Change Your Image
olliemcdaid
Reviews
Lead Me Home (2021)
An empathetic portrayal, lacking scale.
Having watched this 2 years after it's release, I'm deeply saddened that the issues addressed in Lead Me Home have lacked the dramatic change required.
The documentary moves from poignancy to perturbation conveying a slow anxious feeling, which is remarkably lifelike. The experiences of the people involved are well-considered and become central to the flow. This documentary should be commended for its delicate touch & empathy in this regard.
It's greatest strength also holds it back, at times it fails to address issues directly. California experienced higher increase in homelessness than any other state in the 21st century. It even had a 31% rise from 2010-2020 whilst the national homelessness dropped by 18%. Any governmental characters in this film speak only in platitudes of change. A lack of overarching analysis holds this back from representing the true scale of the issues, particularly on the west coast.
Humanising the characters who bare the brunt of late stage capitalism is a necessary function, but a nuanced approach here could have reenforced rather than detracted.
Overall this documentary is worth watching for it's emotional sensibilities & empathic approach to homelessness. However, the issues of NIMBYism, abuse & scale weren't direct enough in this documentary. It's worth watching as a fly-on-the-wall documentary that opens a dialogue about the extremely difficult and horrifying conditions of homelessness.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a #@%! (2023)
Pseudoscientific anecdotal nonsense.
A drawn out monologue that fails to engage with anything philosophical, responding only to anecdotes.
It's odd that this philosophy only works with numerical identifiers of success. There is no sense of inner fulfilment, no enjoyment from the attempt of trying something new. You can only be good or bad at something.
It's both critical of late stage capitalism and completely complicit. Perhaps justifying flogging these books.
Mark Manson loves the use of binary, there is little to no room for nuance & balance. Promoting a circular philosophy that can only lead to self-pity & loathing.
I'd offer this binary: watch this or speak to someone outside a club at 3am.