Best Documentary Movies

Errol Morris, Director of Mr Death and The Thin Blue Line, studied under Werner Herzog. Herzog being the character he is, made a bet with Morris that he would not finish his first documentary film - so certain was he (or so desperately did he want to taste leather) that he wagered the ingesting of his own shoe. Of course, Errol MorrisDID release his documentary Gates of Heaven), also in typical Herzog style, having lost the bet, Werner fulfilled his end of the bargain and indeed ATE HIS SHOE!

A blade of grass bending in the wind is a cutaway used early on in this film, which gives us a close look at the fragile minds of young children subjected to days on end of evangelical christian "training". This film is sure to stir up emotions no matter which side of the religious fence you on. WARNING - If you think Wizards are Evil and that evangelical Christians need to build an army of children to fight against the proliferation of Islam, then the sides of the subject the filmmakers have chosen to show may offend you.

This one makes the list for very subjective reasons. Any fans of Johnny Depp and / or Terry Gilliam should see this one. Fans of Depp will only become more enamored with the actor as they see him put up with the worst of filming conditions without a hint of fuss. This is the story of the film Terry Gilliam has always wanted to make but also the story of the film which never was. "The curse of Don Quixote", an everpresent specter throughout the piece, does it's absolute best to make sure that anything which could go wrong does go wrong!

This is a documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall. Quite simply, there is enough corruption, conspiracy and intrigue in this subject matter that this film couldn't help but be entertaining. What Alex Gibney has done well with this Oscar nominated final product, however, was to show just enough of the interviews with insiders and the journalist who instigated the story of corruption, clips of traders talking on the floor or phones, archival footage from daily meetings and conferences held by Ken Lay and others within the organisation that the evils of chasing profit, even to the detriment of human life are shown in the extreme. No matter your level of understanding of the events and impact of the fall of Enron, this is a very entertaining documentary.

This Documentary chronicles how Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" was plagued by extraordinary problems which nearly destroying the life and career of the celebrated director. In all areas of shooting, budget, casting and even an unfinished script halfway through shooting anyone who sees this will be amazed that the film was eventually made. Whether you liked Apocalypse Now or not, seeing what Coppola went through to get this film made was an experience in itself. Parts to watch out for: Michael Sheen breakdown - actually left in the final film. This one is a lesson in how not to make a film yet it is the story of a triumph against all odds.

Far from being known only as the man who made Werner Hertzog eat his shoe, Errol Morris has had an interesting career himself. Not only did the release of his film The Thin Blue Line actually prompt events which led to the release of a Life Prisoner, he also invented the Interrotron, "a machine that uses existing technology in a new and novel way so that "When someone watches my films, it is as though the characters are talking to directly to them... There is no third party. On television we're used to seeing people interviewed sixty-minutes-style. There is Mike Wallace or Larry King, and the camera is off to the side. Hence, we, the audience, are also off to the side. We're the fly-on-the-wall, so to speak, watching two people talking. But we've lost something."

This style was used on Morris' Mr Death to great effect. A portrait of the life and career of the infamous American execution device designer and holocaust denier, through Errol Morris' unique style of Direction and Editing I found myself actually feeling some empathy towards a person who otherwise, because of his occupation and his beliefs, I would have found utterly despicable.

This Documentary focuses on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middleclass Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes related to the abuse of children. Through the use of actual home video footage shot by the family themselves, both long before the accusations but also during the trials, this film raises more questions than it answers. Essentially, this is an incredible story. While I was shaking my head at the portrayal of some shocking crimes I was also, at the same time, wondering if some of the stories and accusations of Jessie and Arnold Friedman were just so far out there that they could not possibly be true. As a footnote, a committee has been appointed to re-examine the case and will compile a panel of experts in law enforcement, law and social science to oversee the prosecutors' panel.

What makes this so watchable is the narrative that Jarecki threads through the endless home footage and timeline of events, building disgust and doubt in the mind of the viewer at intervals, just even handed enough to keep us guessing. Reality doesn't get much weirder.

The story behind the reasons for the making of the film are also quite interesting. Jarecki was making a film about children's birthday party entertainers in New York which, by coincidence, included the popular clown David Friedman. During his research, Jarecki learned that David Friedman's brother, Jesse, and his father, Arnold, had been convicted of child sexual abuse. Having then interviewed some of the children involved, Jarecki then ended up making a film about the Friedmans themselves.

This is a Documentary about an aspiring filmmaker's attempts to finance his dream project by finally completing the low-budget horror film he abandoned years before. I hate to use this phrase but, this movie is "heartwarming". My initial reaction to the subject character of Mark Borchardt was that this guy was "hick" in every sense of the word. As the movie progressed I found myself well and truly on his side, cheering him on and couldn't help but be moved by a man with very little following his dream at all costs. There are no real villains in this piece but there's a lot of love and lashings of natural humour in this character study. This is a very well made film and a joy to watch for anyone.

This film is but one of many great Werner Herzog documentaries yet unusual in that most of the footage was filmed by the subject, Timothy Treadwell. Treadwell was an amateur grizzly bear expert who periodically journeyed to Alaska to study and live with the bears. Hertzog has "created" his own version of Treadwell, from Treadwell's own footage, from what he has chosen to leave in the film and through his own inimitable narration. Certainly putting his own stamp on the footage via the edit, the filmmaker shows us Treadwell the person over Treadwell the myth, through footage that shows Treadwell attempting numerous takes of some of his performances towards the camera, as if he is rehearsing. What Herzog has left in, is less footage of the Grizzlies and more footage of Treadwell relating to the camera. This documentary has audiences divided, not only on his subject Timothy Treadwell but also on the ethics of Hertzog's treatment of Treadwell's loved ones.

This film is beautiful, tragic and gutwrenching!

To say this film is about British "Street Artist" and serial prankster, Banksy is to mislead. Prankster is in fact the operative word in this film which takes an insiders look at the culture of Street Art (graffiti and stencil art) as obsessive photographer-come-wannabe Street Artist, Thierry Guetta: aka Mr Brainwash is on a quest to find the doyen of the field, the ever elusive Banksy. As perspectives shift and characters not only develop but turn 360 degrees, what begins as interesting becomes hilarious and exhilarating. As a subscriber to the theory that we watch films, in part, to be cleverly manipulated, i found this film to be a masterstroke of entertainment. I knew nothing about street art nor Banksy before seeing this one (for any fans out there, Banksy is, somewhat in this film), but i got sucked right in!

This film is a perfect example of how a great documentary need not have much to do with the subject matter. A "Hero Journey" narrative is woven from and through decades of minutae pertaining to none other than middle aged men vying for the High Score on the 80s video game Donkey Kong. What helps this film reach such great heights is that the real life Donkey Kong champion cast as villain - Billy Mitchell, a Hot Sauce Mogul with, as he calls her, a "trophy wife" in present day - is obsessed with winning to the point of misogyny. We can't help dislike him and hope against hope that his "rival", Steve Wiebe, a family man and school teacher will eventually win the day. It is apparent, very early on, that this is less a film about Donkey Kong, Video Games or Nerds and far more about challenging establishment against all the odds - even when the game is fixed. A masterful and emotional piece of entertainment for all viewers.