The first reviews from CONVENTION are starting to come in after the World Premiere at Silverdocs and leading up to the West Coast Premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival:
“By placing Denver’s administrative process of organizing and running the 2008 Democratic confab ahead of the event’s political content, AJ Schnack’s “Convention” becomes a bipartisan, upbeat celebration of democracy’s delicate membrane and can-do spirit…
Helmer’s central strategy — and it is an inspired one — is to emulate in tone and flow of the groundbreaking work of early nonfiction pioneers Robert Drew (a personal hero), Albert and David Maysles, DA Pennebaker and Ricky Leacock. Thus, with the exception of sparingly used talking heads, “Convention” flows seamlessly among the various hotbeds of activity during the convention’s tumultuous four days…
Crews indeed prove they’re down for whatever, as intimate, seemingly effortless footage abounds of the unfolding dramas and Democratic nominee Barack Obama’s climactic acceptance at Denver’s football stadium. Rooting interest in the participants is sustained by Schnack’s smart decision to reidentify participants throughout the film.”
“CRITIC’S PICK. Convention is an unintentionally ironic title, considering both this film and AJ Schnack’s last — the poetic, quasi-installation KURT COBAIN ABOUT A SON — illustrate the director’s proclivity for challenging the standards of nonfiction filmmaking. Not that this witty, sharp-eyed and effortlessly entertaining portrait of the city of Denver during the 2008 Democratic National Convention is so far removed from the vérité purism of Robert Drew or D.A. Pennebaker (if Frederick Wiseman had made the film, it would still be called Convention). But Schnack’s curious instinct is to remove the presidential and backstage politics entirely, instead focusing on the frenzied microcosm of cogs who often remain invisible if they’re doing their jobs well. From the tireless deputy city liaison whose mobility depends on learning from Mayor Hickenlooper how to drive his scooter and the poor Denver Post staffer who suffers a breakdown while facing impossible deadlines to the disorganized organizers who march their overreaching entitlement up and down the streets before hilariously getting trapped in a dead end, the film sees the logistics behind democracy in action. The eclectic Americana soundtrack is aces, as is Schnack’s formal rigor (the seamless multicamera shoot was helmed by a handful of notable documentarians, including My Country, My Country’s Laura Poitras and They Killed Sister Dorothy’s Daniel Junge . “I wonder if he’s nervous,” someone mumbles as Obama’s motorcade arrives, a delightfully appropriate query in a film about every person’s vital role in shaping society.”
Washington Times, Sonny Bunch:
“The centerpiece screening at Silverdocs 2009 was tonight’s world premiere of “Convention,” a collaborative effort from eight different documentarians to cover every aspect of the 2008 Democratic convention. A massive undertaking, the crew shot 90 hours of footage during their time in Denver, from a week beforehand all the way through President Obama’s acceptance speech at Mile High Stadium.
The documentary is a riveting piece of work, especially for anyone with an interest in national politics, protest culture, and the state of local newspapers. The filmmakers, assembled by A.J. Schnack, endeavored to capture the story from every angle — as Mr. Schnack said before the screening, the movie reminds him of “Back to the Future Part II” because in that film you get to see what happened in the first movie from a different perspective. “Convention” is like rewatching the Democratic convention from the street level, the command level, and the convention-floor level…
As a member of the press, I was most drawn to the press level view and the tribulations of cub reporter Allison Sherry, who was thrown from the schools beat to the Hillary Clinton beat with only a few weeks warning. Asking her to compete with the national press corps was like asking a kid from the Single A to pitch for the New York Yankees in the World Series. It’s poignant and sad and a reminder that this thing we call journalism isn’t all that easy.
The rest of the documentary is no less gripping. The moves and countermoves by the protesters and city planners are intriguing, and the protesters offer some comic relief with their multitude of causes and miniscule numbers. And, of course, the sense of history is almost palpable as Barack Obama takes to the stage and accepts the nomination for presidency. All in all “Convention’s” a wonderful film.”
