Fake It So Real
| Fake It So Real | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Robert Greene |
| Produced by | Douglas Tirola |
| Starring |
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| Distributed by | Factory 25 |
Release date |
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Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Fake It So Real is a 2011 American present tense documentary film that follows a group of ragtag wrestlers in North Carolina as they prepare for a big show. Functioning both as an essay on performance and a commentary on the working-class South.[1]
Synopsis
[edit]Director Robert Greene is cousins with amateur wrestler Chris Solar.[2] This connection sparked the idea to make a film about the wrestling scene in working class North Carolina. The film follows the preparation for a DIY match, tracking wrestlers Gabriel Croft, J-Prep, Keith Matthews, Pitt, Zane Riley, Brandon Powers, David Hayes, Hojo Devlin, Mikado, and AG Smooth.[3]
Robert Greene describes the film as "Fake It So Real follows a group of independent pro wrestlers in North Carolina over one week leading up to a single show.[4] What emerges over this week is the sense of purpose that wrestling gives these guys and the camaraderie and real family that they create around their passion for performing and competing for a small but very vocal fanbase. The film is really about doing something that matters to you at all costs.[5]"
Critical reception
[edit]The New York Times called the film "agonizingly genuine" [6] while The New Yorker's Richard Brody said "Though the matches themselves, with their crude narrative frameworks and stereotypes, may be something of an anticlimax, the film unearths the tough and complex life experiences they distill."
The film played at both Maryland Film Festival and Visions du Reel,[7] eventually being released by Factory 25. In 2024 Vinegar Syndrome released a special edition Blu-ray of the film.
Awards
[edit]- Nominated, Best Documentary Feature
References
[edit]- ^ "There's no business like show business movie review (2012) | Roger Ebert". Archived from the original on 2024-08-01. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ ""Fake It So Real" Gets Real Recognition". Archived from the original on 2024-08-01. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ "'Fake It So Real' about more than wrestling". Archived from the original on 2024-08-01. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ "Review: Fake It So Real". Slant Magazine. 12 January 2012. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ "Meet the Filmmaker: Robert Greene ("Fake It So Real")". 25 July 2011. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ Webster, Andy (13 January 2012). "Major Pain, Minor Glory". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ "Fake It So Real (2011) | MUBI". Archived from the original on 2024-08-01. Retrieved 2024-08-01.