Review of Tabloid (2011) by Jesse T — 04 Jan 2012

This is perhaps the most entertaining film of the year. It's easily one of the funniest and wildest documentaries I have ever seen and the best one I have seen so far in 2011. Errol Morris is a master at his craft.

He has made films that are far more intellectual; ones that are steeped in political importance, but he's never made a film that has been so downright entertaining. "Tabloid" is a portrait of 70s media queen Joyce McKinney and her constant appearances in the gossip rags over the past 30 years.

She's one of the most eccentric people I have ever seen interviewed and therefore makes one of the greatest characters I have ever seen in a documentary. After watching her for 90 minutes you can tell why she was such a commodity in the tabloid world.

This film chronicles her life from 1977 to present day; everything from the manacled Mormon case to the dog cloning in South Korea. She's had a pretty wild life, one that has constantly been in the spotlight, no matter how hard she has tried to hide (so she says).

What I like most about Morris' direction is how he actually leaves it up to his audience to determine whether or not Joyce is a pure loon or an actual lovestruck southern belle. I'd say she falls somewhere in between.

We get a 100% unbiased point of view -- which is great documentary filmmaking -- and are presented two sides to every story, both of which are as wild and crazy as the last. It generally comes down to the gossip rags versus Joyce and what turns out to be the most believable story is usually a mix of the two, somewhere in the middle.

Joyce McKinney's story is one of the craziest I have ever heard and it certainly makes for a thoroughly entertaining movie. After political-heavy films like "The Fog of War" and "Standard Operating Procedure", "Tabloid" is a breath of fresh air for Morris and a barrel of fun.

Definitely one of the must-sees of 2011. (B+).