Good story, Not enough for a whole film

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

'WEINER': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)The critically acclaimed documentary about Anthony Weiner's troubled political campaign for Mayor of New York City, in 2013. The movie was directed by Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg. It not only received nearly unanimous positive reviews from critics, but it was also nominated for dozens of prestigious awards (and it made multiple critics' year end top 10 lists). I think it deserves all of the acclaim it's been given.The film begins in 2011, when Anthony Weiner was forced to resign from Congress; due to inappropriate photos of him in his underwear surfacing online (that he had previously sent to multiple women). The film then covers his reemergence in politics, in 2013, when he ran for Mayor of New York City (in the Democratic Party primary). The filmmakers follow him, and his wife Huma Abedin, as things first went really well for them (in the campaign). Then the couple was forced to deal with more accusations of inappropriate sexual conduct (by Weiner). This also (of course) caused severe trouble for the campaign.The movie is cringeworthy to watch, a lot of the time, but (for me at least) I couldn't look away either. It's so bizarrely fascinating, and extremely insightful. The filmmakers managed to get an incredibly intimate look into the personal life of Anthony Weiner; and he claims that they didn't have permission to use video of his wife. The film wouldn't have been nearly as insightful, or intimate, if they hadn't used it though. It's a documentary masterpiece, just about as good as they get (in my opinion)!Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/mFAp0zxR-lY

Wow. Trump types seem to come in a variety of sizes, forms and assorted dick pic's. This documentary was a close study of a narcissistic, self centered out of touch political candidate that will stop at absolutely nothing to get what he wants to achieve, being elected to a high ranking public office. The mayor of New York in this particular case. Anthony Weiner here willingly tries to deceive his presumptive voters, his campaign staff and most importantly his stellar wife by dodging questions, withholding truths and using anyone and everyone close to him as his own private puppets or pawns in an effort to gain voters support. In every interview seen here where he is confronted by honest and just questions by both the public and media, Mr Weiner makes it out (in his own mind it seems) that he himself has come away as the victor and smarter one of the exchange when the truth, to us seeing it, is the exact opposite. Scary stuff for sure...

So the well produced documentary is about this political figure of New York of whom I had never heard about (as Finn), whose last name happens to be W(e)iner. Before actually watching the program I had glimpsed a word "narcissist" - perhaps a user written review or from somewhere else. So, I expected to see a documentary about some hardcore political figure who controls people and himself like a marionette's puppeteer does for his subjects.Well, it's not about such a character. The guy we get to see is actually fantastic individual, with this sexual complex (and it's not like the rest of us don't have them), which gives him hard time (pun intended) in the world of politics.If only we had such great figures in our political system - who both know the issue at hand and can present them entertainingly and witty. It might even get the majority to take some interest in what is being done and what is not being done in the parliament.This documentary raised for me the question that is the American media like a child, who gets excited about anything that is famous - only for the sake of it?

I really like the documentary because it does not editorialize. There is not one voice over in the whole thing. It is just Anthony Weiner ramping up his attempt to win the Democratic Mayoral primary, which in New York, is tantamount to winning the mayor's race since the city is overwhelmingly Democratic. Weiner had been the seven term liberal firebrand of a Democratic congressman from Brooklyn until a case of him sexting a woman along with pictures of his private parts came to light and caused him to resign in disgrace in 2011.His campaign starts out with hope in the spring of 2013, but soon with his rise in the polls, more sexting by Weiner rises to the surface because he is in the limelight again. He tries to paper over it, and the documentary lets you see him trying to paper over it, by saying that he had already said he had problems in his marriage and that he had never said exactly when the sexting problem began and ended. This sounded too much like "it depends on what your definition of is is" from the Clinton years and he crashed and burned politically, winding up in the single digits on primary day.This is no fluff piece. You see Weiner lose his temper, get involved in shouting matches with a guy in a Deli, and with Lawrence O'Donnell on liberal friendly MSNBC. Weiner thinks it makes him look like a fighter, instead it comes across as a refusal to face his problems. And as for his wife Huma Abadin, I just felt so sorry for her. Weiner must be surely suffering from an addiction if he is chasing after random women on the internet with such a smart sexy lady as his wife. After the more recent sexting comes to light, Huma never really says anything, but you can tell by her posture and look of indifference that she is likely mad as hell under that calm cool exterior. Worse, she is probably profoundly disappointed in someone who had regained her trust.One particular scene said it all for me as to Weiner's self centeredness. When the additional sexting comes to light he tells Huma he wants her with him all day. Not because he is worried about her mental state or needs her emotional support, but because he is "afraid someone (the press) will get to her".It's too bad that such a narcissist and sex addict was also rolled into the personality of somebody who seemed to genuinely care about average people, had an average upbringing so he knew where other people were coming from, and was willing to fight for what he thought was right. What a waste.