‘Weiner’ documentary not about the punchline, but the politician’s passion and marriage

I had the pleasure of viewing the limited release documentary, Weiner, first thing this morning. If you missed any of the trailers, it is about the disgraced former U.S. Congressman, Anthony Weiner, and his campaign for the mayor of New York City.

The documentary opens on the first day of the Weiner campaign. In fact, Weiner called up his former district chief of staff, Josh Kriegman, got a text from Weiner the morning he announced his candidacy agreeing to do the documentary.

Some critics could argue that this film is meant to help reboot his political career, but if this is the case, it was framed in the opposite fashion.

The heart of the movie is between Weiner and his wife Huma Abedin, and as the movie progresses, you get an insider’s look at the troubled marriage and it becomes more obvious that both are only sticking it out to advance their own political careers. Both Weiner and Abedin come off as cold, lacking emotion, and superficial. In fact, it not until the last 3o minutes that you we really see a genuine moment where Weiner selflessly tells Abedin to slip out the backdoor and escape public ridicule while he takes the fall for his personal failings.

But what was most fascinating about this film — and to me proof that this documentary is not a strategic move of Weiner’s to jump start his political career — is the portrayal of Weiner as a flawed person who does not know when to stop. We all know he is a scrappy fighter — and at one time a golden boy of the Left — but after he fell from grace, we see him continue to throw water onto a grease fire again and again until he goes from the frontrunner to the barely receiving five percent of the electoral vote.

If there is one aspect that does spin Weiner in a favorable light, it is that the viewer comes to realize that Weiner truly cares about the issues on his platform. Less than two weeks until the elections, another titillating revelation into Weiner’s personal life is revealed. His senior advisor tells him the campaign is over and there is nothing to do. However, Weiner does not cancel his speaking engagements and go into hiding. Instead, he goes to City Island where he is booed, but miraculously, he gets the crowd to completely change their attitude and applaud him after they realize he is fighting for the issues he believes matter to New Yorkers.

All in all, this is one of the best documentaries I have seen in the past two years and definitely the top one I have seen all year. I have a qualm with Weiner not opening up completely in this film, but despite this, the viewer does get some insight into the thought process and emotions of this person who has been ridiculed and reduced to a caricature. I highly recommend this film and give it a 9.5 out of 10 stars.