At one time, Anthony Weiner was one of the up and coming faces in the Democratic Party – an idealistic young voice not afraid to stand up to the Republican status quo. Not only was he gaining influence and power within his party, but he was married to Huma Abedin, one of Hillary Clinton’s top aides. Then, in the blink of an eye and a flash of his underwear, Anthony Weiner went from hero to zero. Embroiled in a sexting scandal, the young Congressman resigned from his position and focused on repairing his marriage and his image.
The documentary Weiner briefly covers the initial scandal as a framework for Anthony’s big 2013 comeback as a mayoral candidate in New York City. The Weiner campaign allows documentary filmmakers Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg unprecedented access to what they were hoping would be a triumphant return from the depths of career purgatory and back into the public eye. And, for those familiar with who Carlos Danger is, that return wasn’t as triumphant as anticipated. Shortly after the campaign kicked off, with spouse Huma Abedin’s full support, more sexting scandals reared their ugly head. It’s at that point, where the filmmakers got more than they were bargaining for. Instead of filming Weiner’s return to political relevance, they document the gradual unraveling of a candidate, a campaign, and a family. Weiner is like watching a car wreck – you shouldn’t be watching, but you can’t look away.
There are a few key moments caught in this documentary that were absolutely riveting. One such moment is a close-up on Weiner as he gets the news that there’s no chance he’ll win the race. The look in his eyes is heartbreaking. It’s at that moment where the viewer realizes just how much it meant for Weiner to be mayor of New York. After the second sexting scandal broke, his campaign shifted immediately from the issues of the city to the issues of his personal life. He did everything he could to weather the storms that his lies created, but ultimately it was too much. While he wasn’t actually defeated until election day, the documentary shows he was defeated mentally much sooner than that.
As compelling as it was to watch a time capsule of the Weiner mayoral campaign, I spent most of my time focused on Weiner’s wife Huma Abedin. The intrigue of the lies, the outbursts, the narrow escapes from paparazzi all make for great moments, but when the documentary shifts its focus onto Abedin, it really shines. With Hillary Clinton’s assumed nomination as the Democratic Presidential Candidate this year, Abedin’s story becomes one that will gain more focus as the presidential campaign goes on. Not only is she Clinton’s most trusted aide, but her life experience shares an eerie parallel with the former Secretary of State. I suspect as people watch Weiner, they’ll immediately question why Abedin stands by her husband as the scandals get bigger. As the scandals unfold, the cameras catch glimpses of her off to the side, and those visuals are heartbreaking. They’re definitely those of someone who is trying to move forward with what she thinks is best for their family, even after getting repeatedly punched in the stomach. The arc of her role in the campaign changes dramatically from the beginning until the end, to the point where I wanted the focus to be more on her than on her husband.
Weiner should be required viewing for anyone remotely interested in politics. It offers up unprecedented and unflinching access to a campaign in crisis. If it were just the campaign it would be interesting on its own because of the kind of person Anthony Weiner is, but this documentary really shines because of the access to life outside the campaign. After watching Weiner, it’s safe to say it’s one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in the last five to ten years.
| Release Date: | June 3, 2016 |
| Starring: | Anthony Weiner, Huma Abedin |
| User Rating: | |
| Writer: | Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg, and Eli B. Despres |
| MPAA Rating: | R |
| Director: | Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg |
| Distributor: | Sundance Selects |
