“Side by Side” is the true story of the current cinematic showdown between film and digital movie-making. It’s director vs. director, cinematographer vs. cinematographer, actor vs. actor with Keanu Reeves as narrator and interviewer.
This documentary provides more information and expert opinion on the battle between traditional filmmaking and modern technical advances than you could get in a year of film school. Plus, along the way, you get a great history lesson on the subject as well.
Director Christopher Kenneally does a very nice job of clearly establishing the two sides of this issue. And each side has it’s supporters. Nearly two dozen big-time directors, including George Lucas, James Cameron, Danny Boyle and Christopher Nolan give their opinions, loud and clear, on the subject. Many have embraced the digital age and think film is dead, while others are continuing to use and believe in film as still the best way to shoot and present a movie. And their arguments for their side and against the other side are fascinating. We also get to hear from the great Martin Scorsese, who never really takes a side but still has some very interesting things to say.
Reeves (who’s also a producer on the film), is someone I never thought of in the role of an interviewer. But he does a nice job. And his voice-over explanations of how movies are made, technically, are also very good. My one problem with Reeves is that he looks different in practically all of the interview clips, having a beard and long hair in one scene, and short hair and no beard in the next. It’s a little distracting.
We also hear from some of the best cinematographers, editors and technical effects people in the movie business. And their thoughts and opinions are also interesting. Some hate shooting with film. Others love it. Some hate shooting with the new digital cameras. Others love it. Even a few famous actors have their say.
While Film vs. Digital is the main topic, there are plenty of sub-topics – such as 3D, movie distribution and projection, CGI, and film preservation. There are even sub-sub topics.
And all of it is extremely fascinating. I have one minor problem with the filmmaking of “Side by Side”: the decision to show the names/movies of everyone who is interviewed in the bottom-left corner of the screen. You do want to know who everyone is and what they’ve done, but it does take your attention away for a short time from what they’re saying. The fact that I saw the movie on a large screen probably made the problem worse.
If you’re a casual movie-goer or a die-hard film fan “Side by Side” is a must see. It’s entertaining, educational and informative, while never getting too technical or confusing.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Side by Side” gets a B+.
By the way – In case you’re wondering, the documentary was shot with digital cameras.