The Real Flicks on Netflix

Man on Wire

It’s rare to see actual, real-life magic. You would expect tricks or sleight-of-hand, but French wire-walker Philippe Petit is a master of a different form of magic. His magic is the kind that leaves you awe-struck, not because you wonder how he performed a specific trick, but because his talent is amazing in itself. The documentary “Man on Wire,” released in 2008, follows him as he prepares to, and eventually does, walk on a wire between the Twin Towers in 1974. The film incorporates footage of his planning and re-creates footage of his sneaking into the World Trade Center. The first part of the film is filled with suspense, and I couldn’t help wondering exactly how Petit and his team will be able to pull it all off. They do, but not without complications, and during the climax of the film is when the magic happens.

Although there is no footage of the walk itself, director James Marsh lifts the viewer into the clouds with Petit through a series of photos and reactions from Petit’s friends and girlfriend. His act is extraordinary, and the way Marsh captures the magic enveloped in wire-walking 1400 feet in the air is beautiful. Petit doesn’t wave a wand or conjure rabbits out of thin air, but his own magic is still amazing.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

David Gelb’s “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” is a look into what it means to truly master a skill. The documentary follows Jiro Ono, an old man who’s been hailed as the world’s greatest sushi chef. His Tokyo restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, has three Michelin stars, making it one of the world’s best restaurants. He has also been hailed as the world’s greatest sushi chef. Jiro has been making sushi for over 50 years, making it his life’s passion. In his restaurant, Jiro’s oldest son works with him.

The film also works to explore Jiro’s relationship with his son, and how his celebrity status and influence have affected his son’s life. Because of Jiro’s fame, no matter how good his son is at making sushi, his son will never be considered as good as his father. This kind of tragedy drives home the main point of the film: what does it mean to be a master? How does one achieve that status?

The father-son story is accompanied by beautiful shots of Jiro’s sushi and an extensive look into how each piece of sushi is made. Countless hours go into making rice perfectly sticky, selecting and preparing the most delectable fish and finding the highest-quality ingredients. The film has the best cinematography of any documentary on Netflix, hands down.  “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” makes the viewer just as hungry as it makes them fascinated with the art of sushi making and the mastering of a skill.

How to Survive a Plague

The AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 90s is a crucial piece of American history that is often glossed over. David France’s “How to Survive a Plague,” though, educates the viewer from a standpoint that won’t be found in a history textbook. The documentary follows the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) and the Treatment Action Group (TAG). At the time, the two organizations fought against the government and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide more widely-accessible drugs to those suffering from AIDS. Both community-driven organizations fought for their lives, with their lives and lost many along the way due to the disease. In one particularly powerful scene, protesters are shown dumping the ashes of deceased AIDS victims onto the White House lawn in a plea for help.

Millions died before the FDA allowed a protease inhibitor to be released, an antiviral drug that allowed what was formerly a deadly disease to become a manageable, chronic one. From ACT UP and TAG’s beginnings in the mid-1980s to 1996, “How To Survive A Plague” shows how an activist group can go from basement meetings to enacting change across the country, and saving millions of lives. If anything, the documentary shows the value of all lives, gay or straight, and how to change even the most pessimistic of fates.

The Artist is Present

In performance artist Marina Abramović’s exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), The Artist is Present, she sat down in a chair. She sat, seven hours a day at a table, still, and stared into the eyes of whoever sat across from her. Abramović did this six days a week for three months, forging emotional connections with the thousands of audience members who sat three feet away. Sitting across from her, many began to cry, having been moved beyond words. This raw, human connection is what “The Artist is Present” is really about. The documentary gives insight into who Abramović is as an artist, as well as following her as she prepares and presents her 2010 exhibit at MOMA.

The film also covers her personal history. Abramović has been called the “grandmother of performance art,” beginning her career in the 1970s. She ended up paving the way for controversial, dangerous art in which the artist performs, or presents, their work to an audience. She began a love affair with German performance artist Ulay, and the two would collaborate throughout the entirety of their 12-year relationship.

One of the most touching moments of the film is when Ulay comes to sit with her at the exhibit. The two begin to cry, and Abramović reaches across the table to hold his hand. The pure emotional connection that passes between them is what makes the film so remarkable. It is possible to love anyone, even by simply looking into their eyes, and that is a message that perhaps we can all embrace.