I doubt anyone that pays to see this doc will be unaware of the history of Anthony Weiner's prowess with a phone camera. The beginning of the movie covers his time in Congress and the resulting pictures and scandal that forced him to resign in well deserved shame.
I wish that story had been explored more by the filmmaker since it makes his subsequent behavior so hard to imagine (though very believable). His initial scandal was not just the fact that he texted pictures of his underwear - he went out and attacked those that claimed he did it as liars and had some people believing him when he said his twitter account had been hacked. He refused to tell the truth and accept responsibility while he accused his critics, notably the late Andrew Breitbart, as dishonest partisans hoping to stop him from helping the American people.
Part of this is shown in his fiery attacks on the floor of the House of Representatives against a bill funding health care for 9-11 first responders. (This has always puzzled me since I would bet my mortgage that the NY police and firemen have gold plated health care packages as part of their union contracts. Why did Congress have to give them more? Were police and firemen losing care because the city couldn't afford it? Did Weiner and others just want to have the federal taxpayers cover their health costs? This is never explained in the movie. Maybe if the film had explored this question it might not have reflected well on his image as a great crusader for the people).
And that sets up the train wreck everyone in the theater knew was coming - the new texting scandal while Weiner is running for mayor of NYC and doing well enough to force a runoff if not win outright. Here's a guy that has gone through the humiliation of a sexting scandal once, rehabilitates his image enough to be compete for office in the only city that would even consider voting for him, and he knows there are other women he has sent pictures of his junk. PICTURES HE SENT AFTER HE HAD WEATHERED THE FIRST SCANDAL.
Forget whether he used bad judgment or hurt his family. One has to wonder if he has an IQ above single digits to think these new pictures and messages won't come out. People actually supported him, volunteered for his campaign, signed on to work for his election and he did not have the intestinal fortitude to tell those closest to his campaign and his wife that there are probably more pictures that are going to come out. He just led his staff, supporters and family down the campaign trail knowing they were going to look like fools for believing he had repented.
The film shows Weiner trying to salvage his quest and it goes as badly as one would expect. He could have held a news conference explaining he had discovered how to give everyone unicorns and rainbows and the only questions he gets are why he did it and how could he be so stupid. Making matters worse he somehow doesn't realize how bad he looks in a combative interview with Lawrence O'Donnell or with a voter at a bakery.
As the election results roll in and it is clear that Weiner will be lucky to break 5%, the last crisis develops with how to get him in to his campaign's last event so he can thank his supporters and give the traditional speech a loser has to give. His texting compatriot and the one that revealed what Weiner had been doing (Pineapple as we learn the campaign had named her) was at the event hoping to confront Weiner and his wife. Of course they avoid her and still manage to screw up when he gives the finger to reporters and photographers as he leaves the event.
One person I feel sorry for is his son who will grow up learning what a dumb a** he has for a father. I don't feel much pity for Huma though. After the first scandal and his subsequent decision to run for mayor, the first question I would ask is "do you have anything you want to tell me?" She has been with the Clintons through Bill's making a fool of his wife so she is not some naive waif bravely standing by her man. She went into this with her eyes wide open.
In the end, Weiner is shown as just another politician that only has a talent for running for office and getting elected to an office so he can have taxpayers give him a paycheck. He couldn't run a business or actually produce a product that people would give him money for. His only skill consists of getting the government to spend money on things he wants. Had he stayed in Congress he probably would have been there for 40 years retiring a multi- millionaire despite never having a job that paid enough to do so. No doubt he admired the Clintons for being rich enough to be the top 1% of the 1% despite having never produced anything or running a business putting people to work (unless one considers the Clinton Foundation an actual business instead of a vehicle to enrich the Clintons themselves and give their friends a paycheck between campaigns.
Anyone reading this review probably already knows all the details in the film and the only question is it worth watching? I would say yes, at least once. Watching a truly stupid politician squirm on a big screen is worth the $7 I paid but until it comes out on DVD I wouldn't see it again.
I wish that story had been explored more by the filmmaker since it makes his subsequent behavior so hard to imagine (though very believable). His initial scandal was not just the fact that he texted pictures of his underwear - he went out and attacked those that claimed he did it as liars and had some people believing him when he said his twitter account had been hacked. He refused to tell the truth and accept responsibility while he accused his critics, notably the late Andrew Breitbart, as dishonest partisans hoping to stop him from helping the American people.
Part of this is shown in his fiery attacks on the floor of the House of Representatives against a bill funding health care for 9-11 first responders. (This has always puzzled me since I would bet my mortgage that the NY police and firemen have gold plated health care packages as part of their union contracts. Why did Congress have to give them more? Were police and firemen losing care because the city couldn't afford it? Did Weiner and others just want to have the federal taxpayers cover their health costs? This is never explained in the movie. Maybe if the film had explored this question it might not have reflected well on his image as a great crusader for the people).
And that sets up the train wreck everyone in the theater knew was coming - the new texting scandal while Weiner is running for mayor of NYC and doing well enough to force a runoff if not win outright. Here's a guy that has gone through the humiliation of a sexting scandal once, rehabilitates his image enough to be compete for office in the only city that would even consider voting for him, and he knows there are other women he has sent pictures of his junk. PICTURES HE SENT AFTER HE HAD WEATHERED THE FIRST SCANDAL.
Forget whether he used bad judgment or hurt his family. One has to wonder if he has an IQ above single digits to think these new pictures and messages won't come out. People actually supported him, volunteered for his campaign, signed on to work for his election and he did not have the intestinal fortitude to tell those closest to his campaign and his wife that there are probably more pictures that are going to come out. He just led his staff, supporters and family down the campaign trail knowing they were going to look like fools for believing he had repented.
The film shows Weiner trying to salvage his quest and it goes as badly as one would expect. He could have held a news conference explaining he had discovered how to give everyone unicorns and rainbows and the only questions he gets are why he did it and how could he be so stupid. Making matters worse he somehow doesn't realize how bad he looks in a combative interview with Lawrence O'Donnell or with a voter at a bakery.
As the election results roll in and it is clear that Weiner will be lucky to break 5%, the last crisis develops with how to get him in to his campaign's last event so he can thank his supporters and give the traditional speech a loser has to give. His texting compatriot and the one that revealed what Weiner had been doing (Pineapple as we learn the campaign had named her) was at the event hoping to confront Weiner and his wife. Of course they avoid her and still manage to screw up when he gives the finger to reporters and photographers as he leaves the event.
One person I feel sorry for is his son who will grow up learning what a dumb a** he has for a father. I don't feel much pity for Huma though. After the first scandal and his subsequent decision to run for mayor, the first question I would ask is "do you have anything you want to tell me?" She has been with the Clintons through Bill's making a fool of his wife so she is not some naive waif bravely standing by her man. She went into this with her eyes wide open.
In the end, Weiner is shown as just another politician that only has a talent for running for office and getting elected to an office so he can have taxpayers give him a paycheck. He couldn't run a business or actually produce a product that people would give him money for. His only skill consists of getting the government to spend money on things he wants. Had he stayed in Congress he probably would have been there for 40 years retiring a multi- millionaire despite never having a job that paid enough to do so. No doubt he admired the Clintons for being rich enough to be the top 1% of the 1% despite having never produced anything or running a business putting people to work (unless one considers the Clinton Foundation an actual business instead of a vehicle to enrich the Clintons themselves and give their friends a paycheck between campaigns.
Anyone reading this review probably already knows all the details in the film and the only question is it worth watching? I would say yes, at least once. Watching a truly stupid politician squirm on a big screen is worth the $7 I paid but until it comes out on DVD I wouldn't see it again.