Robert Greene’s third feature-length documentary builds on the virtues of his second, Kati With an I (2010), and conveys the excitement of an artist just finding his voice. His subject here is a small-time wrestling federation in suburban North Carolina; the members are well-intentioned misfits (several have serious health and/or emotional issues), and they seem to be putting on a show for each other as much as their tiny audience. Greene recognizes the men’s naivete but never condescends, paying sincere tribute to the creative process. The movie shares with its predecessor a brisk narrative momentum, a good ear for southern idioms, and a sweet-and-sour sensibility that alternates compassion with dark irony; what’s different is a poignant sense of community that makes for a richer portrait overall.
Fake It So Real
NR • 1 hour 35 min • 2011