Review of Marwencol (2010) by Eric B — 12 Nov 2011

"Marwencol" is a remarkable documentary. The premise is well-explained in the official review above, so there is little reason to restate it myself. But the intricacy and realism of Hogancamp's miniature stagings -- and even his skills in photographing them -- are so unique that no verbal description can convey just how fascinating his project is to observe.

I have minor quibbles with how the film is structured. The story is shot in such extreme closeup that there's not enough sense of how large the Marwencol "set" is -- a few establishing shots at the beginning really would have helped. Also, director Jeff Malmberg takes too long to clarify that his subject's emphasis is on photography. For awhile, one wonders whether Hogancamp simply poses these dolls as a fleeting, playtime fantasy. Still, his story is such a sure thing that it's near impossible to botch.

Be forewarned that Hogancamp is not entirely sympathetic. His doting adoration for his female dolls can be disturbing (his favorites "sleep" on the nightstand next to his bed and are told "I love you" as he switches off the light) and his fixation on "catfights" suggests some cretinous tendencies. However, his bitterness toward his past attackers is easy to accept, and his constructive way of rechanneling that anger is a creative marvel.

The latter portion reveals another intriguing quirk of Hogancamp's character that shall go unspoken, and the final few minutes add a recursive twist of staggering brilliance. Seek out this film. Rent it along with "Crumb" and give yourself a double bill of unlikely artists and their coping mechanisms.

"Marwencol" does have an unfortunate postscript: The requirements of Hogancamp's welfare status prevent him from earning income from his work. Selling his photos means forfeiting his disability checks. As yet, his only workaround is asking supporters to donate credit for him to buy supplies at his favored hobby shop.