Although there
are more than a few interesting facts about boredom in modern society within
Albert Nerenberg’s documentary, it also means enduring a great deal of the
director’s personal sense of humor. Narrated by the director, he claims that
the entire idea for a film for boredom was a result of the filmmaker losing his
smart phone and having nothing to do while riding the train. While these
deadpan jokes can be amusing at first, they grow tiring over the course of the
61-minute run time.
A great deal of
the film is just filled with the director’s clever musings over the attention
span of a society with a screen addiction. If we always have phones, computers,
and televisions to keep us entertained, what are the consequences of killing
off boredom. Some argue that the effects may be dramatically worse because we
no longer have the ability to entertain ourselves, while others defend the
ability to stave off boredom. Where this film succeeds beyond being a mildly
amusing stand-up routine is in the actual facts brought into the documentary.
Though the research is far from extensive, there were more than a few
interesting theories and ideas gathered from these morsels of fact.
The DVD special
features include a slightly accelerated version of the film, which comes in at
48 minutes, about thirteen minutes faster than the normal speed. There are two
additional extras, including “Stages of Boredom,” and “The Mountain that
Boredom Built.” Each is under five minutes.
Entertainment Value:
5.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 4.5/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
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