Ensofter
Overrated and overhyped
ShangLuda
Admirable film.
Afouotos
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
GarnettTeenage
The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.
jwsx-52230
The movie, Dear Zachary A Letter to a Son About his Father is a heart wrenching documentary about murder. The emotions shown are real and will play in your mind forever. They retell the story as if you knew him personally. The director and narrator a friend of Andrew Bagby, Andrew's father, tells the story perfectly. This movie will emotionally tear your heart in two, this movie will make you feel loss and introduces a cause worth fighting for. The seething anger that this movie shows and the resourcefulness of the parents is awe inspiring. The love shown through Bagby's friends to his parents letting his parents know that they still have kids even though Andrew is gone. The parents even recollect how they thought about committing suicide. The movie has many elements however it uses a lot of jump cuts to show how everyone who was a part of Andrew Bagby's life was affected. The movie opens with people naming characteristics of Mr. Babgy with words such as he was kind, intelligent, funny. The parents are shown and are crying the dad is seething that his son was murdered. The director interviews friends from med school, high school, and even family. The way this movie flows is exquisite. The music in the background sets the tone and since the narrator is the director and Bagby's friend he already establishes his ethos.The movie was about Andrew Bagby who was in a relationship with Shirley Turner. As their relationship grows distant Turner murders Bagby. The raw footage and reactions are almost unbearable to watch. The movie is uncomfortable to watch and makes you question how criminals are dealt with. The parents are the heroes of this story fighting for change always being proactive. Shirley Turner could get out of jail two times on bail for murder. The system allowed her to kill not only Bagby with no repercussion but the kid that Turner had with Andrew Bagby. The system in Newfoundland Canada must be changed and Andrew Bagby's parents are fighting for this to happen. The call to arms in the movie moved me in a way I didn't think was possible in a documentary. The movie uses footage not only of interviews but of the real-life situation what was playing out while the director was filming it. The firsthand account of Zachary's death even surprised the viewer. Every person, every situation seems so tangible. We even get to see how Bagby grew up because of the director making movies with his friends as a kid.In conclusion, this movie was a roller coaster of emotions that I cannot recommend enough. The director being so close to Bagby as a friend made the film from just a tribute to a masterpiece. Dear Zachary A Letter to a Son About his Father was meant for Bagby's son so he could know about his dad but was taken to soon. Is there any justice in the system to find out more follow Katie and David Bagby's story and fight to remove bail from murderers.
colin Bradley
This Documentary ranks in the top 3 documentaries of all time next to 'Thin Blue Line' and 'Man on Wire'. Some people may dispute my top 3 list, however I will argue why I think that Dear Zachary is better than the other two. Thin Blue Line was notable for exonerating a man from a wrongful conviction. Man on Wire is a real life heist movie with an incredible story about the World Trade Towers in New York.Dear Zachary encompasses two themes that mirror the aforementioned and combine into a greater narrative: the story of an evil murderous woman who was never properly convicted and a story of several terrible crimes that went unpunished and lead to the exposure of major dysfunction in the Canadian justice/legal system. This documentary is not for the weak of heart but for those interested in the film aspects, it is evident that the filmmaker has made a painstaking effort to assemble footage in a way that hurt his very soul to share with you. A more honest documentary has never been made.
gnarlycharlie34
This documentary is a thing of beauty. I fancied watching a true crime documentary so I googled the top documentaries to watch and this came up as an option. It is quite different to any other true crime documentary I have seen as it focuses heavily on the emotional side of things. I almost turned it off after 10 minutes as I wasn't really in the mood for what I could tell was going to be a tearjerker but I'm glad I stuck with it. I think it is best to just watch Dear Zachary without reading too much into it so I won't go into any more detail for this review but all I can say is it touched me like no documentary ever has.
Maz Murdoch (asda-man)
I've seen a lot of depressing films and consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of the sub-genre. I love tragic films like Dancer in the Dark, Amour, Martyrs etc. all of which have reduced me to teary eyes which is something I never normally do. Dear Zachary is without a doubt the most heart-wrenchingly devastating film I have ever seen. Nothing I've seen has come close to the sheer power of this film.I went in almost totally blind and would urge everyone else to do the same. Dear Zachary left me utterly stunned and I'm sure if I didn't watch it with my family then I would've broken down into sobs. Tears clouded my vision, my heart thumped like a train, chills covered my spine and my lip quivered. This might sound like a regular occurrence for the more sensitive amongst you who weep at Marley and Me and Beaches, but no film has ever affected me so physically like Dear Zachary has.It's impossible to rate and review this film because to do so would take away its importance. Dear Zachary is beyond a rating, it's absolutely crucial viewing for everyone to see how the law can absolutely wreck people's lives. The film is made by one Zachary's father's closest friends so it's made with a raging passion which grabs you right from the start. There are images and sounds within which will haunt you forever.No fictional film could ever come up with a story as shocking as this.