: Steal This Movie
Strange film about 1960’s hippie rebel Abie Hoffman, telling his story about how he lived underground for years as the FBI tried to find him. The biggest problem with the film is that it assumes you know Hoffman. I’d never heard of him and spent the first half of the film wondering if this was fiction or reality. (But the DVD extras include interviews with Abie’s real-life wife, so I assume that means this is based on reality.) Knowing what I know now, I like the movie better than I did while I was watching it. It’s got some interesting 1960 philosophy, some cool free speech speeches by Abie, but it feels foreign and without an understanding of Abie’s beliefs in advance, you hesitate buying into what he’s saying as you’re unsure what you’re agreeing too. The problem with that, of course, is that the film sets up Abie as the hero and assumes you agree with everything he says. Cool idea, awkwardly done. For Abie fans I’m sure it’s great, but not a good introduction to him.
Topic: [/movie] |
