Review of Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008) by Mjs M — 08 Mar 2009

A documentary that chronicles the life of a murdered man and his parents battle to save their grandson. The film was made by a friend of the murdered man, and the story become much more involved than that brief synopsis suggests.

This is a docmetnary that succeeds simply because it managed to stumble upon a very interesting story which makes for incredible drama. However, there are many aspects of the filmmaking behind this that I object to.

The film?s editing and presentation is mostly quite strong, though I have a problem with the way they occasionally try to move the lips of people in still photographs. But the larger problem is the film?s relentless sentimentality.

The film?s set-up as a visual letter to the child of the murdered man seems fairly saccharine and manipulative the whole way through, until a twist in the third act, after that the gimmick proves to be REALLY manipulative.

I?m still recommending this for the base story, but the filmmaking is very misguided.