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Cinemania review
:. Director: Angela Christlieb & Stephen Kijak
:. Genre: Documentary
:. Running Time: 1:0
:. Year: 200
:. Country: USA
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Anyone who's held on to some movie ticket stubs or secretly plots to kill the person who takes 3 minutes to unwrap a candy bar during a crucial moment in a film will relate to this brilliant documentary film about the psychological compulsions of 5 obsessive cinephiles in New York City.
These five extreme film buffs prize movie going more than any other experience in their lives and rush via subways to see an average of five films per day. They've screened thousands of films in their lifetime and plot their day around that magical time when the lights go out. Work, family and any other interests are secondary. So are sex and food. They have no interest in working in the film industry nor do they write reviews. They simply go to the movies.
The filmmakers follow them around as they travel from theater to theater in the city. We see them at home, in cramped spaces surrounded by vast collections of videos, books, records, movie programs, and plastic cups from fast food restaurants promoting the latest summer blockbuster. While they see each other regularly they don't necessarily socialize in the classic sense of the word, though some of them have an interesting rapport.
Everybody knows this group, from ticket takers to programmers. One has the phone number of all the projectionists in New York and will call to complain if there's any problem with the print. Another will quickly point out problems to the programmer if the running time is even a few minutes over what is printed.
Roberta once attacked a ticket taker for ripping her ticket stub and was subsequently banned from the theater. Apart from his hatred of Disney, Jack won't eat vegetables because that would spell ruin for his the digestive schedule he has placed himself on in order to get to the movies on time. The writer and philosopher yearns to find a French cinephile with whom to share his life. Their quirks and nuances go on and on.
What particularly stands out is how directors Christlieb and Kijak treat their subjects with dignity and respect. We can all agree that the movies provide an escape from reality, if only for a few hours. With these five you get the feeling that this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of their problems and how difficult life must be when not at the movies, but the filmmakers don't delve in and exploit them. The focus remains on their love of the movies and how it's a part of their lives. We laugh, but they poke fun at themselves too.
Watching the Cinemania 5 watch a rough-cut of themselves on screen is a great way to end the movie. They are now the stars they've watched onscreen for so long. Pride, however, does not mean the filmmakers are immune to their critiques. Most share a profound hatred of video and the comment is made that this film is more about content than style. It is. But it looks good too.
Anji Milanovic
 Documentary Reviews: 1998 - 2011
Documentary Reviews: 2012 - present
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