So I watched this documentary a few weeks ago, but it was on someone's TV rather than my computer, and if you read my blog you know how much screenshots really help me. I scanned through the film on Netflix to get the screenshots and refresh my memory.
The first thing I want to talk about is the interview of Burt. It's not the very first interview they show of him, but it is the most used throughout the film and incredibly visual appealing. I love the red chair he's sitting on and the cabin sitting perfectly in the background. What stands out to me, though, is the screen they used to offset the background from Burt. He really pops against what could be a brightly lit, distracting background. I have done an outdoor interview before, and it was very beautiful, but the scene behind my subject was very clean. I love how the filmmakers creatively solved a problem and I think it turned out beautifully.
The character of Burt is just a gem. He doesn't hold back at all. He's very stubborn, he doesn't want to be around a lot of people, especially corporate types, but he seems to love the attention he gets when he goes oversees.
I loved that this was more than a documentary about a company and its origins, and it was more than a documentary about an old grumpy man. There are so many layers to this film. There are also a lot of important supporting players in this film.
Some of the important supporting people are:
Burt's Taiwanese guide, who is so sweet and welcoming.
Burt's assistant, who has to put up with some hilarious, painstaking tasks.
Burt's brother, who lives in England and is completely different from Burt.
The son of Burt's former business partner, who seems to really understand the whole story.
That story being, how Burt got edged out of Burt's Bees. Back in the day, he was selling honey on the roadside, and then branching out a little to the markets. He met Roxanne Quimby who convinced him to market his products and sell more than just honey. The company grew quickly.
I love that we get to meet the designer who came up with the original art for Burt's Bees, art that has become iconic.
So Roxanne moved the company and made Burt unhappy for many reasons, and she bought out his share in the company, which he eventually regretted.
There are so many layers and the story is told very well. The videography is also beautiful and it often adds to the quirkiness of the film.
I definitely recommend this film. There are many moments that will make you laugh, moments that will inspire you, and moments that will make you think about what you really want to be doing on this earth. It's a wonderful film.