by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
How do you make a documentary film that stands out? Generally, most documentaries feature interviews and archival footage, and that is the extent of it. But some filmmakers inject some interesting new ways to tell their story. There might be dramatization (which can either come off as cheesy, or elevate the drama) or animation (which shakes up the visual presentation of the narrative). Sometimes the story can be just so interesting that you don’t need to shake things up. But if a filmmaker can mix these all together, that can be a special film.
What makes My Old School one such special documentary? First off, this is a crazy story that has plenty of legs to run with. When a 16-year-old Brandon Lee (no… not Bruce Lee’s son) enrolls at Bearsden Academy, things don’t turn out as you might expect. He is the talk of the school! The students will never forget him. But should he have been there? The narrative that is weaved by filmmaker Jono McLeod is quite extraordinary. There are plenty of twists and turns in this story, and it will most certainly keep you on your toes.
What are the other elements that McLeod injects into the film? The use of animation stands out the most. Each of the actual former students has an animated avatar to show how things happened back when they were students. There is plenty of humor throughout the film as they reminisce, and the animated avatars feel like the icing on the cake. There is even one special sequence towards the end of the film that will most likely put a smile on your face.
Who does the dramatization fit into the film? McLeod makes a unique usage of dramatization. All the other contributors to the film are the actual people who lived it, but Brandon Lee was not in the film. So then who was? Fantastic character actor Alan Cumming. As everyone else is interviewed throughout the film, Cumming interacts as Lee and does a fantastic job. His charm and chameleon acting allow him to disappear into the persona of Lee. If you didn’t recognize the actor, you would never know that he wasn’t just one of the other real people a part of the story.
But what makes this new documentary really stand out? The emotion. This is a surprisingly moving film. Sure, it features a crazy story that is hard to believe, but there are some emotional stakes along the way. The third act (with all of the cards down on the table) will drive home the core themes and deliver some emotional resonance.
Is McLeod’s My Old School a worthwhile documentary experience? The stakes are not high with this story, but they are deeply intimate and personal for all the students who were touched by Lee’s experiences. There are fun dimensions to the storytelling and plenty of humor to spread around. This is one of the most enjoyable documentaries around, so take advantage. But one word of advice… sit through the credits! The personality of the film shows through and there is a pitch-perfect choice of song to accompany them.
Score: 7/10
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