Documentary Review: Weiner Is A Lesson On Public Humility
When I went to see Weiner, the new documentary on Anthony Weiner’s torrid 2013 mayoral bid, I thought it would be a film on empathy. Entering, I assumed it would make me feel worse for this man whose sins did not outweigh his deeds. Frankly, I already felt terrible for the mass spiritual destruction Anthony and his wife, Huma Abedin, underwent during his sex scandals. I could not imagine how a marriage would feel with this issue privately, but to have your pain be so public must have felt like an atomic blow. Thus, I was surprised that rather than my empathy being furthered, it was my humility.
Directed by Elyse Steinberg and Josh Kriegman, the pair has incredible access to the couple’s private lives, which gives the film and these public figures humanity. You see that behind the bravado of this once political rock star, Anthony Weiner is a family man trying to overcome his darker vices. The movie tosses between media/ campaign clips of Anthony putting his political “face” on. When you see him discuss with and for the people, there is a passionate light to him. It is as if his soul becomes activated. Yet, the thematic tragedy of both Anthony Weiner and his documentary is seeing that light be dimmed.
The documentary is beautifully cut. It starts with a series of news’ clips that present the immediately tired discussion of Weiner’s sexting. I say “tired” because by the first 20 minutes of the film, you feel like you have heard enough of this scandal, which is the point. The media’s mindless frenzy over a personal matter is revealed to be ridiculous, cruel, and dangerous to the public it serves. It is almost sickening to see people on the streets ask more about politics and what Anthony wishes to do for NYC than the outlets “supposedly” presenting news. The irony strikes like a hammer, and leaves you feeling more and more broken as the film progresses. Each news anchor and journalist grows bolder in vilifying Anthony and his wife to feel self-righteous. By the end of the film, you can pick out, through a generic smug face/ energy, which anchor will ask the same, boring questions: “How can we trust you? What is wrong with you? Are you sick? “. The documentary, itself, questions both the heart and initiative of modern political coverage: “Does it inform people to vote or incite them to hate?”. Yet, Weiner poses many questions that will leave the audience self-reflective.
Weiner takes a “fly on the wall” approach when entering the life of Anthony, which helps you witness his and his wife’s gradual exhaustion through public shaming. You almost want to hold them as you see their hope for a political/ marital comeback get crushed by the world. The film begins when Anthony and his wife Huma are unabashedly determined to get back to their old life, both personally and politically. They are two people trying to heal and kind of succeeding at it, which is what gives them the confidence to face a world more entertained by ending possibilities than beginning them. Viewers will cringe at seeing the slow loss of Huma’s smile. She starts the film bright, open, and ready to mend ways for her family and her own political passion. Yet, when the second sex scandal with Sydney Leathers hits, Huma is quietly devastated. You see in her face that both Anthony’s betrayal and the consistent, public questioning of her strength have wounded her.
The resilience and smarts of Huma Abedin are quickly apparent. She has a powerful presence in both the film and Anthony’s life. She is a woman in love with her husband, but trying to figure out if, personally, that love is unconditional. “Should she stay? Or Will she stay?” are aggressively repeated by the media to stupefy her into believing that, if she does not leave him, she is dumb and dead in politics. Fellow feminists will find it ironic that it is mostly women berating her by claiming she does not stand up for herself, is brainwashed, or must be undergoing spousal abuse. Instead of standing by her in a time where she needed peace and clarity, it is shame that is foolishly used to feign “motivation” for her but really encourage our own egos. Huma is too strong to be manipulated, but too sad to not feel the pain of such accusations. Intelligence and perseverance can feel like useless qualities when not recognized.
Weiner was a lesson on humility but for the audience. Despite the couple’s heartfelt desire to make their public deeds greater than their private ones, egos could not miss the opportunity to build themselves off their crushed spirits. Hence, humility is learned; for all you can and want to offer the world, it could say no, and you still have to live.
