Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Excellent but underrated film

The acting in this movie is really good.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The maker wanted to so something new, something different. And it is so nice that the employer allowed this experiment. And that is about it.Maybe if the whole thing would have been 20-35 minutes long it would have been wonderful. But there is way too much space filler. So either that is bad planning by shooting too little or somebody was too attached to the footage that nothing could be dumped.Amusingly the story has no apparent structure, yet there is a clear and conventional ending. And the interviews seem to be thrown in as some of the speakers are against Helvetica usage, while most are in favor, but the selection criteria is not obvious to me.One argument this is plain bad work: there is a lot of talk of design, yet there are lots of pictures sliding in with logos written in Helvetica. This all looks like a silly advert from the 1980s. The purpose seems to be something along the lines of "you have to be initiated in order to see it".Still, I had a good laugh with the German designer calling the Swiss militarists (german joke, I know) and telling with a straight face how he is always late, one year late, but to the second.Bottom line: if you are curious about Helvetica and have two hours to waste, knock yourself out. Otherwise, this is a total waste of time.Contact me with Questions, Comments or Suggestions ryitfork @ bitmail.ch

The year 2007 marked the 50th anniversary of the Helvetica typeface. To most people, this little nugget of information (#fact if you will) means very little. Begin to show them however just how ubiquitous and ever-present Helvetica is in their everyday lives and you'll have their interest. Hustwit certainly got mine very early on.From street signs to Nike advertising campaigns, from littering notices to shop billboards, Helvetica is omnipresent. We must see thousands of words and phrases a day that use the Helvetica typeface, yet far from wonder why the typeface is always identical, we don't even recognise they are in fact the same typeface. Hustwit's 'Helvetica' delves into this gap, one that didn't exist for the viewer before the film started, but quickly engages our curiosity: why is it used so uniformly? why does it look so...clear? what does that say about us? where did it come from? who creates this stuff? It is a courageous director who opens that can of worms, but Hustwit takes to it with relish.Taking us back to Switzerland in the 1950s, the field of typography is laid out in full by a panoply of talking heads ranging from modern-day typographers, to graphic designers, to mere (and I use that reluctantly) artists. Perhaps fittingly, the issue of Helvetica's omnipresence remains the centre of attention for all those interviewed, how can they explain away the veritable phenomenon it has become? The range of responses elicited conveys a certain chasm in the field, the 'neutrality' that arises as the font's attraction is as much a joy and example of sheer artistry to one artist as it is depressing and mere bourgeois subterfuge to the next. The discussions of the aesthetic of the font, and of others' (failed) attempts to move beyond it, do risk at times moving beyond the film's appeal to the layman, but are forgiven for the passion they betray of the filmmaker and his subjects.As a font, Helvetica is more than simply an inspiration for the corporations that depend on its neutrality and aesthetic to promote their goods. It is an instrument that both lures figures into the design industry for want of its use and pushes those opposed to its capitalist connotations into usurping its ideals and creating their own fonts.Thus far, few have been successful and Helvetica reigns supreme on the street; have we reached the 'end of history' for typography? Helvetica may be its perfect form.Concluding Thought: Nothing to do with typography, but who knew 'Helvetia' in Latin was Switzerland? (#fact)

I'm a sucker for a good font. Typography has been a passion of mine since I became involved in publishing. Most people never give a second thought to that little piece of type urging them to make this or that decision. A lot of thought has gone into that font. Some designer had to sweat out the decision and finally choose that font. The most used font in our society is Helvetica. It has become a standard on computers everywhere.Helvetica is a cute documentary by Gary Hustwit and introduces a lot of people that are passionate about fonts and typeface design. The film explores the font of Helvetica from social, historical and design standpoints. Hustwit gladly investigates what can be considered the worlds most ubiquitous typeface and traces the roots of Helvetica back to a small foundry names Haas, in Münchenstein, Switzerland in the 1950s. The film charts its rise as a basic of corporate logos, warning signs and other functionality. He uncovers its controversy in the graphic arts community over cultural connotations and artistic worth. One interview with German typographer and designer Erik Spiekermann even goes so far as to compare the uniform appearance of the font to Nazi soldiers marching in line.The film is artfully photographed and sharply edited. The photography, which can be credited to Luke Geissbuhler, is sublime. The soundtrack pushes the film through strong ambient rock. The film is a study in philosophy argument rather than the forced construction of say a Michael Moore offering. The seemingly unremarkable subject matter should not keep you away from this film. Helvetica is a witty, diligently researched documentary. It is very interesting, even if you're not a fan of the typography. Gary Hustwit has put together one of the most captivating documentaries of the year. One thing is guaranteed. After viewing this film you'll spend some time afterward scanning all that you see for Helvetica.

Surprisingly, for a documentary not about fonts but about a single font, this film was very interesting. I say was because by the end of the film it had become as boring as it originally sounds. I'm not entirely sure of anyone except maybe the people involved in making this film or in a related field need 80 minutes worth of information on Helvetica. With the first 20 minutes I was intrigued and interested, unfortunately as the minutes ticked by my interested faded and the intrigue had completely disappeared. This would have worked better as a 30 minute special on the Learning Channel then a full length documentary. Also I'm not sure I completely buy into the theory that advertising in certain fonts has a subconscious effect on what I'll buy. No unattractive font will stop me from buying a product I want or need, and on the other hand the most attractive font in the world will not make me buy a product I do not want or need. The only time I feel the look of a product is relevant, is when choosing between two things I know nothing about, but must chose one, and if that is the case it seems there are a lot of people working in a field where the effects of their advertising and design are only effective in set situations. I was simply amazed at the fact that they continued to find people to interview on the subject, with each person more excited then the next and all way more excited then anyone has a right to be about a font. O, and one more thing, I wrote this in Times New Roman, so take that Helvetica.