Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Born To Fly: Elizabeth Streb Vs. Gravity

You know, I'm not quite sure how to react about this movie. Initially the concept of heavy action-based performance art got me really excited. And there's something so very interesting about Elizabeth Streb and her theories about dance and movement... how she perceives the world is just slightly different than most people I know. It's cool.
However, when push came to shove, and the cameras got rolling... something just didn't connect as I had hoped. There was so much positive energy put into this project. And while it managed to give me all of the information that a movie like Pina (which I loved) unfortunately couldn't, by the end it seemed to be missing some necessary through line. For all of the heavy hits the performers were taking, the film itself felt a little too lax.
This is not all negative however. Catherine Gund can be proud knowing that she gave an honest and deliberate portrait of a very polarizing artistic theory. And as the performers themselves seem to have no regrets, Gund should likewise look forward and keep pushing for new and interesting subjects. She clearly has an eye for the bizarre and intriguing. Something vitally necessary for a documentarian.

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