Film Review: WEINER

Weiner and Abedin face the hungry press.

Weiner, as in Anthony Weiner, the disgraced seven-term Congressman (D., NY) who texted photos of his crotch, both covered and uncovered and most definitely erect, is a hoot. A documentary that closely follows the candidate in 2013 as he makes a run for Mayor of New York City (he lost to Bill DeBlasio), it gives a very inside look at the special sort of craziness required to run for political office and text photos of your penis to underage girls at the same time. And that's a whole lot of crazy.

Craziness aside, Weiner comes off as a really likeable guy -- charismatic, passionate and very smart. You like him despite the fact that what he did was icky and illegal and hurtful to his wife and child. And by the way, his wife at the time was Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton's right hand and closest confidante in the years leading up to her 2016 presidential campaign. Naturally the press was all over the couple all the time; this was a BIG story!

Real-time footage shows the Mr. and Mrs. relaxing at home with their toddler and out on the campaign trail, fielding questions from the frenzied media seeking details about why he did it, who he did it with, and how could Huma stay married to him. It's a real-life soap opera told in a snappy cinematic style. While things ended badly for all concerned, this 90-minute film turned out great, winning a 2016 Critics' Choice Award for Best First Documentary. Perfect Friday night fare, make up a big bowl of popcorn, grab a beer and watch it on your TV. (It's on YouTube.)