Capturing the Friedmans is as much a documentary about the disintegration of a family as it is about the nature of law, the media, and the perception of truth. Jarecki had access to an unprecedented amount of home video footage, which makes for incredibly compelling (and sometimes awkward) viewing and gives a fly-on-the-wall insight normally unobtainable in documentaries of this sort. But the real success here is that the story stays with you; The twists in the case leave you in doubt as to what, or how much, actually happened, and perhaps we will never really know. To some this may be frustrating... but I found it all the more engaging as a result.

What a clusterfuck of a case.

Engrossing, well captured (mostly due to the Friedmans themselves, using home video), manipulative, harrowing and telling. Definitely one of the better documentaries I have watched.

Unsettling yet insightful. A masterful piece of filmmaking that plays like a psychological drama but delves deep down into family dysfunction, the lies we tell and a worrying flaw in American police investigation protocol.

It will haunt you for days.

This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Engrossing and highly disturbing.

Personally I think this was an astounding, important work in the history of documentaries because it enlightened on a topic I find so interesting, the culpability of self aware, non-practicing child molesters. I grew up so close to the area and how the town built up an unbeatable offensive and the subjects Jarecki uses are a little biased at times but he does keep in some that you don't just loathe so it really works as a sort of unbiased film. The poster says it all.

Best documentary ever made, given how source material was acquired nothing will ever come close

I think The Staircase took some off the thunder from this documentary from me, they both present similar themes, the Friedmans however collapse as a family that clearly is not well cemented, the parents clearly chose to be together well before maturing into actual individuals, and lives the rest of their lives off from that decision. The question of guilt is a weird one, I firmly believe they were not guilty of everything they were accused, however, it's clear the father was guilty of other similar crimes, so it seems likely that at least a few of these crimes he is accused from must be true and the foundation for the fabrication of the rest.

One of the most perfect documentaries ever made. Andrew Jarecki manages to look at every side of this terrible story in a way that constantly makes you question your initial impressions.

This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.

An extremely unsettling documentary. The poster asks the question 'who will you believe?' But this is no run of the mill whodunit, it is a complex story which just about ruins the lives of all involved.

από τα σημαντικότερα ντοκιμαντέρ των τελευταίων 15 χρόνων

αν υποθέσουμε πως υπάρχουν εκείνα τα ντοκιμαντέρ που κρατάνε ισορροπία (θα τα πούμε παρατηρησιακά) κι εκείνα που παίρνουν θέση (θα τα πούμε εξηγηματικά), το Capturing the Friedmans και το Paradise Lost είναι οι μπροστάρηδες αντίστοιχα σε αυτά τα είδη και ταυτόχρονα ορίζουν ολόκληρο θεματικό υποείδος, αυτών που κινούνται γύρω από ένα έγκλημα