Tony Silver Movies
- 2006
In an era in which big-name labels are frequently accused of resorting to sweatshop tactics as a means of keeping rising production costs in check, filmmaker Amie Williams turns her lens on the Los Angeles garment industry to investigate trendy clothing manufacturers American Apparel and SweatX's fervently vocal commitment of to creating "sweat-free" threads. Founded on 2.5 million dollars provided by noted ice-cream manufacturer-cum-social activist Ben Cohen (of Ben and Jerry's fame), SweatX claims to pay workers respectable living wages while also offering benefits and a comfortable work environment. Just a few blocks away, American Apparel boasts similar claims of benevolent worker treatment. In contrast to their commendable claims, however, the controversies that swirl around Canadian-born American Apparel founder Dov Charney cast the success of that particular company in a notably different light. As Williams launches an all-encompassing, year-long investigation into both companies that finds her speaking to employees about their dreams in the garment industry, comparing and contrasting their divergent business paradigms, and tracking a sizable union drive, viewers may find themselves faced with a difficult set of decisions when the time finally comes to purchase that new fall wardrobe. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Calisthenic breakdancing and big, bold graffiti art were in top form and popularity in the U.S. in the early and mid-'80s, and this documentary extols the spirit and the talents of a variety of New York youngsters who were expert in either one or both of these challenging pastimes. Public reactions are wildly varied. On the one hand, the youth brave a police crackdown on graffiti and face barbed-wire fences and guard dogs in the railroad yards where they spray paint subway cars with oversized lettering. On the other hand, their art is shown in a municipal gallery and analyzed with the same seriousness as a Rembrandt or a Renoir. Whether viewers judge the graffiti an "eyesore" or a bit of post-modern expressionism, it is true that both the art and the dancing are incisively presented in this hour-long exploration. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
