Day of the Doc: Confessions of a Superhero

I don't think that reviewing documentaries will necessarily become a weekly thing, but there are some excellent documentaries out there that are in no way so artsy that they would lose the mainstream moviegoer. Confessions of a Superhero is very much along those lines.

Confessions surrounds the lives of four actors who dress up as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, and the Hulk and hang around in front of Mann's Chinese Theater posing in photos for tips. They make anywhere from $30 - $500 per day, so not exactly a predictable income, but potentially sweet.

Like many things LA, the characters have a sort of sad desperation about them, thinking that perhaps Steven Spielberg is going to come by and sweep them off of their rubber-booted feet with a lead role. They all have pretty spotty pasts, and mediocre futures, but they also take some pride in what they do, though I'm equally sure they'd rather be in some really, really bad movie rather than spend another minute in front of Mann's.

Confessions is very human in that it portrays many things about these four people that you can really relate to, not at all progressing like reality television, with slow piano music and slo-mo crying scenes backed with poorly-acted voice-over (if I had a nickel for every one of those).

Actually, it's exceptionally well cut - knitting together scenes that flesh out these people in a way that there own commentary or the insights of those actually shooting the doc never would. It's full of irony and truth, without making any spoon-fed judgments about how you're supposed to feel about them or about what they do.

I think that documentaries have come a long way in the last decade - shifting from something only emos and film school students cared for. Now, they are as well constructed and thought-out as any movie, and tend to come across far more germane because of it.

You don't have to have any interest in LA or super heroes to enjoy Confessions, just plan on doing something fun afterward, as this is ultimately a sad tale of failed dreams - an LA mainstay unfortunately.