CT: What's In A Name

Here's something you might not know about me, readers. When it's not all science fiction, all the time around these parts, I love a good documentary. Little C and I are currently racing through Chef's Table at an alarming rate, and we spend a good chunk of every week in whatever new corner of the world Anthony Bourdain's exploring. 

So last week, I camped out at Cait's theater to catch up on movies, and wound up watching Weiner, a documentary about Anthony Weiner's campaign for mayor of New York after his sexting scandal. And let me tell you, it was incredible. 

In the interest of full disclosure I mostly went because I have a gigantic, nerdy obsession with Huma Abedin, Anthony Weiner's wife. She is awesome. She's brilliant, and hugely successful. I admit that I wanted to watch the documentary to see why oh why a woman like Huma would stay with (or marry in the first place) a guy like Weiner. 

I got much more out of this movie than that. It was a cutting, complex, fascinating look at politics and the media. I was expecting a 2-hour long joke at Weiner's expense, and while the film never shied away from the humor inherent in a guy named Weiner losing his career over sending inappropriate photos of himself, it delves into a situation much more difficult than that. As you move through the weeks leading up to the New York mayoral election, you stop laughing and start cringing in horror for the way this family gets dragged through the mud. I'm not saying Weiner didn't deserve the mountains of criticism that came his way. He definitely did. But the more you watch, the harder it is to separate the guy with the scandal from the incredible and passionate young politician. 

Because all necessary puns aside, Weiner is captivating. The way he speaks makes you feel passionate about his issues. He makes you want to get on board with him. And he really makes you want to forget about the whole scandal, except that you never can. The closer he gets to the election, the more manic he gets and the more public meltdowns you see. It doesn't even matter that we all saw this happen live back in 2013- watching all this unfold from the inside is even more intense. 

I walked out even more impressed with Abedin than I was before. She's so eloquent, so approachable, so obviously intelligent that you just want to get a coffee with her. Her part of the story is really thoughtfully handled by the filmmakers, and while it's not easy to watch, you can't look away from her. 

I can't recommend Weiner enough. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it, and I can't wait for it to hit the internet so I can give it a rewatch. 

Happy Watching! 

CT