Master documentary filmmaker Steve James and his crew have crafted a documentary film series that captures the sheer complexities, joys, and frustrations of inner-city Chicago at the end of the 2010-2019 decade. Although the city's 2019 mayoral race is the main narrative thread of this 4-part documentary series. City So Real comprehensively explores the several social and economic issues facing modern Chicago ranging from police accountability, racism, gentrification/urban displacement, and the grim nature of public corruption in urban political systems. Steve James also masterfully captures with beautifully composed photography the unique cultures and diversity that compose the city's several neighborhoods. Another great technical achievement in the series is the editing performed by David E. Simpson and Steve James which makes you feel naturally immersed and directly involved (almost weightless and true to life) in the various characters and city settings that compose the film. After seeing this series you might not have much optimism for sincere change in our electoral or political systems but you will likely want to go out and explore your local city and uncover all of it's hidden gems and experience it's unique cultural institutions. Overall, a film series that should be rightfully cherished among the great realist impressionistic/mosaic portraits of urban life and the most compelling non-fiction works. 10/10. According, to a recent article Steve James and his crew returned to the streets of Chicago to capture the city's pressing social developments in the age of Covid-19. One could only hope for an epilogue or another episode of City So Real.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Very Bold and Compelling Documentary Filmmaking
6 April 2020
Normally, I hesitate at watching a true crime documentaries (we've all seen it) inside the mind of the killer type of deal where it's told from the perspective of the confirmed killer and then cut to the testimony of the people who grew up with him. Or the cliche reconstruction of the police investigation along with testimony from law enforcement personnel who worked those particular cases. Yes, the documentary minimally includes these elements mentioned above as a form of constructing context for the Child Murders that rocked the city of Atlanta in the late 70's to early 80's. But this documentary is far more compelling and bold in its storytelling than your typical standardized true crime 'crapola/junk'. The documentary does a magnificent job of not only depicting the horrifying nature of Atlanta's innocent children being murdered. But also manages to vividly illustrate to the viewer the historical and social factors (particularly the strong class divide that plagued the city especially it's African American communities) that caused the city of Atlanta to downplay the extent of the murders (as a manner of not scaring away economic investment) hence leading to more children being vulnerable to becoming a victim of targeted attacks. As seen in the documentary the city that was touted as being too busy to hate actually turned out to be the city that was too busy to properly investigate. Never forget the beautiful children that where taken way before their time in the city of Atlanta (1979-1981).
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