U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner had a last name that is a tabloids wet dream. The fact that he also happened to be one of the more scandalous politicians in recent history that seemed to be a master at self sabotage, was the stuff of journalistic heaven, with tabloids and front page headlines that wrote themselves.
Directors Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg followed Weiner during his campaign running for Mayor of New York City in 2013. This was his return to the political landscape after the embarrassment of sending out a picture of his own weiner to twitter, with the irony of it all not lost on anyone. He owned up to to his mistake during a press conference, admitting that the mistake was indeed of his own doing, and that he had about half a dozen or so exchanges with about six different women. Another photo emerged and soon his resignation from Congress was in.
Here we are in 2013 and he’s running for mayor. He’s actually polling well, that is until more explicit photos are leaked online, accompanied by the text messages that Weiner sent out along to them. The disgrace not only tarnishes any chance of him winning the election, but further damage his now rocky relationship with wife Huma Abedin. Not only was this embarrassing for her on an understandable personal level but also considering that she was a respected political aide to Hillary Clinton.
It’s amazing and almost uncomfortable how close that Kriegman and Steinberg follow all these happenings as they’re unfolding, especially the at home and private moments shared between Weiner and Abedin. There’s even a point where the directors ask Weiner directly why they’re letting them filming it, and he’s not even sure. But it provides us a raw look at a once respected political figures downfall, straight from the horses mouth (mostly).
Of course we feel bad for Abedin whose name is continuously dragged into the mud because of her husband, but by the end of the film you do feel a bit of Weiner not as a political, but as a human being. He’s made his mistakes, and throughout the documentary, offers candid explanations and his take on his rash choices. But he’s human and like us, isn’t perfect. But unfortunately for him, he did it as a large scale figure and this will be his legacy.
But maybe a job in reality television or behind the screen in some way may be a good line of work for the disgraced politician in the future, as Weiner was an absolutely enjoyable documentary from start to finish, with a good balance of comedy and seriousness that perfectly captures such a ridiculous situation that it almost feels too absurd to be pulled from real life.
Join the conversation