Weiner (2016) User Reviews

What do we vote for these days?

[nyccents · 9/10 · 29 May 2016]

As a New Yorker who voted in the mayoral election that is depicted in this film.....ahhh, if I had only known better.

Weiner is a politician who had a sex/porn/internet problem and it didn't disappear the minute he was publicly disgraced. Yet, he was an excellent politician, without a doubt a better candidate than the one I voted for. And yet, the story that was most in the news at the time (and shown in this film) was his poor judgement about his personal life, and negligible press about his competency as a champion for the middle class. Furthermore, the timeline of the Sydney Leathers relationship was hardly prominent. I hadn't realized it was over a year earlier. (Albeit better if it had been five years earlier though.)

History is replete with great leaders who had amoral sex lives, not the least Harding who had an illegitimate child shortly before his election as our 29th president. We won't even discuss what happened in JFK's life, and yet the public forgives him.

In no way do I think Weiner should be condoned for acting so inappropriately while being a public servant, but it would also be great if we could focus on POLITICAL competency instead of extramarital sexual blunders. As I see it, when Donald Trump is the GOP nominee with all his sexual improprieties, obviously it's all about the media. And to me, that is the true essence of this documentary. IT IS ALL ABOUT THE MEDIA.

My takeaway, although cliché, is that it's the media's storyline, which panders to the readers' lowest common interest -- bringing serious consequences to our politics today.

"Why did you let me film this?"

[paul-allaer · 9/10 · 4 June 2016]

"Weiner" (2016 release; 96 min.) is a documentary about disgraced new York politician Anthony Weiner (pronounced: "wiener", not "whiner"). As the movie opens, we have Weiner in an interview chair, talking to the documentary makers. We then go back to 2011, when we get a thumbnail overview of how a sexting scandal led to his resignation from US Congress. We then shift to "May 13, 2013, two years after his resignation". Weiner is about to enter the race for New York Mayor, and along the way decided to give unlimited access to these documentary makers during his campaign. By then you are already nailed to your seat as you watch what is unfolding.

Couple of comments: this is the first full-length documentary for co-writer and directors Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg. While the comeback attempt in and of itself would've made for riveting viewing, can you imagine how they felt when smack in the middle of the unfolding campaign, another controversy explodes? It doesn't get any better than this for documentaries (on the same level as "The Armstrong Lie" about Lance Armstrong and "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" about Wilco). There are so many fine moments in this documentary, and I certainly don't want to spoil your viewing experience, but allow me to just point out two scenes: there is a very clever montage of Weiner's campaign taking a foothold and gaining track (to the point of leading the polls), set to the "Theme of S.W.A.T.", and it works beautifully. Even better is the scene between Weiner and his wife Huma Abedin when the second controversy explodes. Ah yes, the wife. Normal people like you and me immediately think: why on earth does she decide to stick by her man, time and again, humiliation upon humiliation? Then it dawns on me: these are not 'normal' people like you and me. Huma stays with Weiner the same reason Hillary stayed with Bill: it's all about the power! These career politicians know one thing, and one thing only: get the power, and stay in power, whatever means necessary, whatever personal sacrifice is needed along the way. When the final curtain comes down (Weiner obviously did not win the mayoral election), one of the directors asks Weiner "why did you let me film all this?". You'll just have to see for yourself how Weiner responds to this... Bottom line: if you like documentaries, you will absolutely love this riveting look at a disgraced politician whose narcissistic personality disorder is fully exposed here.

"Weiner" made a splash when it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and I couldn't wait to see it. It finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Saturday matinée screening where I saw this at was attended poorly, to my surprise. Maybe strong word-of-mouth (which this movie surely generates) will lead to wider exposure down the road through VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. Meanwhile, "Weiner" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

fascinating look at a feisty, flawed politician

[cherold · 8/10 · 7 November 2016]

Many politicians have been caught up in scandals, but few have been quite as comical as Anthony Weiner's scandal. He would have been mocked a lot less if he had just cheated with his secretary like other politicians.

While that level of embarrassment would have made me hide in a bunker, Weiner got back on the political horse. As a New Yorker, I was shocked when he entered the mayoral race, and stunned when it looked like he might actually win the nomination.

