On March 3, 2010, single mother Barbara Hamburg was found violently murdered near her home in the upper middle class enclave of Madison, Connecticut. Investigators speculated her murder appeared to be a crime of passion, but without enough evidence, the case grew cold.Over the course of 8 years, Barbara's son, Madison Hamburg, interviewed his family members and many others, longing to learn more about his mother and gathering evidence in hopes of solving her murder, sending him into a deep web of buried familial secrets, connections to shadowy criminal figures, and the uncovering of years-old resentments in his deceptively serene hometown. While Madison wrestles with troubling revelations about his mother, the most unsettling conflict comes from Madison's obligation to bring into question those inside his community and members of his own family. |
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Ratings: | TVMaze: 7.0/10 | |
Released: | November 15, 2020 | |
Runtime: | 60 min | |
Genres: | Crime | |
Countries: | United States | |
Companies: | HBO Jigsaw Productions Armian Pictures Blue Days Films HBO Documentary Films | |
Crew: | Ron Nyswaner | |
To best digest this documentary, you must consider its source. This is a project done by an (inexperienced) young film maker about his own mother. These circumstances present both problems and opportunities.
First, objectivity is nearly impossible. While objectivity is very very difficult for any documentary maker, Madison Hamburg has an easier time admitting it. If a documentarian tries to take the stance that they completely separate themselves from their subject, or that their involvement with their subject doesn’t change perceptions or outcomes of the research, they are either lying, naïve, or both.
Second, the story being told in non-linear. There have been very popular documentary series in recent years (i.e. Making a Murderer) that give into “storytelling” and force a pleasing and cohesive narrative. Investigations aren’t linear. The grieving process isn’t linear. Family relations, especially those involving substance abuse and money problems, certainly aren’t linear.
Hamburg does fall into a bit of a Documentary 101 formula of getting a bit too episodic. Having each of the four pieces of this series focus on a different aspect of the story, following different motives and subjects, is an easy way to break down a very complicated story. But unless handled by a masterful documentarian, this approach can leave things feeling disjointed, abrupt, and jerky.
Real life is messy. Murder is messier. Madison Hamburg doesn’t shy away from either of these truths, nor does he try to tie up the story of his mother’s death with some kind of big plastic bow. His efforts continue and I wish him well.
I’m sure the crime is real, but honestly, this show, and everything about it, feels so staged. The filmmaker is soooo peculiarly…flat…when asking questions and receiving answers from family that SHOULD have him raising his voice and showing some kind of deep emotion. He never does! If it had been MY mom, and I couldn’t get anything from loved ones but dramatic, overly-cute deflections and outright lies, I’d be enraged, shaking people by their (ass-covering) shoulders, and slapping some faces. Especially that Aunt Conway. What a mealy-mouthed affect SHE presents! Everyone in the family seems to be lying and/or holding back facts until they’re personally useful; some way more than others. Horrible people.
I agree. Something with this documentary doesn’t seem right. I got very turned off when the aunt, Conway, turned it onto the sister. Hadn’t seen her in the first episodes then there she is. I’ll keep watching out of curiosity but it does seem very staged.
{I got very turned off when the aunt, Conway, turned it onto the sister.}
YES! What the hell?!? She sits there, with a sweet, pious look on her face—and drops a dramatic bomb “knowing who did it.”. I do not buy it. I realize this family is full of alkies and/or dopers…but still….!
Sure hope this gets solved one day.