Synopsis
We all leave this Earth the way we came.
Behind the gates of a palm-tree-lined fantasyland, three residents and one interloper at America’s largest retirement community strive to find happiness.
Directed by Lance Oppenheim
Behind the gates of a palm-tree-lined fantasyland, three residents and one interloper at America’s largest retirement community strive to find happiness.
Le paradis en Floride?, 特种天堂, 섬 카인드 오브 헤븐, 特種天堂
It always sucks when a documentary with such a fascinating subject chooses to not tell it any interesting way. That said, Some Kind of Heaven is nooothing like that.
This is playful and introspective in all the right ways. But so bleak too. I like to brush off the misery in this as a “you’re in Florida” thing but it’s made pretty clear this is universally felt. A lot like Squidville, ya know?
both comforting and unsettling in equal measure, and gorgeously shot so those feelings were amplified even more. i didn’t know much about this strange florida community until checking this out and it packs a lot of interesting information in while thankfully staying super personable instead of overwhelming and cold. the last act slowed down a bit too much for me, but the ending definitely made up for it
a glorious utopia so gorgeously shot that it makes it easy to assume its residents can’t possibly have any worries... but what lance does so well is how he captures these people’s stories and shines a light through the cracks of this dreamland, revealing the loneliness and hardships faced within it. i think it’s safe to say that i’ve never seen anything quite like this
Documentaries should be considered for more cinematography and original score prizes. Editing too. This was stellar. Poignant and thought-provoking and fun. My first great 2021 film.