1000 Tiny Birds

This Place Rules (2022)

2023-01-05

Self-styled gonzo journalism from Andrew Callaghan which covers the 2020 election through to the Capital Riot. There are interesting moments dotted throughout, but Callaghan brings very little to the table here. Maybe I just don’t care for contemporary internet humour, it’s possible. But it transcends the annoying millenial-ity of it all. Even he, in a documentary about the Capitol Riot, can’t help himself from something of a “both sides” narrative, which is patently nonsense and frankly dangerous at this point. The only person who spoke any kind of sense in this, including the filmmaker himself, was his seven year old nephew, and if that’s not the most damning indictment on the state of that nation and its journalism, I don’t know what is. It’s also otherwise pretty hollow - its insight into the events is minimal, its detached irony wearing. There’s maybe something to be said for the idea of giving the more fringe, extreme views enough rope to hang themselves, but that requires someone of the calibre of e.g. Jon Ronson to actually be able to tease that out in a judicious, considered way. Andrew Callaghan is no Jon Ronson. Basically, what I suppose I’m saying is, I miss Jon Ronson making stuff more often.