Review of "Strongman"
Stanless Steel can bend pennies with his fingers. He can lift a 9,000-pound truck with his legs. He can twist a rod of steel into an S.
But he can't get his girlfriend Barbara's sister to move out of their apartment. And he can't figure out how to make it in show biz.
Stan's quest for glory and self-realization and Barbara's patience are the subjects of "Strongman," a warts-and-all documentary from first-time director Zachary Levy that moves in close and stays there.
The film isn't that far from last year's "Anvil! The Story of Anvil," which tracked the thin line between dream and delusion as a Canadian rock band tried (and tried and tried) to come back to its '80s glory.
The difference here is that Stan has yet to come forward in the first place. He picks up an occasional TV gig (he lifts three people at once with one finger), he does stunts at local shopping malls, he even plays a birthday party.
But basically he's a burly, aging scrap-metal collector who uses his white-haired girlfriend as an emcee (and she's pretty bad, although she tries).
He works out regularly -- lifting sledgehammers with one hand, toting cement across the yard of his parents' run-down cabin, crimping assorted pieces of metal. And he espouses a pure life of positive thoughts and healthy food.
But then again, he also seems to get wasted pretty regularly, smokes the occasional cigarette or whatever and possesses your basic New Jersey gut.
"Strongman" isn't just about Stan's physical power, though; it's also about his waning strength both in the marketplace and in his relationship with Barbara.
Progress in both areas seems to have stalled, and why doesn't her sister just move out?
That and many other questions are never answered. Levy offers no background on Stan -- although he hangs out a lot with Stan's family and that explains a lot -- and he doesn't press any one point of view or judge.
Ultimately, Levy isn't making a movie about muscle; he's making a movie about flesh, blood, frailty and the sad-sweet illusion of hope.
But he can't get his girlfriend Barbara's sister to move out of their apartment. And he can't figure out how to make it in show biz.
Stan's quest for glory and self-realization and Barbara's patience are the subjects of "Strongman," a warts-and-all documentary from first-time director Zachary Levy that moves in close and stays there.
The film isn't that far from last year's "Anvil! The Story of Anvil," which tracked the thin line between dream and delusion as a Canadian rock band tried (and tried and tried) to come back to its '80s glory.
The difference here is that Stan has yet to come forward in the first place. He picks up an occasional TV gig (he lifts three people at once with one finger), he does stunts at local shopping malls, he even plays a birthday party.
But basically he's a burly, aging scrap-metal collector who uses his white-haired girlfriend as an emcee (and she's pretty bad, although she tries).
He works out regularly -- lifting sledgehammers with one hand, toting cement across the yard of his parents' run-down cabin, crimping assorted pieces of metal. And he espouses a pure life of positive thoughts and healthy food.
But then again, he also seems to get wasted pretty regularly, smokes the occasional cigarette or whatever and possesses your basic New Jersey gut.
"Strongman" isn't just about Stan's physical power, though; it's also about his waning strength both in the marketplace and in his relationship with Barbara.
Progress in both areas seems to have stalled, and why doesn't her sister just move out?
That and many other questions are never answered. Levy offers no background on Stan -- although he hangs out a lot with Stan's family and that explains a lot -- and he doesn't press any one point of view or judge.
Ultimately, Levy isn't making a movie about muscle; he's making a movie about flesh, blood, frailty and the sad-sweet illusion of hope.
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posted by Tom at
8:26 AM
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