#10. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
(director: Seth Gordon; starring Steve Wiebe, Billy Mitchel and Walter Day)
Many fictional movies these days can have difficulty creating a narrative imperative with sympathetic characters in which a genuine sense of pathos is felt when the good guy looses and the bad guy wins, as well as crafting a sense of place and time in a world different from our own and yet one we can still strongly relate to, as well as to the struggles and triumphs of the central character. Seth Gordon’s 2007 film about competitive Donkey Kong players miraculously manages to be all of that, and maybe a little bit more. Oh, and it’s also a documentary. Many people watching it for the first time can be convinced that what they’re watching is some sort of Spinal Tap-esque mockumentary, so outrageous can some of the characters and situations seem. The players include Billy Mitchell, long-time world champion with hair like a snake oil salesman, hell-bent on retaining his title at any cost; Steve Wiebe, down-on-his luck do-gooder looking to Donkey Kong as a way to retain his dignity after multiple job layoffs; and many other oddballs and eccentrics including referee Walter Day (I wanted to be a hero. I wanted to be the center of attention. I wanted the glory, I wanted the fame. I wanted the pretty girls to come up and say, ‘Hi, I see that you’re good at Centipede.’) and one fellow with the distinct pleasure of introducing himself as “Mr. Awesome”. For the most part comedy abounds throughout the film but there are some tender, heartfelt scenes along with some real nail-biters in order to round out the emotional spectrum felt during its 79 minute runtime. For anyone that still harbors the notion that documentary filmmaking is always either a dry presentation of names and facts or political blowhards trying to sway you to take their position, you need to see the King of Kong; popcorn-munching entertainment doesn’t get much better than this, non-fiction or otherwise.
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