Gosh, I don't feel confident being the first to write a review for this. Here goes anyway:
I was really blown away by the trailer and the promotional interview clips. After seeing the most impressive list of interviewees included in the film, I was sold. Most of them are key figures in the history of the Valley--and in some cases both key figures and key chroniclers. The presence of the few that weren't was more than justified by the light they shed on the nature of the valley--the premise of the film.
The interviews themselves don't disappoint and each reveals a new dimension to the Valley. The filmmakers thread the interviews with a sort-of making of the film; and they do it deftly because by the end you'll look back and be amazed at the breadth of topics covered, while feeling as if the progression from there to here was the most natural thing in the world. In the end though, the scope might hurt more than it helps, or at the very least prevent the film from becoming a classic of Valley lore. I love learning about all these different facets of the Valley, but I can't help but wonder about what is inside--what is the soul of the Valley? The interviews never build on each other and in the end they don't come together into one whole. By making the film, the filmmakers have tapped the spirit of the Valley that they had hoped to find; but if they found any insight from the venture they remained reticent about it.
If you're curious about the Valley and similar history in the same vein, check out the classics like Hackers by Levy and the Pirates of Silicon Valley movie. If you're still not sated, then this would make a great next stop.
I was really blown away by the trailer and the promotional interview clips. After seeing the most impressive list of interviewees included in the film, I was sold. Most of them are key figures in the history of the Valley--and in some cases both key figures and key chroniclers. The presence of the few that weren't was more than justified by the light they shed on the nature of the valley--the premise of the film.
The interviews themselves don't disappoint and each reveals a new dimension to the Valley. The filmmakers thread the interviews with a sort-of making of the film; and they do it deftly because by the end you'll look back and be amazed at the breadth of topics covered, while feeling as if the progression from there to here was the most natural thing in the world. In the end though, the scope might hurt more than it helps, or at the very least prevent the film from becoming a classic of Valley lore. I love learning about all these different facets of the Valley, but I can't help but wonder about what is inside--what is the soul of the Valley? The interviews never build on each other and in the end they don't come together into one whole. By making the film, the filmmakers have tapped the spirit of the Valley that they had hoped to find; but if they found any insight from the venture they remained reticent about it.
If you're curious about the Valley and similar history in the same vein, check out the classics like Hackers by Levy and the Pirates of Silicon Valley movie. If you're still not sated, then this would make a great next stop.
