- Running time:
- 100 minutes
- Director:
- Marina Zenovich
- Genre:
- Documentary
- Overall User Rating:
-
(1 rating)
More than 30 years have passed since director Roman Polanski (“Chinatown,” “Rosemary’s Baby”) was convicted of illegal sexual relations with a minor, but the case remains one of the biggest controversies in Hollywood history—partly because Polanski fled to Europe to escape his prison sentence and partly because he’s still a major filmmaker (and even won an Oscar in 2003 for “The Pianist,” though he couldn’t come to America to accept it). This documentary attempts to uncover the truth about Polanski’s crime and the media circus that followed.
Big question: Is it possible to make an even-handed documentary about a case that still engenders passionate reactions decades after it was tried?
Catch it: If you think R. Kelly’s legal troubles add up to a juicy celebrity scandal you’ll be shocked at the amount of twists and turns in the Polanski case. Filmmaker Marina Zenovich combines court transcripts, expertly chosen archival footage (including key scenes from Polanski’s work) and revelatory interviews with the victim, ADA and defense attorney that persuasively demonstrate Polanski was guilty as sin, yet his conviction was still a miscarriage of justice.
Skip it: If you’re looking for colorful commentary from Polanski’s “Chinatown” producer Robert Evans. The Hollywood icon was interviewed for the film, but doesn’t appear in the final cut. Maybe he’ll turn up on the DVD?
Bottom line: An exceedingly well-made documentary that approaches a complicated subject from seemingly every possible angle. The importance of it all is questionable—ultimately this is a tabloid tale blown way out of proportion—but it’s fascinating to see a clear-eyed examination of a story that has only grown murkier with every passing decade.
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