Matt Shea
RubySoho
Morgan Bell
Cibbuano
David O'Connell
Mountain Fog
Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden?
May 8th 2009 01:12
Matt Shea is a guest writer on 20/20 Filmsight, and has his own excellent movie review site at Screen Trek.
By almost destroying his own body in 2004’s “Super Size Me”, Morgan Spurlock demonstrated an admirably ‘gonzo’ approach to his documentary making. Over a month Spurlock created a disturbing picture of America’s swerve towards chronic obesity by dining solely at McDonald’s three times a day, accepting every upselling technique they pitched at him. It led to some engaging cinema as the loopily charismatic filmmaker put his body on the line in the pursuit of his hypothesis. Thus it’s hard not to take Spurlock’s new documentary, “Where in the World is Osama bin Laden”, at face value. When the gentle ginger giant takes off supposedly in pursuit of the world’s most wanted man, it’s easy to think that it’s a serious attempt rather than just a quixotic waste of jet fuel.
Spurlock’s pursuit of America’s biggest hater is initially born out of inauspicious beginnings. Upon learning that he and his wife are expecting a baby, Spurlock’s irrational fatherly concerns have him drawing up a list of the world’s greatest dangers. After weighing up the threats of the street in the East Village and the jeopardy of natural disaster, he eventually tops the list with the name of Osama bin Laden. Deciding that he wants his child to grow up in a more peaceful world than we have today, Spurlock takes it upon himself to track down the famous terrorist and thus begins a country-hopping expedition making stops in Egypt, Morocco, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Along the way, the filmmaker takes time to interview people from all sides of the Middle Eastern religious and political divide, from radically anti-American Muslims and ultra orthodox Israeli Jews to ordinary people on the streets of these countries who are simply pining for the extremists from all corners to settle their differences.
For Morgan Spurlock, “Where in the World is Osama bin Laden” is a strangely soft documentary. After “Super Size Me” and his television program, “30 Days”, audiences have come to expect a lot from the filmmaker and when he says he’s off to get some face-to-face time with bin Laden, they can’t help but think he’s going to perhaps be at least partially successful in trying to track the man down. With his disarming dorkiness married to an admirable perseverance, Spurlock should be good at offbeat investigative journalism, but here he illustrates sniffing out a trail is not one of his skills. Instead of the exciting chase about the globe that the title hints at, you’re presented with endless vox pops and often shallow interviews with clerics and Al-Qaeda fringe dwellers, almost as if the filmmaker realised mid-Atlantic how pissed-off his wife would be if he got himself killed during her third trimester.
That’s not to say that the film isn’t without its highlights and Spurlock himself remains an engaging onscreen presence. His excursion into an orthodox Jewish enclave in Israel crackles with the abuse – both verbal and physical – that the denizens pitch at him when he attempts to interview passers-by, whilst later the danger on the ground in Afghanistan is palpable when the team have to make a speedy Army-assisted evacuation from a village. This more gritty material is sparse, however, and when Spurlock does get to ask his questions they are generally half-baked and simply waiting for a predictable set of answers.
It all adds up to a disappointing sophomore effort from Morgan Spurlock. “Where in the World is Osama bin Laden” is a film that’s lacking in substance and fails to provide any insights that haven’t already been discovered over and over again by various documentary makers and journalists in the past eight years. With its soft interviews and tiring set of vox pops, the whole affair seems hemmed in by its concept and ultimately comes off like an idiot’s guide to the Middle East. A decidedly average documentary, Spurlock himself thankfully displays enough deft touches to hint that he still has the capability in the future to produce a film that is both entertaining and thought provoking.
*this image is from Film Detail
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Comment by Carolyn Cordon
Light Within
How do You Express Your Creativity?
Food Leaf
It would have been cool if he had found him. Maybe he did and the US or the UN prevented him from telling all. Should we keep an eye on this guy, just in case he found out more than he's telling?
I can feel a conspiracy theory bobbing up.
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Yeah, I would avoid it TBH - it's not terrible, just unenlightening. There are a bunch of PBS and BBC docos on bin Laden that would be more informative than Where in the World. If you want a Spurlock fix, bust out with some Super Size Me - it's a much better film than this.
Comment by Carolyn Cordon
Light Within
How do You Express Your Creativity?
Food Leaf
I love conspiracy theories. Every time I see a plane with a con trail, I think hmm, what's that spewing out at me this time! Then I laugh.
Con trails, Oh please!
Comment by sam sall
Health and Fitness
Speech Starter
Health Matters
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight