...and probably not the majority of IMDb denizens, "Confessions of a Superhero" is nonetheless remarkably entertaining for what it is: a peek into the lives of four earnest souls struggling to find their place in the grand scheme of things. The hook? They're all glorified panhandlers on Hollywood Boulevard, earning a living (and apparently viable ones) by dressing up as various well-known comic book characters and soliciting tips for posing with starry-eyed tourists with cameras. Only in America, Constant Reader, and only in Hollywood...
The film's quartet of subjects--an impulsive, naive homecoming queen from a backwater Tennessee town ("Wonder Woman"), an earnest young black man scraping his way out from the bottom of society's barrel ("The Incredible Hulk"), a self-absorbed borderline sociopath with anger management issues ("Batman"), and an equally narcissistic but utterly harmless obsessive ("Superman")--serve to illustrate documentarian Matthew Ogens' non-judgmental look at some of the seamier aspects of the uniquely American cult of personality and the attendant pursuit of that ever-elusive Warholian fifteen minutes of fame. Each are endearing in their own way, with the possible exception of "Batman," and even he provides an opportunity for empathy and understanding, thanks to Ogens' reasonably evenhanded impartiality. All of them are people who will remind the viewer of "characters" they know in his or her own life.
This is not a "great" documentary by any means, but it's still more than watchable (read: entertaining), and offers up no small slice of insight into the human condition. We're all deeply flawed creatures, and by and large all yearn to transcend our imperfections. Some succeed, and many fail, and none of us ought feel superior to others for having tried and fallen short. I finished this film wishing all of its participants well, even "Batman." As the saying goes, there but for the grace of God go I.
Definitely worth a watch, though not really a keeper, "Confessions of a Superhero" reminds all of us that feet of clay cannot truly prevent any of us from aspiring to soar among the clouds.
The film's quartet of subjects--an impulsive, naive homecoming queen from a backwater Tennessee town ("Wonder Woman"), an earnest young black man scraping his way out from the bottom of society's barrel ("The Incredible Hulk"), a self-absorbed borderline sociopath with anger management issues ("Batman"), and an equally narcissistic but utterly harmless obsessive ("Superman")--serve to illustrate documentarian Matthew Ogens' non-judgmental look at some of the seamier aspects of the uniquely American cult of personality and the attendant pursuit of that ever-elusive Warholian fifteen minutes of fame. Each are endearing in their own way, with the possible exception of "Batman," and even he provides an opportunity for empathy and understanding, thanks to Ogens' reasonably evenhanded impartiality. All of them are people who will remind the viewer of "characters" they know in his or her own life.
This is not a "great" documentary by any means, but it's still more than watchable (read: entertaining), and offers up no small slice of insight into the human condition. We're all deeply flawed creatures, and by and large all yearn to transcend our imperfections. Some succeed, and many fail, and none of us ought feel superior to others for having tried and fallen short. I finished this film wishing all of its participants well, even "Batman." As the saying goes, there but for the grace of God go I.
Definitely worth a watch, though not really a keeper, "Confessions of a Superhero" reminds all of us that feet of clay cannot truly prevent any of us from aspiring to soar among the clouds.