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Making a movie is a really difficult task, something that can easily go wrong, no matter how hard you prepare for it. Project Greenlight, an idea created by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Chris Moore, gives you a great inside look at the movie making process-both the ups and downs, as well as the drama (which may have been played up for the HBO documentary-I'm not sure), fights, hatred and sweat that can go into every scene. Affleck, Damon and Moore have started a noble project: giving the director who won the contest the chance to direct the script of the writer who won the screenwriting portion of the contest, and the Project Greenlight documentary does a great job of showing how difficult making a movie really is.
Kyle Rankin and Potelle won the opportunity to direct Erica Beeney's script, "The Battle of Shaker Heights." Rankin and Potelle worked well together, but the cooperation stopped there as they clashed with everyone from Chris Moore to a sound guy. They were very controlling and seemed like they wanted to take the movie over and not listen to anyone's suggestions. The two directors weren't likable at all and you're almost pulling for them to fail.
The movie wasn't all that great. At only 70 minutes, it seemed like a lot of the story was left out and there were a few parts that I didn't believe (the ending especially). Shia LeBeouf ("Holes") did a great job, but I think that his performance fell victim to first time directors and the cutting room floor. Beeney wrote a decent script that I felt would have fared better had Rankin and Potelle been more experienced and less selfish directors.
Overall, this (as well as Season 1 and the also not that great movie, "Stolen Summer") is a great look into the art and business of making a movie. Anyone interested in film making should really check this series out, as there is a lot to learn.
Written by: RF