SO SURPRISING YOU FORGET IT'S REAL

Mole Man is a documentary following a 66-year-old man with undiagnosed autism that has built a complex structure in his parents' backyard without the use of nails or mortar. It recently screened at the Florida Film Festival, which peaked my interest.

I thought that the story of the film was great. It's so many things at once, but much like the home built by the film's subject, each part helps support the other, creating a cohesive and sturdy hole. It's a really enjoyable film to watch because of the charisma of the subject. Even though he is on the autism spectrum, he's surprisingly comfortable with the camera and has an admirable on-screen presence. On one hand, it is a commentary on the system that was designed to handle people with his condition. The film delivers some important commentary on this topic and uses Ron's family as emotional grounding to make the audience sympathize with this storyline more. Another part of the film is a portrait of an artist. The film (rightfully) seems fascinated with the home that Ron has built and the process by which he built it. I found this storyline to be captivating because of how unique Ron's story is and how impressive his accomplishments are. Yet another aspect of the film is an Indiana Jones-style adventure film as we follow Ron and his friends as they explore and search for the Piney mansion. This has to be the most enjoyable part of the film because it feels like an actual adventure. These three storylines combine to create a film that is thoroughly touching, inspirational, and entertaining.

The film is also very well-made. The cinematography is great. I love how the filmmakers used the camera to capture the craftsmanship of Ron's home. There is a scene in which a sped up shot is featured as the camera navigates the labyrinth-like corridors of the structure. There are also some very impressive aerial shots that capture the scope of the outside. There are also some animated sequences that help to express the storyline, and these are very well done. The only thing that even came close to bothering me was that subtitles were consistently used for Ron's characters. There are some times in which his speech does begin to get quick or his accent gets thick, but most of the time, I could understand him perfectly well. This isn't exactly a bad thing, but I'm not sure if it was a necessary decision.

Overall, I was very impressed by Mole Man. It's a fun, well-shot documentary whose story is so surprising that you can forget it's real at times. I highly recommend that you check out this film when you get the chance.

-Big Tuna