MAY 26, 2016
“Weiner” is a fascinating documentary that is at once compelling, appalling and cringe-inducing, as it captures the self-immolation of a man who is both a born politician and someone in serious need of professional help.
The rise and fall of Anthony Weiner is well known to even those who don’t closely follow the news. A seven-term congressman from New York, Rep. Weiner was known as a Democratic firebrand (there’s a riveting clip included here of Weiner loudly refusing to yield the House floor to the Tea Party) and was hailed by some as a rising star in Democratic ranks.
Then came the tweet.
In May of 2011, Weiner tweeted a photograph of his penis to an adult woman who was following him on Twitter. When the image became public, Weiner came up with the usual excuses — “I was hacked,” “That’s not me,” etc. — for three weeks before admitting the truth and resigning his Congressional seat in June.
And that was that until 2013. Meanwhile, Weiner had been testing the waters for a comeback run for mayor of New York City. A former staff aide and now documentary filmmaker, Josh Kriegman came to Weiner with the idea of making a film of Weiner’s comeback run. Seeing the opportunity for public redemption, Weiner readily agreed to the idea and promised Kriegman and his co-director Elyse Steinberg close access to the candidate.
They certainly got that.
The first part of “Weiner” is the comeback film that Kriegman & Steinberg envisioned. Weiner is shown collecting a staff as well as a loyal group of volunteers, who help the ex-Congressman work the crowds at events all over New York. Though there are occasional catcalls, most New Yorkers appear to be willing to give the disgraced Weiner a second chance, and he quickly rises to the top of political polls.
Then it all goes horribly wrong. Again.
It is revealed that Weiner had sent sexually-explicit photos under the name “Carlos Danger” to a young woman, Sydney Leathers, with whom he had contact since he left Congress. Weiner then admitted that he had sent similar explicit messages to three other women in 2012. Weiner instantly became the object of mockery with the “Carlos Danger” pseudonym, and those voters who were willing to give him a second chance began to desert him in droves.
When the story that you’re filming suddenly goes into a whole different direction, it takes an adept documentarian to switch gears and have the faith to follow where events lead them, not knowing where they’ll wind up. It is at this point where “Weiner” stops being a political documentary that Kriegman & Steinberg really shine. It becomes the story of a marriage, with a man who can’t seem to be able to get out of his own way and his high-profile wife with her own powerful political career.
In fact, “Weiner” is as much about Weiner’s wife Huma Abedin as it is about him. Here is a woman who is arguably Hillary Clinton’s closest (non-Bill) adviser, trying to balance her considerable political responsibilities with those of raising their young son and having to endure the public humiliation of the latest sexual peccadillo of her jackass husband.
For me, the film’s most telling moment was a shot at home with Weiner, on the left side of the frame, replaying his awful performance in an MSNBC interview and reacting giddily because he thinks it went great. At the same moment, in the right side of the frame, is a silent Huma, obviously repelled at what she’s seeing, as she’s likely thinking, “What an asshole.”
The filmmakers are given such intimate access that there are moments when you just want to turn away but you can’t. Your every thought at times is colored with the question “Who in his right mind you let someone film him like this?” A narcissist, that’s who. There is a scene in the film when Weiner intends to come clean with Huma, and, so that they can have a private moment, he asks everyone to leave…except the filmmakers!
“Weiner” is a traffic accident of a story, but Kriegman & Steinberg deliver the goods footage-wise. I can just imagine Anthony Weiner replaying this film over and over at home, reacting giddily because he thinks he looks great. Dream on, Anthony.
GRADE: B+
