Finding Vivien Maier

Rating: 9

Such a mysterious story, and stunningly beautiful photographs. By far the best film I've seen all year.

The Case Against 8

Rating: 8

It won the documentary audience award at AIFF and it's an HBO documentary so, not exactly "independent."  I might argue that the Aaron Swartz documentary deserved it more.

Not that this film isn't excellent.  It's exactly what you'd expect from an HBO documentary about the supreme court fight against California's Proposition 8 and it's thrilling to meet all the players, especially the two couples chosen as plaintiffs in the case.  The lawyers are fascinating too, and I was surprised to learn a major detail about them that I won't spoil here. There isn't much suspense since we go in knowing the outcome, but it's still great be witness to the four-year process.

The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

Rating: 9

This story of the life and death of a brilliant and kind-hearted young activist is heart-wrenching, but I'm so glad the film exists so more people like me will learn about it. I heard about it in the news but didn't know the whole story.  I hope a lot of people see it.