Drew Turney
Writer/director/producer Brant Pindivic is on the poster, in every frame of the movie and knows there’s a camera pointing at him (if you know what I mean). He’s a natural performer and throws all the acting chops behind the bizarre situations and ruminations of his quest that he can while trying hard to make it all look as spontaneous as possible.
Before you get too far into Why I’m Not on Facebook you think the pitch is going to be a deeper look at our culture and the way Facebook has insinuated itself into – and changed – the way we interact online and in life.
There’s a bit of that, but before too long you start to realise the film is no more than what’s in the title, it’s a slice of life for a guy who’s his own favourite subject. Between the Michael Moore-like stunts (standing up in a crowded café asking everyone if they’ll be his friend – an analogue version of the way we do it on Facebook) and sitting around with his small army of research assistants trying to pretend he’s not the centre of attention, it all gets a bit grating.
The ostensible purpose of the film is because Pindivic’s son is about to turn 13 and is asking why he’s not allowed on Facebook, so he’s decided to document his own quest to discover everything he can about the service – the way it treats privacy, the way people use it to craft a fantasy version of themselves, and everything else you already love or hate about it.
Dindivic talks to an identity thief, school officials and job recruiters who explain how your social media profile can come back to haunt you and many more, but in the end it’s flimsier than you want it to be if you were expecting an in-depth look at the new commons of the human race.
VOD Review
