The Boulevard of (Broken?) Dreams
Reviewed by Jillian Zeidner
January 11th, 2008
Everyone, at one point or another, has wondered what it would be like to be a superhero. They have cool costumes, awesome superhuman powers, and everyone loves them. It would be the best job on earth, right? Maybe not. Confessions of a Superhero, a documentary directed by Matt Ogens, looks at the ups and downs of living the life of a superhero by profiling four people who do. Well, minus the superhuman powers.
There is Christopher Dennis, who is obsessed with Superman and claims he is the son of a famous actress; Joe McQueen, a formerly homeless African American man with dreams as big as his Incredible Hulk costume; Jennifer Gehrt, a small town cheerleader turned Wonder Woman; and Maxwell Allen, a Batman with a few skeletons in his closet and some serious anger issues. They all hope to be discovered by talent agents or directors, but meanwhile they play superheroes on Hollywood Boulevard, often referred to as the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, and earn their money by taking pictures with tourists and receiving tips. There are heartbreaking moments and uplifting moments, but throughout the movie, each character maintains the steadfast belief that they will get their big break any minute. This belief is what creates the tone of the movie, an overarching feel of dreams broken and mended.
However, this total and unfaltering faith in one’s self does not exist for everyone. Take, for example, Dave Eggers. In his memoir, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, he always doubts himself and his abilities. He wants to matter and takes steps to make his mark on the world, but even when he gains minor fame as an editor of Might Magazine in San Francisco, he still feels incredibly inadequate and is always worried about doing something wrong. He never thinks he’s good enough to be famous or to matter. But the people that this film focuses on are at the other end of the spectrum. They have complete confidence that they will someday get their big break.
The beginning is a little hectic and somewhat confusing because the movie starts right in on each person’s life, and their real names are not obvious. In interviews, they even refer to each other by the characters they play, rather than their names. However, this provides the first hint of a message, that so few actually become famous actors and actresses, and that there are thousands of nameless hopefuls in Los Angeles who are also waiting for their big breaks. It also seems at first to be only about Superman/Christopher Dennis, but as the movie progresses, the film seems to become more organized and engaging, especially when the focus shifts from Dennis to the other characters. By the end, the audience has been taken on a roller coaster of emotions that is not easily forgotten. The movie is poignant and moving, enforcing the true power of belief in one’s self and revealing how much can be achieved with just a little bit of faith.
There are some moments of genuine humor that could only arise out of unscripted, real situations, but for the most part the film maintains a serious tone about the topic that is being presented, which is vital to the film. It seems like the filmmakers could have walked the fine line between revealing lives and mocking them, but they never toe this line by giving an honest portrayal of these real people. Despite occasional humor, the film goes back and forth, equal parts inspiring and tragic in its overwhelming reality and honesty. Moments with the spouses of some of the characters help the audience further understand the drive of the characters and their lives when they are not acting as superheroes, and add a certain tenderness to the film. There are also moments that the audience can’t help but sympathize with the subjects of the film. When The Incredible Hulk/Joe McQueen goes back to where he slept when he was homeless, there is no way that anyone watching the film could not understand his pain at remembering hard times. Or when Wonder Woman/Jennifer Gehrt’s marriage falls apart and she breaks down in tears at an interview, it is hard to resist the urge to cry with her.
The artful mixing of archival footage, such as news clips and home movies, and primary footage creates a situation in which the audience feels as if they are watching something authentic. The director also uses still photos taken during the making of the movie, mainly during transitions from character to character, and these make even the transitions interesting. And for the most part, the footage seems real, as opposed to reenactments or staged scenes. Each superhero is interviewed in various places, including on the street while they are working, at their homes, and in a studio. The interviews in the studio seem to be more set up than the others, but even these feel authentic and real. While the filmmaker is generally observational, there are points where his voice can be heard off-camera, but those moments almost add to the reality of it all because the director is not trying to pretend that the subjects are just speaking of their own accord.
A major criticism of this movie would be that nothing really happens, or that there is no real climax and subsequent denouement. But in some ways, it is nice to have a movie where nothing happens, because in life there are not really high speed car chases or martial arts gurus all the time. And the fact that the director did not attempt to construct an artificial plotline only enforces the authenticity and reality of the piece.
The closing footage of the film of each character putting on costumes and makeup aptly closes the movie with thought-provoking images. This footage sums up the movie nicely, reiterating the emphasis on how each person has two identities, and that there are real people under the costumes. The film is definitely worth the hour and a half or so that it takes to watch, and reveals the “secret” lives of people who are known more for their superhero identities than their real ones. Besides, who doesn’t want to be a superhero now and then?