Some Kind of Heaven

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Daniel S @007river Mar 9 Just an absolute master class of a documentary. One of, if not my favorite doc of all time and the beauty is it feels like a film. The cinematography is so brilliant, every shot is locked off on a tripod to mimick the immobility of the senior residents and how they almost feel trapped in a false paradise. The real emotions and intimacy we experience with those the film focuses on creates a connection with the audience as we truly feel bad for people who are near the end of their lives, living in what is supposed to be a kind of heavenly resort-like nursing home city, but feel trapped, alienated, alone, and hopeless. I seriously recommend this film to anyone and everyone. See more 01/16/2024 Filmmaker Lance Oppenheim directs a documentary cracking the manicured facade of The Villages with Darren Aronofksy producing. Located in Central Florida it's a massive, self-contained retirement community. Behind the gates of this utopia lie a small group of Villages residents and one interloper who are unable to find happiness within the community's prepackaged paradise. This is supposed to be a place where many of the elderly go to live and not just die. They find happiness, solace, become socially engaging, life-enriching. It's supposed to give you that feeling of youth again. Whether by divorce or someone else passing it is home to 22,000 seniors. You want to be part of the fantasy dressing up in nice outfits etc. There's all kinds of entertainment from golf to bowling to karaoke to tennis to dancing. Sort of Disneyland for old people as it were. But there's a portion of the residents claiming it is not all it's cracked up to be. It's not the real world according to them, it's more like a bubble cut off from the rest of everyplace else. One in particular is Reggie who goes about on the golf courses, practicing a form of mediation and even using drugs to take his mind off things. Another is Martin who is a van dweller going from place to place but is dirt-poor. Yet he's still willing to find a respectable lady as a life-long partner. This documentary is shot in pan-and-scan format to give the viewer that up close and personal point-of-view. We are seeing the community from an aged individual's experience. It's true everyone is on the verge of death. Workaholics want to forget their troubles. Many want to make the most of the time they have left however they can. It's not easy being married and old at the same time. What is truly important the more time passes? This film is wonderfully-filmed, honest, truthful, and kinda surprising in some spots. Oppenheim makes a very well-balanced character study not simply praising seniority or any of the things it comes with, there's a sense of real uneasiness about it all underneath the accommodations and splendors provided. Whether it's one senior or several everyone has trouble adjusting to the next phase in their lives, so as a result they do their own things to get by. Anybody past their prime can still feel fresh when it comes to dating or finding an unexpected love for sports or the arts. But being old isn't the end; it's just that we have to look past the fact that dying is the only thing left for us. Aside from an ending that in my opinion could've been more resolved this documentary does a good job showing how the elderly can still feel fulfilled in many areas when everything else they feel like is done and left behind. See more georgan g @RT98616417 08/15/2022 Enjoyed the visual play, but not main characters normalcy when in fact, they were no such thing. Communication & good mental health would be the best environment for retired & the young. Pleased to see proud females. See more 06/04/2022 This had nothing to do with the Villages. It's about three odd but boring, people. See more 04/09/2022 The images, the light, the atmosphere, and the pace of this film is dead on accurate. Having spent time around older people, retied people, and others in Florida (I happen to be almost 73), I found this film to accurately convey the illusionary fiction of 55+ communities down there. Indeed, I hope the filmmaker goes back to the Villages ten years from now, when the dancing, golf, and drinks by the pool, are replaced with wheelchairs, walkers, and oxygen canisters. From my experiences, cultural pleasure environments are great, but like all things - they are temporary. The Villages are a time bomb, and it's ticking. I'd like the director to do a third film, showing seniors who continue to live vital, creative, and challenging lives. Believe me, we're out here, and we have no interest in second childhoods. See more hugo m @RT25209316 04/02/2022 Found some great real life characters in an interesting place. See more Read all reviews

Some Kind of Heaven

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