Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Good documentaries, interesting film concepts, mockumentaries
Likes: Activism
Dislikes: Censorship
Hates: The Bush administration, Red state politics

The Movie
I love a good mockumentary. There's something fun about a film that attempts to look, sound and feel like something real, mainly because it takes up the concept of truth being stranger than fiction. There's also an admirable amount of effort and technical know-how that goes into faking something and making it feel real. The big problem withmockumentaries is that they are almost entirely hit or miss, and there are more Never Been Thaweds out there than there are This is Spinal Taps. The F Word falls somewhere in between, mainlybecase it works so well as part of the documentary genre, both to its benefit and against it.

A blending of truth and fiction is a great metaphor for American society as a whole, were "reality" TV is escapism and the government packages their own news. The F Word does a very good job of blending the reality of New York, circa the 2004 Republican National Convention, with a fictional story about a radio station being shut down by the FCC forobscenity . It is, in fact, so good at blending these elements, that the line is beyond blurred. As Joe (Josh Hamilton) wanders an angry, invaded city, talking to people about their opinions regarding the convention, the Bush administration and why they themselves are in New York.

Some of the performances by the interview subjects are a bit obvious (such as when a Ralph Nader-supporting construction worker faces off with a tie-wearingneocon ), but overall, the filmmakers and actors do a nice job of presenting a wide range of viewpoints about politics and policies in a way that feels real most of the time, mixed with footage of the RNC. If I needed any proof that they were believable, my wife provided it, walking in 15 minutes into the film and thinking it was all a documentary. The only time you will lose the reality of it all is an unusual (and probably unnecessary dream/drug trip sequence, which features a cameo by the great Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind).

Hamilton's performance as the pissed-off, yet relatively nonchalant DJ does a good job of creating a believable character, one who would be able, and want to move amongst the protesters and record history as it happens. Yes, the film has a one-sided point-of-view for the most part, but it does a very good job of illustrating that point of view. Whether you agree with it isn't the point. It's only important that this POV is expressed, even if the way it's expressed is fictional in spots.

That's probably the most fascinating part of the film, the way it moves somewhat seamlessly from the reality of the RNC protests to the fictional attempt to spotlight the many people wronged by the right. The resulting film is striking and intriguing, from the disturbing footage of police riot control to a stripper enthusiastic about the RNC's after-hours entertainment money. It's certainly a film preaching to the choir in terms of its message, but it's singing a fun, inventive song.

The DVD
A one-disc release, this movie is packed in a standard keepcase. The disc features an anamorphic widescreen main menu, with options watch the film, select scenes, check out special features and adjust the audio. Dolby Digital 2.0 and 5.1 soundtracks are available, but there are no captions or subtitles.

The Quality
Independently shot on borrowed cameras and a hyper-low budget, the quality of the film changes throughout, but on average, a grainy, washed-out look helps sell the reality of the handheld footage. There's no dirt or damage in the anamorphicwidescreen transfer, and no digital artifacts that interfere with the film's look.

The 5.1 soundtrack is mainly a center-channel dialogue-heavy performance, with the surround speakers handling some minor atmospheric effects. The sound is uniformly good throughout the film, though there's nothing dynamic about it. Again, it fits a documentary, helping push forward the ruse.

The Extras
First up is a feature-length audio commentary with Hamilton, director Jed Weintrob, producers Christian Bruun and Nick Goldfarb, DP Heather Green and assistant editor Rosie Nakamura. This conversational track focuses mainly on the experience of shooting the movie, what it was like filming during the RNC, and the effort to mix reality and fiction. It's a good listen, and will clear up any questions you have about which people were real and which weren't.

Nine additional scenes are also available on the DVD, including a pair of scenes presented without the alterations seen in the film. Nothing here would have changed the final film, but they are worth a look anyway. Optional audio commentary is available for each, talking about why the scenes didn't make it into the movie or about the process involved in shooting them. There's no play-all option unfortunately.

The film's trailer wraps things up.

The Bottom Line
The film may not have the greatest story, from beginning to end, but the concept and execution deserve a great deal of credit (even if it does crib liberally from Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and admits it right on the package.) The guessing game of what's real and what's not adds another layer of enjoyment to a film that is unique and well-made, and as good or better a look at the chaos of the 2004 Republican National Convention as the established news organizations gave us. The DVD presents the film in quality condition, with a couple of extras that are worth the time it takes to check them out. Anti-fans of George W. Bush, history buffs and those interested in experimental film should find something to like here in this interesting little movie.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.