This week, I looked to current events to help explain why I find Barbara Kopple’s masterful 1990 documentary American Dream so damn powerful. Sometimes I feel a little sad that Kopple has largely concentrated on comparatively lightweight fare for the bulk of her career, but realistically the amazing quality of first two films are enough to make her the deserving recipient of boundless admiration.

I also reviewed a new documentary about exotic animals like lions and elephants kept as pets. It’s a measure of how crazy my week has been that I kind of miffed the review initially and had to rewrite it. I’m glad I did. The version that saw digital print is much better than what I originally submitted.