Review: Before I say anything else, I must warn you that this is a MOCKUMENTARY. Yes, it is not a documentary, but, if you watch this film, you will understand why I'm including this review on the site (other than the fact that I'm a southerner). Moving on to the review itself, this is a hard film to recommend because only the last five minutes or so warrant any reason for watching this. For the most part, it was a let down, as director Kevin Willmot tried to do something that only worked against the general mockumentary motifs. Why does it not really work? Because so much of the film feels like a History channel special- something that you just can't truly laugh at. This of course would be fine because it made the audience think about the “what if's” of history, however, the commercials you find are so ridiculous and over the top, that they run counter to this other trend. In this way, the film becomes disjointed and rough, making me laugh hysterically at some parts and quickly turning more somber during other parts. Again however, the end of the documentary puts this all into perspective and leaves viewers thinking about society in general, rather than the “what it's” that were originally prevalent. With that in mind, the research put into this mockumentary is somewhat astounding as it provides a rather detailed and potentially believable history for the alternative universe it has created. It addresses various situations in U.S. and World history from either a logical, or factual perspective and this makes it an intriguing film to watch simply because it is based more on fact than fiction or satire. However, in the end, the appeal and hype (for me) surrounding this movie was not met and I ultimately felt let down. If you are a history buff, I'd recommend it, but if you are just a casual movie watcher, the end doesn't truly justify the means here. Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 3 - Though most of it is fictionalized, the end adds an interesting twist. Entertainment: 3- Shot exactly like a history channel documentary, this mockumentary ignores subtle strokes that could have made it more of a satire. Technical: 3 - Nothing truly amazing, and old footage appears to be obviously fake, which ran counter to the rest of the film's style. Overall: 3 - the real punch to this entire film comes at the very end. Though this is quite hard hitting, the other 80 minutes seem almost like fluff.
Confederate States of America
Format: DVD Year: 2004 Running Time: 89 Min Distributor: IFC Films and Hodcarrier FIlms Producer: Rick Cowan Director: Kevin Willmot Date Reviewed: 4-18-2007 Story: This is a mockumentary set in a contemporary, alternative world where the Confederate States of America managed to win the American Civil War. A British film documentary examines the history of this nation, beginning with its conquest of the northern states, and finishing in present times. Interspersed throughout are various TV commercials and public service announcements.