Lucybespro
It is a performances centric movie
Humbersi
The first must-see film of the year.
Edwin
The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
Illyngophobia
On the surface, the documentary feels like it's going to follow in the footsteps of other documentaries and shockumentaries before it that give you an inside look into the lives of the dead and the coroners that work with them; setting us up for an unflinching, graphic face-to-face encounter with the many faces of death that spells like a gruesome car crash - you want to look away, but you can't.However, unlike shockumentaries such as Traces of Death, Faces of Gore, or shorter documentaries like The Act of Seeing With Ones Own Eyes, this doesn't explicitly focus on the medical aspect of working with the dead; specifically that of autopsy examinations. Instead, it focuses on the inner workings of what goes on behind the scenes - from how they work to find people connected to the deceased to what happens to the deceased and their personal effects if nobody comes forward to claim them or be of next of kin. The documentary isn't overly graphic either, unlike the aforementioned titles. So, if scenes like that make you uncomfortable, they're very few and far between.Filmed in real time, you feel like you're part of the production team and investigation crew as they race the clock to bring some closure to the dead. By the time the credits roll, it may leave you feeling heavy and dreary, or, perhaps, with a new appreciation for life itself. While it may not be life changing or cause existential dread, it may give you something to think about as you go about your day to day life.
xakarava
I recently saw "A Certain Kind of Death" on Sundance and it literally blew my mind away. It was captivating because this documentary actually makes one appreciate life a lot more."A Certain Kind of Death" explores as to what happens to the unclaimed dead (the deceased with no RECORDED next of kin)when their corpses are now the care of the government (which in this case is LA county). Maybe many people have an idea what happens to the deceased John and Jane Does' of the world but this explores the nitty, gritty details as to what happens. I will not spoil it here or go into too much detail, but there are people whose job it is to take care of the unclaimed dead corpses and to them it's business as usual, but the images from their jobs will stick with you and I have, at least, learned to appreciate my family and most importantly my life after watching this story (in other words, don't take everyday life for granted for you never know....) This isn't a cheery documentary. It does make you think and feel. Some viewers have complained that the people in the film aren't passionate about their jobs. Well, since when processing corpses on a daily basis (mind you, some of these corpses are in pretty AWFUL shape) invokes passion??? This is what essentially happens when you die folks, there's no way around it. Some have pretty mahogany coffins with satin lining, others have 24k gold urns for their ashes, but their are many out there not so fortunate but in the end we all end up the same: ashes to ashes, dust to dust.I highly recommend this film.
sswiller-1
I love this film. The director's unblinking eye captures something extraordinary and mundane. You see the process of laying to rest the John and Jane Does of Los Angeles. Some parts are extremely graphic, showing the bodies of deceased people (vagrants really) as well as the practical and unsettlingly methodical protocol used to handle and interr the remains. Part of me sees this film as a sweet elegy about death and impermanence. The other part of me sees a film about fascism and genocide because all of the living characters are lower-middle class bureaucrats who exist in a bureaucratic fog. Whether they shuffle papers or crush incinerated bone fragments, there is an alarming detachment masked behind a thin layer of civic obligation. This is not like the docs on CourtTV; this is a thoughtful, well-shot production.
catiecatie
This is one of the best docs I have seen! Quiet and contemplative, it moves at a 'real time' pace. Highly informative, you feel as if you are in the movie via staring at the clock, or people's desks as they go about the long, drawn out process closing the deceased's affairs. That is what you want in a doc, right? This will also inspire you to get it together regarding paperwork, funeral arrangements etc. so the city/county/state doesn't have to. (It was creepy watching strangers go through a person's effects.) This movie will inspire me at least to do my dishes everyday, because you never know, it may be my last!
