Economy Size Geek

Murderball (2005)

I’m not sure what I thought this film was going to be like. It’a bout quadriplegics who play a modified form of rugby. The sport was invented in Canada and originally called “Murderball”.

On a certain level I expected the normal sport team documentary. This film ended up being a lot more than that. Sure the sport was the thread that tied it all together, but you actually get to explore the lives of some of the players, a coach, and a guy who was recently hurt.

I’m very nearly at a loss for words about this film. I love documentaries (I watch a lot of them). And this one is truly a fine example of why you should love them too. It doesn’t have a political adgenda. It doesn’t want you to feel sorry for anyone’s plight. Instead it ends up telling an amazingly compelling narrative while still telling what actually happened.

I really feel like the filmmakers managed to capture some really amazing moments on film. Sometimes subtle and sometimes not so much - but all amazing.

This was the other documentary that came out about the time of March of the Penguins that was highlighted as a trend of documentaries stealing the thunder of more traditional films. It sounded cool - but I thought they were grouped together more because they were released together rather than that they were on the same level.

Don’t get me wrong - March of the Penguins was beautiful - and must have been incredibly difficult to film, but I would take Murderball over it any day. I guess you can just chalk it up to finding the trials and tribulations of a groups of people more facsinating and complicated than watching a process nature worked out a thousand years ago.

Bottom Line: See this film! It really has something for everyone and shows just how great a documentary can truly be. No really - it’s going to be better than most of the stuff you have to choose from last year.