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Editors’ Picks: Best Documentaries

DECEMBER 28TH, 2009

Editors’ Picks: Best Documentaries

Sometimes reel life is stranger than fiction. Herewith, our top doc picks.

American Teen
Like The Breakfast Club brought to life, the film follows five teens in their final year of high school. All the usual suspects—jock, nerd, princess, rebel and heartthrob—are present to reminisce about in this spirited Sundance winner. www.americanteenthemovie.com
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Back in the ’80s, the Canadian heavy metal band Anvil was set for stardom but came up short. They never gave up on the dream though, and this funny and heartfelt movie picks up where their fame left off. www.anvilthemovie.com
Joy Pecknold,Vancouver editor

Enlighten Up!
A story of one man’s skeptical and hilarious journey to find the true meaning of yoga. The film includes interviews with renowned gurus and stunning shots of Northern India. http://enlightenupthefilm.com/
Malwina Gudowska, Calgary editor

Paper Heart
Part documentary, part scripted film (which part is up to you to figure out), this road trip film chronicles the quirky Charlyne Yi’s quest to discover if true love really exists (Yi herself is skeptical). Along the way she begins a relationship with aw-shucks Canadian actor Michael Cera, but The Notebook this ain’t. www.paperheart-movie.com
Maria Tallarico, managing editor

Surfwise
Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter produced this profile of America’s “First Family of Surfing,” the Paskowitzs: 8 brothers and a sister who grew up in a 28-foot camper with their sex-obsessed parents, teaching surfing and never going to school. A fascinating study in bohemianism, megalomania, and crazy family dynamics (makes the Royal Tenenbaums look like the Cunninghams).
www.surfwisefilm.com
Sarah Bancroft, editor-in-chief

The Cove
On the Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary Feature, this story of a group of filmmakers who employ rogue methods to bring to light a covert dolphin hunt on the shores of Taiji, Japan unfolds like a suspenseful thriller. www.thecovemovie.com
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

Tyson
A heartening look at the life and career of one-time champ Mike Tyson, from his formative relationship with his boxing mentor to his self-destructive and decadent tendencies. Tyson's insight and angst is disarming. www.sonyclassics.com/tyson
Maria Tallarico, managing editor

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
With the infamous director back in the headlines for a crime he was charged with decades ago and consequently fled the country from, this Emmy-winning doc is a provoking view into the past. A follow-up film is in the works. www.romanpolanskiwantedanddesired.com
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

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