Contessa Gayles views James Jacobs' life, imprisonment and dreams of freedom through a music-video lens in this SXSW-premiering documentary.
As robust as streaming, premium cable and PBS have made the documentary marketplace in recent years, you wouldn’t be wrong to feel that there’s a glut of similar stories being told in similar ways. If you’re a documentary about anything cult-related, good luck cutting through an ample amount of clutter.
The film — “documentary” doesn’t feel exactly right, though that’s what this is — introduces viewers to the life and music of James “JJ’88” Jacobs, who also serves as co-writer along with Gayles. Gayles tells James’ story with a foundation of traditional documentary elements, including interviews with James’ father, mother and sister, as well as his fiancée, and conversations/confessions/recollections from James delivered with the tinny audio of a prison telephone system.
Instead, JJ’88 is really good. His wordplay is exceptional and the songs are varied and catchy. If you aren’t careful, there could be a real confusion of the medium and the message at work here. James’ humanity isn’t validated by the quality of his music, nor is his music validated by the quality of Gayles’ filmmaking, which uses the songs as a far-better-than-average approach to the sort of re-enactments that are a big part of any conventional documentary fatigue.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour' Surprise Songs: Which Songs Are Left?Maddie Ellis is a weekend editor at TODAY Digital.
Read more »
Unmasking the Universe With AI: How Machine Learning Unravels Black Hole MysteriesScience, Space and Technology News 2024
Read more »
Swarovski goes down Disney rabbit hole for spring/summer 2024The Austrian crystal and jewelry designer is tapping into the ever-lucrative world of Walt Disney, releasing a collection themed after the 1951 film 'Alice in Wonderland.'
Read more »
Astronomers measure heaviest black hole pair ever foundUsing archival data from the Gemini North telescope, a team of astronomers has measured the heaviest pair of supermassive black holes ever found. The merging of two supermassive black holes is a phenomenon that has long been predicted, though never observed. This massive pair gives clues as to why such an event seems so unlikely in the Universe.
Read more »
This iPhone app can find the Milky Way's monster black hole from anywhereSamantha Mathewson joined Space.com as an intern in the summer of 2016. She received a B.A. in Journalism and Environmental Science at the University of New Haven, in Connecticut. Previously, her work has been published in Nature World News.
Read more »
The sad closure of central Ohio pharmacies leaves a hole in hearts, health needsThe only pharmacies in Plain City, Mechanicsburg and West Jefferson shut their doors last month. But this story is about much more than these three closures.
Read more »