This piece is part of the CBC series "Outfront", a collection of first person documentaries. To my ear, this piece is way too contrived, and seems a complicated and unsuccessful effort to duplicate what the first person essay series "This I Believe" does so effectively. Where "This I Believe" is powerful, "Outfront" just calls attention to itself. It's too rehearsed, and you can almost see where the script says "chuckle here" or "cue the sigh". The production is painful, unnecessarily complicated and drawn out. By the time it grinds to its excruciating end, I don't care about the memories or feelings of the subject anymore, I just want it to be over.
Review of The Life Of Pie
Phil Corriveau
Posted on October 22, 2006 at 01:02 PM
This piece is part of the CBC series "Outfront", a collection of first person documentaries. To my ear, this piece is way too contrived, and seems a complicated and unsuccessful effort to duplicate what the first person essay series "This I Believe" does so effectively. Where "This I Believe" is powerful, "Outfront" just calls attention to itself. It's too rehearsed, and you can almost see where the script says "chuckle here" or "cue the sigh". The production is painful, unnecessarily complicated and drawn out. By the time it grinds to its excruciating end, I don't care about the memories or feelings of the subject anymore, I just want it to be over.