Review of Taxi to the Dark Side (2008) by Ernie P — 29 Jul 2008

One of the best documentaries I've seen in years. I'm usually somewhat critical of the documentary style, either because the documentarian has too much presence in the film (Michael Moore, for example) or because the research seems a little suspect and/or doesn't reveal any new information ("No End In Sight").

None of the above apply to this film, which is astoundingly well-researched and is still uncomfortable and challenging to watch. The director, Alex Gibney, has a clear intent to provoke, stimulate, and perhaps even enrage his viewers.

He takes the unusual first step of telling the story of a simple taxi driver in Afghanistan, and then expanding on that story in order to condemn the U.S. policy (or lack thereof) regarding detention and interrogation of suspected Al-Qaeda operatives.

The interviewees are very forthright and candid, even surprisingly so at times. The documentary footage is quite graphic at times as Gibney pulls no punches, but it's the feature film shots at the very end of the movie that stayed with me (very reminiscent of "Taxi Driver" in my opinion).

I've seen very few documentaries that I would consider to be "great" films, but "Taxi To The Dark Side" is certainly near the top of the list. The film makes its case, supplies more than enough witnesses, and is clearly well-researched.

See it for yourself, and make up your own mind. Oh, BTW, "Taxi To The Dark Side" won the Oscar last year for best documentary feature.