As "2nd Chance" (2022 release; 89 min) opens, we are introduced to Richard Davis, an oddball entrepreneur in upper Michigan who basically invested the modern-look bulletproof vest in the 1970s and as we still know it today. One of Davis' marketing tools were his homemade videos in which he pointed guns at himself and shot himself while wearing his body armor. But it isn't long before there is a darker side to this guy than just these bulletproof vests... At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.
Couple of comments: this is the latest from writer-producer-director Ramin Bahrani ("The White Tiger"). Set in 7 chapters and an epilogue, he exposes a slice of Americana that is rather strange. I mean, you can't make this stuff up! I'm not going to spoil your viewing experience in any way. I will just say this that this feels like a very Upper Michigan-centric story. In all, this documentary flew by in no time. As an aside, I've no idea why the film is called "2nd Chance", as Davis' company is clearly called "Second Chance", not "2nd Chance".
"2nd Chance" premiered in late '22. I stumbled on it on Showtime and streamed it just the other night. If you like a good documentary or are curious about this oddball entrepreneur, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
