The Grab

A recent problem that has been created by the multitude of generic flavored Netflix and Amazon Prime docs is that flair and panache have gone MIA. In seeking out truths and exposing unflattering wares, filmmakers of today seemed to have forgotten there are two equal and important parts when making a successful documentary - education AND entertainment. Not that Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite isn't one to provide stark reveals (she was behind the ever-so-effective "Blackfish"), but in the case of her latest "The Grab" it simply boils down to being boring. There's so much info, so much minutiae and so much dark detail that there's simply no room for audience engagement. So while it's fascinating to see previously unknown info about why Russia invaded Ukraine (not surprised in the slightest) and joyous to expose those who use the weak and unknowing for their own enrichment simply because they can (up yours Erik Prince!), without a sense of style to elevate such a big bevy of important material nobody is going to see this film. Presenting a lesson of hard and cold facts are only half the course - it's the ability to also grab the audience's attention that's absent from this class.