Lo
and Behold: Reveries of the Connected
World is a Werner Herzog documentary about the internet. That right there was enough to make me want
to watch it. Although it makes for a
quirky, breezy ride, it never quite clicks.
I don’t know what I was expecting.
I thought a guy like Herzog would’ve managed to squeeze a little bit
more out of the subject. Still, his
Zen-like quirkiness and dry wit helps to elevate the film from being a mass of
talking heads.
Herzog
presents ten vaguely connected vignettes, each exploring a different aspect of
the internet. The most interesting ones
revolve around the creation of the internet and its early days of
existence. I also liked the segments
devoted to online harassment and computer hackers. Some segments (like the stuff with robots,
driverless cars, and the potential for the internet on Mars) seems like it
could’ve been part of a separate documentary though.
The
best moments come when Herzog forces himself into the action. Although he’s never seen on film, you can
hear him just off camera stirring the pot a little and giving his subjects perplexing
questions to chew on. I would’ve liked
to have more moments like this throughout the movie as Herzog himself is far
and away the most memorable part. Heck,
his narration alone is worth the price of admission.
I’m
glad I watched Lo and Behold, but it never once attains the manic drive and
bizarre fascination of Herzog’s best stuff.
The vignette approach sets itself up for an uneven ride as some segments
misfire and/or peter out. It’s a minor (albeit
entertaining) work from a master filmmaker.
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