Review of Samsara (2011) by Walter M — 13 Sep 2014

There is a school of thought amongst film critics that so-called visual poetry should be more the most important element of a documentary, even to the detriment of any information that could be imparted. The technical term for such is watching paint dry.

Case in point is "Samsara" which admittedly does have some beautiful imagery but for most of its length it seems spectacularly random. Some things do shine through such as a freakish sequence and a musical number that should also serve as a preview for the fifth season of 'Orange is the New Black.' Otherwise, there are messages I think about progress and overconsumption. But showing an overweight family at a fast food restaurant is such a cheap shot that it is definitely not the way to go.