Review of Side by Side (2012) by Roman R — 09 Sep 2012

For film tech nerds the world over, this documentary about the advent of digital filmmaking and what it means for the old school film purists is an engaging must-see. Keanu Reeves narrates and interviews an impressive roster of directors, cinematographers, editors, actors, and execs through this highly technical history and many of the subjects are truly game.

I think their candidness is largely due to Reeves being there. Most seem to feel really comfortable around him, which is essential to getting some of the gold that comes out of the likes of Steven Soderbergh and David Fincher in particular.

Editor Anne Coates, the 86-year-old editor of such classics as LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) and OUT OF SIGHT (1998) brings a refreshing and surprising perspective. Just when you expect the film vs. digital argument to have lines drawn depending on age, Ms.

Coates shows a delightful openness to the new technology. This is an astounding time capsule piece which demonstrates how truly far we've come in digital image quality, particularly just in the past few years.

There are times where you'll go back and forth about how you feel, because ultimately, both sides make great points. I couldn't believe how terrible some of the earlier digital films looked (TADPOLE or CHUCK AND BUCK anyone?).

This may feel really too inside baseball for the layperson, but if you have any interest in how we experience filmed stories, this is essential viewing.