It's been an excellent year for documentaries already in 2017 with such incredible films as Icarus, An Inconvenient Sequel, Nobody Speak, and Trophy all premiering at Sundance (those last two playing SXSW as well). There have been several new great documentaries joining the conversation here at SXSW as well. It seems it could be a bumper year for docs.
For James Bond fans, On Her Majesty's Secret Service has long been a favorite of many. But the story of one-and-done 007 actor George Lazenby might not be too familiar. Becoming Bond, Josh Greenbaum's follow-up to the excellent The Short Game, aims to correct that -- but in a far more entertaining way than you might expect. The spine of the film is an interview with the septuagenarian Lazenby who speaks straight to camera with a very subtle Australian accent. But as his yarn unravels, from the intimate details of his teenage sex life to the salacious details of his adult sex life, the scenes are "reenacted" in hilariously stylized fashion by a great cast of actors led by Josh Lawson, Jeff Garlin, and others. It's a wonderful technique pulled off perfectly by a director quickly becoming someone to watch.
Stepping back to an important cultural moment in 20th Century America, G-Funk looks to capitalize on the recent success of Straight Outta Compton by telling the next chapter in the gangsta rap saga, though in a more traditional documentary fashion. Young director Karam Gill frames the rise of G-Funk through interviews with its most notable purveyors: Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Kurupt, Daz, and other SoCal rap legends. Though he plays a crucial role in the story, Dr. Dre is notably absent from the talking head parade. Some light reenactments are used as well, mostly to good stylized effect. It's an impressive debut for Gill and must watch for any fans of the music who will finally get to learn the full story about the Voltron crew and their baby blue van.
Another dramatic feature worth checking out is M.F.A., written by Leah McKendrick and directed by Natalia Leite. Peter already covered this nicely in his recent dispatch, but it's worth noting again for its strong script and great performances all around, especially by the uber-creepy Peter Vack who is really all over SXSW 2017. Aside from starring in this film, he also stars in the short Whiskey Fist, the feature Dara Ju, and the film Assholes which he also wrote and directed and for which he won SXSW's inaugural Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Award.
SXSW 2017 Dispatch: A Solid Year of Docs Continues + More Films and Fun from Austin