The political tale our our time: Josh Kriegman & Elyse Steinberg's riveting, baffling WEINER

Why is the new documentary, WEINER -- about the hoped-for comeback then further implosion of the political career of former congressman and would-be mayor of New York City, Anthony Weiner -- so redolent of the time in which we live? For the simple (or not so) reason that -- unlike, say, the 1970s politician Gary Hart (and so many others) who placed his actual penis inside of someone outside his marriage, was found out by the press (he stupidly taunted them, as I recall) and had his political career destroyed -- Mr. Weiner's wiener, so far as we know, never entered a vagina other than his wife's. His was a "virtual reality" scandal in which nothing more than a photograph of his dick was placed online, by the man himself, for a lady friend (or several) to view and appreciate.

Now, this was every bit as stupid as Mr. Hart's actions, and even if it does not make the man an adulterer, it brands Weiner (shown at right and below) as a wannabe one, as well as someone just a little too stupid -- for all his seeming intelligence and progressive politics -- to be given his constituents' trust and votes. How does something like this happen? Particularly to a man who otherwise would seem to have so much to offer? This is the question, among some other good ones, that filmmakers Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg (shown below) try to address in their new, eponymously-titled documentary. And it is one that really needs an answer. seeing as how the Internet and its discontents are with us--constantly seducing us--in more and more ways these days.

One can certainly understand how politicians -- who self-aggrandize to the point that they can seem, in the mirror anyway, to be all-powerful -- would use their power to obtain extra-curricular sex whenever possible. But what accounts for doing all this in "virtual reality," a non-place in which the payoff is.... well, what, exactly? On-line masturbation? Or maybe a "sense" of intimacy with (or power over) women you actually don't need to get to know? Clearly, the candidate, while imploding, was in no mood, nor did the situation make it easy, to address the question. At one point in the film, Mr. Weiner seems to think about this and expresses some thoughts regarding the "appeal" and "intimacy" of the Internet. But we need to go much deeper into this subject, and not simply where politicians are concerned. Why do kids post such compromising photos of themselves online? Why did Hillary use an illegal form of email to do government business? The Internet entices us all -- and it is not private, hello! -- with the results of its usage all too often unintended and harmful.

So, other than touching on this important subject, what else do we get from this unusual documentary? The two filmmakers were originally hired to document the candidate's run for mayoral office, and once the campaign began, along with the further revelations of Weiner's "sexting," the filmmakers simply stayed on -- through thick and thin. To his credit (or maybe his hubris), Weiner allowed them to continue filming, and the result is the fly-on-the-wall document we can now view. Alternately surprising, funny but mostly sad, we come to see and somewhat know Weiner, his wife Huma (above, right) and his campaign staff of energetic, likeable kids who care about their candidate and what he stands for.

The documentary, as you may have gathered already, is about as up-close-and-personal as one could get in terms of what is going on, and why. Weiner is smart, articulate and seemingly well-intentioned. We watch him march in parades, talk to the voters, speak on City Island, and even after the further degradations are out of the bag, his words and ideas still resonate. (Hell, even now, I'd vote for this guy over a pompous, phony windbag like Donald Trump -- whose probably tiny dick has undoubtedly been in more out-of-wedlock habitats than those of most politicians.)

Throughout this documentary, the ongoing feeling is one one of sadness for the people and their situation: Here, again, is a gifted, caring politician who lets his cock get the better of his brain until his career implodes. It's the old story in a newer, virtual setting. The results, however, are pretty much the same. "You are there" at each step along the way, and at the end, waste and sorrow reign.

Weiner, from Sundance Selects/IFC Films opened last week in New York and L.A. and goes nationwide tomorrow, Friday, May 27. Here in South Florida, you can see it in the Miami area at The Tower Theater, The Bill Cosford Cinema, and the O Cinema-Wynwood; in Fort Lauderdale it will play at the Classic Gateway.  

Mora Stephens' ZIPPER gives Patrick Wilson another plum role in a poorly-marketed movie

Let's once again sing the praises of Patrick Wilson. This under-appreciated actor labors consistently in film and television, in projects that are very good yet often quirky enough to end up under-seen. Moving quickly and gracefully from award-winning work in legitimate theater to one of the lead roles in the Mike Nichols-directed Angels in America for HBO, Wilson soon became a staple in the stable of highly accom-plished movie and TV actors.

Wilson, shown above at left and below, has appeared in some of my favorite films -- check out his work in The Ledge or Stretch for a sample of his versa-tility and how he can use his charisma in both major and understated ways -- and now he appears in one of those little movies that, in its way, is as much of a character study as is the subject of yesterday's post, Mangle-horn. Yet, the film is receiving one of the stupidest marketing campaigns ever to sink a Blu-ray/DVD release.

The quote featured on the cover art calls ZIPPER "this year's Gone Girl." Hello? Because the two movies have nothing at all to do with each other, this sets up the viewer for an expectation that can never be met. On the back of the box, from the same critic, is plastered, "The grown -up thriller of  the year," although the film is not a thriller at all. There's barely a thrill in it (though it contains one very well-executed sequence of suspense), nor, I suspect, was it the intention of co-writer (with Joel Viertel) and director, Mora Stephens, to give it many "thrills." This kind of marketing assures that the movie will be perceived as worse than it is by setting up certain expectations and then consistently trouncing them.

Ms. Stephens's story (the filmmaker is shown at right) and the manner in which she presents it, make it clear that she's most interested in the character of the man Mr. Wilson portrays. Sam Ellis is a high-level federal prosecutor whose addiction to pornography moves into the area of escort services. And if you pooh-pooh this as simply unbelievable that a family man and successful public figure would endanger his career in this way, I offer you but two words: Eliot Spitzer.  Or two more: Anthony Weiner. Or even two more: Ashley Madison. So much for the movie's premise being suspect.

I began this film not knowing who had directed it. I just shoved the disc into my Blu-ray and began watching. Around halfway along I found myself wondering if it was not directed by a woman because the sympathy of the filmmaker seemed to be much more all-inclusive than in most male-directed movies I've seen. And the main interest of the writer/director appeared to be on how and why our "hero" keeps doing what he's doing.

Wilson does a bang-up job of showing us his family-man side (above),along with his confused, addicted, turned-on outer self and turned-off inner self -- never more so than in one scene that takes place in a car in a parking garage with one of his escorts (a fine job by Penelope Mitchell), during which Wilson's character goes from A to B to C (well, it's more like A to F to Z) in a single amazingly rich and disturbing scene that underscores just how strong an obsession it is that has this man in thrall.

In the supporting cast, strong performances are given by Lena Headey (above and above) as Sam's wife (there's one scene here in which you'll peg this couple as just a few steps away from the one in the American version of House of Cards);

by Ray Winstone, as a noted political journalist; and by Richard Dreyfuss (shown below) as a political king-maker and Dianna Agron (above, right) as one of those nubile and upwardly mobile interns. The political and moral machinations here are nothing new, but the interesting viewpoint Stephens brings, and the depth given by Wilson help the movie resonate.

Zipper is certainly not a great film by any means. But it is much better than you'll have heard. Just don't expect thrills and some Gone Girl scenario. It's out now on Blu-ray and DVD -- from Alchemy and running 112 minutes.

Photos above are from the film itself, with the 

exception of that of the director (by Hilary Bronwyn Gayle) 

and the initial photo of Mr. Wilson (by George Pimentel, 

courtesy of Getty Images).