Thanks for the memories!

So much average

Simply A Masterpiece

Excellent adaptation.

This documentary had so much potential. The story was there: a man who was wrongfully convicted, sentenced to death, begged to be executed and was finally released. However, the director decided to go with an unconventional story telling approach and the film suffers greatly for it. Instead of what we conventionally see in documentaries, where the film makers interview multiple people in the case and chronicle the investigation and journey the subject has gone through, David Sington basically lets Nick Yarris ramble into the camera for an hour and a half. At times, his incessant rambling bordered on unbearable and just annoying. I'm sure many people enjoy the unconventional approach to story telling, but for someone like me who's interested in the failings of our criminal justice system, I want to hear from more than one person. When I watch something about a person who was wrongfully convicted, I want to know how the hell did this happen? I want to know about the legal proceedings and the case. The entire time I was watching this I was thinking well what the hell happened to this woman? What do the detectives, prosecutors, etc. have to say about the damage they've done? Instead, I got a very disjointed non-linear story from only one person and a summary of the vocabulary words he used. It's not horrible, and it's not a necessarily a waste to watch, but there are so many other documentaries about the wrongfully accused and convicted that are so much more powerful and insightful than this one.

I have no patience for documentaries that aim to tug a variety of heart-strings and make it obvious from the first few frames. Nick Yarris's story is different, perhaps mostly because it's treated objectively by the film's director. Instead of an hour and a half of old morality play, we simply sit and listen to a guy tell his incredible tale. At no point does Yarrow pretend to be anyone other than himself; at no point does he ask us to see him differently. He just tells us what happened to him, the good and the terrible, and does not ask us to judge, convict, or even forgive.It is for that reason that I found his story so compelling and emotionally evocative. It is, perhaps, a reminder that we all have amazing, emotional stories to tell and that we should all try to sit back and listen more often.

I've watched many documentaries about crime and listened to people who have committed crimes. I don't usually rate documentaries because they provide different information that is important across the board and I can't put a rating on that.This is my first ever review and the reason why I chose to review this film is because it's one of the most captivating and detailed story I've ever listened to, about crimes someone have committed. Throughout the film, I kept asking myself, why is this (former) prisoner so good at storytelling and why was he in prison, it is almost like you almost can't believe that the story actually happened because of the way he was conveying it. The cinematics were just enough to compliment Nick Yarris' story which made it all together very engaging and beautiful. Even though he went back and forth in history while he told his story, it was still easy to understand because it all came together as he spoke.A wonderful story that everyone should hear.

Really awesome doc here, me and a friend watched this the other night and I was blown away. The narration and structure are phenomenal in this piece, a very close to heart tale and the context in which it all unravels is remarkable none the less. I'm so glad I watched this doc, which I wouldn't have expected could be so personally inspiring and motivating regarding how much knowledge is really garnered from reading. I mean, of course, I know reading is important and I do my share of knowledgeable reading each day. But, I'm simply referring to those that really read as a fun activity and not just because you have to read for the moment. I'd be lying to say I'm not guilty of that sometimes, but after viewing this doc, I'm extremely inspired to do way more. I understand my review is not as detailed, or as intricate, regarding the context of the overall film. However, I wanted to reflect and share on the personal inspiration I was able to take from it.