I'm usually down for a good film-based documentary, so I decided to give this one a try as it looked like such an interested concept. While it was indeed a very intriguing subject, one has to truly be a hard-core film buff (the technical stuff) to really get into it.
The topic of "digital film" vs "celluloid film" truly is a fascinating one and deserves a documentary like this. Whenever a medium change is about to define any industry, it is always a turning point filled with pros and cons that must be discussed in order to obtain some sort of understanding. That concept is the high point of "Side by Side".
Sadly, I wish they would have made this doc a bit more "user-friendly" to those (like me) who wanted to see the comparison "in action". There is far too much "talking" and far too little actually comparison of the two film methods. Clearly, this was a doc made for not just film buffs, but more towards camera buffs who really get into the technical stuff.
The choice of Keanu Reeves as narrator/host is also a terrible one, as his dry, bland story lends nothing towards the excitement factor.
Thus, "Side by Side" will be a great little doc for those internally fascinated by film. If you are just a "movie fan", however, you can probably skip it.
The topic of "digital film" vs "celluloid film" truly is a fascinating one and deserves a documentary like this. Whenever a medium change is about to define any industry, it is always a turning point filled with pros and cons that must be discussed in order to obtain some sort of understanding. That concept is the high point of "Side by Side".
Sadly, I wish they would have made this doc a bit more "user-friendly" to those (like me) who wanted to see the comparison "in action". There is far too much "talking" and far too little actually comparison of the two film methods. Clearly, this was a doc made for not just film buffs, but more towards camera buffs who really get into the technical stuff.
The choice of Keanu Reeves as narrator/host is also a terrible one, as his dry, bland story lends nothing towards the excitement factor.
Thus, "Side by Side" will be a great little doc for those internally fascinated by film. If you are just a "movie fan", however, you can probably skip it.