Documentary Reviews and Features | Little White Lies

Genre Documentary

Three adults, two men and one woman, standing in a formal setting. The man in the centre wears a dark suit and tie, while the other two people are also dressed formally.
Review

The Lovers and the Despot

by Matthew Eng

Two filmmakers are forced to work for Kim Jong-il in this utterly bizarre true story.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two men, one with a beard holding a gun and the other with a stern expression, in a dramatic scene.
Review

De Palma

by David Jenkins

Noah Baumbach’s survey of the life and work of Brian De Palma is riveting and highly entertaining.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Two men conversing in a wine cellar, surrounded by oak barrels.
Review

Sour Grapes

by Trevor Johnston

Wealthy wine connoisseurs get more than they bargained for in this strangely compelling doc.

2
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Group of young men, some smiling, seated around a table with chessboard and papers.
Review

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years

by Ed Gibbs

The Fab Four’s meteoric rise from local grafters to global game-changers is relived in Ron Howard’s emotive doc.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Two young women, one with blonde hair and the other with dark curly hair, leaning against a green metal grate in a serious expression.
Review

Los Sures

by Poppy Doran

This evocative 1984 doc about life in Williamsburg, New York, shows the extent of 21st century gentrification.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Group of armed men standing near military vehicles in a desert setting.
Review

Jim: The James Foley Story

by Catherine Karellis

Seek out this troubling study of a man who sacrificed his life to take pictures in highly dangerous locations.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Black and white image of a rock singer performing on stage, with hand raised in a rock and roll gesture.
Review

Gary Numan: Android in La La Land

by Josh Slater-Williams

The electro pop pioneer opens up his home and his studio in this intimate if uneven documentary profile.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A person holding a framed landscape photograph, depicting a rocky, mountainous terrain in the background.
Review

Behemoth

by David Jenkins

The poetry and horror of globalisation and manual labour are beautifully evoked in this haunting doc-fiction hybrid.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A man holding a large colourful sign reading "WELCOME MARCO REALINONTE AND JANE O'BRIEN" in an airport terminal, with people in the background.
Review

Tickled

by David Jenkins

A search for the inventor of competitive internet tickling gets very dark very quickly.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Bearded man in red jumper and checkered shirt, looking directly at camera with a serious expression.
Review

The Confession: Living the War on Terror

by David Jenkins

Warzone gadfly Moazzam Begg is the subject of this interrogative documentary about his life and times.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect