Rating:  -
Confessions of a Superhero is, for the most part, everything that a feature-length documentary should be: Interesting, original, well-executed, and entertaining. Its subject matter- the lives an passions of struggling actors who make their livings by dressing up as superheroes and taking pictures with Hollywood tourists for "tips"- is jarringly unique, because it directs our attention to something that most of have never even given a second though to. Indeed, the movie's greatest strength is the warmth and humanity with which it portrays its central characters. It skillfully avoids mockery and melodrama, exploring the quirks of its subjects with good-natured humor, revealing their dreams and struggles with genuine sympathy. The end result is a twisted, but undeniably powerful, take on fame, hope, and the good ol' American Dream. It's occasionally boring, and sometimes redundant, but even its weaker moments are tolerable. And if it never reaches any truly euphoric high points or cathartic epiphanies, that's mostly because life doesn't have many of those. That's not what this movie's about, anyway. This one's for all the little victories and quiet defeats. Enjoy.
Rating:  -
This is a wonderful documentary about the lives of four struggling actors who, while waiting for that big break, dress up like superheros and hustle up a living on tourist tips. The chronicle of these four lives is touching, at times very sad, always hopeful. Jennifer Gerht (Wonderwoman) is a beautiful girl with a ton of soul; Maxwell Allen (Batman) is very angry, damaged, and terribly sensitive; Joseph McQueen (The Incredible Hulk), is a child-like nice guy in a pool of sharks; and finally, Christopher Dennis (Superman) - well, you will have to see Christopher Dennis for yourself. Suffice to say, there is something oddly noble and true about this skinny, intense Superman.
The filmmaker, Matt Ogens, manages to capture the same trait in all four - a never-say-die determination in the face of overwhelming odds; the ability to smile, no matter the hardship or heartbreak. Pretty heroic stuff. --Mykal Banta
Rating: -
CONFESSIONS OF A SUPERHERO is a very well made documentary that is enjoyable to watch. The four people the film focuses on are street performers who make or enhance their livelihoods by dressing up as superheros, hanging out on Hollywood Boulevard and having their pictures taken with tourists for "tips". The tone of the film is very respectful toward this rather odd quartet that portray Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk. Other Hollywood "characters" are briefly mentioned or seen in the film but the movie's attention is almost totally on these four.
The men playing Superman and Batman do look a bit like low rent versions of Christopher Reeve and George Clooney. Superman is a very likable oddball who claims to be the late actress Sandy Dennis's son despite the fact that she had no children and her surviving relatives know nothing about this man. Batman admits to an anger management problem and confesses to a dark past that his own wife estimates is about 50% true but this viewer would guess the truth percentage is even lower and most of the information in this past seems to have popular movies as its source. Jenny who dresses as Wonder Woman is a pretty if slightly plump (by Hollywood standards) young woman who left her small Tennessee town to pursue acting in LA. She is much more in touch with reality than Batman and Superman though she is frustrated in the lack of positive movement toward her acting dreams and we see her young marriage break apart. Joe McQueen is the fourth member of the quartet, a formerly homeless African American man, who wears a suffocatingly hot Incredible Hulk suit and seems the character most likely to actually find some Hollywood success and is cast in a movie during the course of the documentary. A major strength of the film is it avoids seeming condescending to its subjects and only a bit of the superhero's home lives seems staged. This is a great documentary for anyone interested in the lower layer of Hollywood or people living out unusual life choices.
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