As part of my now year-long documentary kick (I think it's time to stop treating this like it's a phase that will pass), I've been trying to catch up on some of the classics of the form, many of which come from Errol Morris. I already watched The Thin Blue Line, which is his most famous doc, but Gate of Heaven is arguably more infamous.
That infamy is almost all because of Werner Herzog. As the story goes, when Herzog heard that Morris was making a documentary about people who run pet cemeteries, he said he'd eat his shoe if Morris could generate enough interest to get a theatrical release for it. That wasn't just an expression, because when Gates of Heaven was released, Herzog actually ate his shoe and made a short film about it.
While I did enjoy Gates of Heaven, nothing about it was as interesting as that story with Herzog. Few things are. I think I set my expectations a bit high for Gates of Heaven. I've always heard about how it's so much better than you'd expect, given the material. And, it is more interesting than the material would require. I did only think the movie was fine. Morris' style is pretty matter of fact, and is only as engaging as the people being interviewed. There are some good characters in this - I especially liked the guys who sets up all his trophies and awards in his office - but I wasn't that sucked into the world. It's good, but I wouldn't describe it as much more than that. I did watch it pretty late. Perhaps nothing would've enthralled me that late at night.
Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend
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