min.), “Additional Suspects” (7 min.), “Great Neck Outraged” (4 min.), and “A Principal Witness for the Prosecution” (3 min.). The “Family” featurettes include “Anatomy of a Pedophile,” “Arnold's Last Letter from Prison,” “The Newlyweds,” and “Jesse's First Days Out of Prison.” In addition, there are three “Unseen Home Movies,” the 18-minute short “Just a Clown” (the basis for Capturing the Friedmans), a seven-section audio scrapbook with pictures, the seven-minute featurette “Recording the Score in Rome with Composer Andrea Morricone,” and DVD-ROM features. Bottom line: an excellent extras package for a superb documentary.] (F. Swietek)
Capturing the Friedmans
HBO, 107 min., not rated, DVD: $29.98, Jan. 27 Volume 19, Issue 1
Capturing the Friedmans
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