"Child Care-less"

Born into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids
directed by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman
starring Zana Briski

The Pacifier
directed by Adam Shankman
screenplay by Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant
starring Vin Diesel, Brad Garrett, Lauren Graham, Faith Ford, Carol Kane, Brittany Snow, Max Thierot

      Documentaries don’t have to be objective; the most popular docs are not. But whether objective or subjective, the style for a non-fiction film must be appropriate to the subject. With Fahrenheit 9/11, for example, the usually imposing Michael Moore had to allow much of the footage to speak for itself in order for it to work. Sometimes, as with that film and Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me, a mixture of passive and active journalism is not only acceptable but is actually more effectual. Born into Brothels is a documentary that requires a non-interfering point of view from its filmmakers, but unfortunately the focus is misdirected and the impact of its original intentions is lost.
         The children of prostitutes in Calcutta have an extremely tragic position. Their environment is dirty and hostile. Their government won’t allow them many opportunities because their parents are criminals. Their future is grim. But without meaning disrespect, they are a part of life. Anyone has seen worse off children, at least based on how they are depicted in the film with their ever-smiling faces, their enthusiasm and their energy. Kids will be kids in any part of the world, not because they don’t know anything better –in fact most assume they have it worst of all –but because they have such endurance and serenity, a fact expressed by this documentary’s inspiring first half.
      For two years, 8 kids from Calcutta’s red light district attended a class taught by Zana Briski, a photographer who had been documenting the women there. They were selected because of their eagerness, which is enormous. Watching their excitement for the art and their own ability to either capture or create images is an enriching experience. Most of them are happy enough to have a gratifying distraction to their harsh surroundings. Young Suchitra claims, “When I have a camera in my hands I feel happy. I feel like I am learning something...I can be someone.” One boy, Avijit, displays the greatest talent as well as the most intelligent discourse –he doesn’t give good argument for how badly educated they supposedly are –and is invited to Amsterdam to critique photojournalists from around the world.
         When Avijit’s fortune is crushed by his difficulties in acquiring a passport, Briski makes it her mission to help him out. Her intervention also includes obtaining placement for the children in better schools. The film shows the co-director fundraising in New York, filling out applications and struggling with administrators. Eventually Born into Brothels has transferred attention from the avidity of creative youths to the struggle of a woman’s humanitarian efforts. It is great that Briski got personal and wants to help, but allowing the documentary to represent herself as a protagonist is too self-serving and it diminishes the desires and the realities of the children’s lives. Setting up the organization Kids with Cameras, which now introduces others in the world to the empowerment of photography, should be fulfilling enough, but it would appear, especially from her Oscar acceptance speech, that she cares more for physical awards than spiritual rewards.
         By instructing these kids, Zana Briski formed individuals brighter than herself. One of them comments that life is meant to be sad and takes pictures to depict this. Avijit discusses how photography shows truth. They are all more self-aware and philosophical at such a young age that in contrast their idealistic teacher comes off the hopeless one.

          The Pacifier is even worse than you can imagine. Disney’s recycling of Uncle Buck with a more physically fit but more inappropriately careless babysitter is not funny, not ethical and not even close to logical. In fact, it would seem apparent that screenwriters Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant (of Comedy Central’s absurd “Reno 911”) aim to make as little sense as possible, but whatever humor they might have had in the idea fails to make it onto the screen.
        The movie begins with a rescue mission led by Navy SEAL Shane Wolf (Diesel) that results in the death of a very important scientist. Four months later he is put in charge of protecting his kids while their mother (Ford) goes away. Sure there is a nanny (Kane) to watch the little ones but events cause her to quit and leave the diaper changing up to Wolf. That we’ve seen umpteen movies with an unqualified male’s reaction to baby poop and that this latest does absolutely nothing with it other than depend on the assumption that we still think it is by itself funny, is easily forgotten when we later count the number of times the child is left behind, forgotten or entrusted to a stranger. Shane Wolf, unlike other Mr. Moms, is negligent in addition to being ignorant.
       Aside from being appallingly unconcerned with life, The Pacifier teaches children that violence is always the answer. To the little girl who is tormented by boy scouts, he teaches martial arts. For the teenage boy, he beats up the bullying vice principal (Garrett). In the end, a kid’s dance previously thought innocent becomes self-defense for a lethally intense security system.
       There are other ridiculous bits, such as the statement that a Navy SEAL with an important assignment not only has time to, but also is the perfect candidate to, take over directing a production of The Sound of Music. Regardless of the fact that today’s family movies lack subtext for the parents –Mr.Mom works as commentary on the workingwoman of the early 80s –or that they lack moral wisdom for the children, The Pacifier insults the intelligence of all ages.