Tuesday, June 12, 2018

LO AND BEHOLD: REVERIES OF THE CONNECTED WORLD (2016) ** ½


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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