This documentary follows Weiner's surprising resurgence and less surprising second crash. It's a fascinating movie. Weiner is a natural politician who knows how to work a crowd, but he's also a sex addict who, for all his apologies, seemed never able to accept that he had a problem needing addressing. His wife Huma seems lovely, and much of the movie consists of her looking as though she really, really wants to punch Weiner in the face. We watch the campaign staff as they discover they have signed up for a train wreck. We see Sydney Leathers trying to come across as the aggrieved party while simultaneously using the publicity to start a porn career.

Weiner is an interesting guy, and I think New Yorkers rejected for him less for his sexual compulsion than for his lying about it. In a way it seems as though his denial is a tragic flaw that made Weiner his own worst enemy. It's sad, and my heart breaks for Huma. But let's be honest, it's still one of the most amusing scandals we've had.

Riveting Like Watching a Train Wreck

[IboChild · 10/10 · 17 May 2016]

At first glance, the film seems to be about how a promising congressman from New York destroyed his political career because of inappropriate postings on the internet. It is to some extent, but it is also about how the media can build up someone in one moment and tear that same person down the next. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

"Weiner" begins with archival footage of Anthony Weiner as the liberal firebrand on the floor of the House. Having not known much about Rep. Weiner before the scandal, this was eye-opening to me. Here you really see what he could have become had the scandal not occurred.

From that point on, the film follows the subject from the initial scandal up until the aftermath of his New York mayoral run. As expected, the film shows numerous clips about Weiner during this critical time in his career and the media circus that ensued. However, what really makes the film compelling is the behind-the-scenes footage between Weiner, his campaign staff and his family. You really feel like a "fly on the wall" eavesdropping on some very personal discussions. The film was co-directed and shot by Josh Kriegman, who once served as Weiner's chief-of-staff. Kriegman and his co- director Elyse Steinberg, were given unprecedented access. What does go is so personal and intense that at one point in the film, Kriegman even asks Weiner why he is even allowing them to continue shooting.

"Weiner," while infuriating sometimes to watch, is a wild ride of a character-study filled with contradictions. On the one hand, Anthony Weiner seems to be fully aware of the damage he has inflicted to his career and his family, but at other times appears quite delusional. Seeing "Weiner" is like watching a slow moving train wreck. You know what is going to happen, but you watch it anyway to see how it happens.

This film definitely falls into the category of "truth is stranger than fiction." It's hard to imagine another personality in recent history that is so unfiltered and self-absorbed in his quest for higher office, with the exception of a fellow named, Donald Trump.

This is not just a film about Anthony Weiner, but a critique at how the mainstream media values style and sensationalism over substance. This is evidenced in a sequence that occurs toward the end of the film that must be seen to be believed. In short, "Weiner" is a fascinating character-study and must be considered an early awards favorite.

A great documentary on such a waste

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 28 November 2016]

I really like the documentary because it does not editorialize. There is not one voice over in the whole thing. It is just Anthony Weiner ramping up his attempt to win the Democratic Mayoral primary, which in New York, is tantamount to winning the mayor's race since the city is overwhelmingly Democratic. Weiner had been the seven term liberal firebrand of a Democratic congressman from Brooklyn until a case of him sexting a woman along with pictures of his private parts came to light and caused him to resign in disgrace in 2011.

His campaign starts out with hope in the spring of 2013, but soon with his rise in the polls, more sexting by Weiner rises to the surface because he is in the limelight again. He tries to paper over it, and the documentary lets you see him trying to paper over it, by saying that he had already said he had problems in his marriage and that he had never said exactly when the sexting problem began and ended. This sounded too much like "it depends on what your definition of is is" from the Clinton years and he crashed and burned politically, winding up in the single digits on primary day.

This is no fluff piece. You see Weiner lose his temper, get involved in shouting matches with a guy in a Deli, and with Lawrence O'Donnell on liberal friendly MSNBC. Weiner thinks it makes him look like a fighter, instead it comes across as a refusal to face his problems. And as for his wife Huma Abadin, I just felt so sorry for her. Weiner must be surely suffering from an addiction if he is chasing after random women on the internet with such a smart sexy lady as his wife. After the more recent sexting comes to light, Huma never really says anything, but you can tell by her posture and look of indifference that she is likely mad as hell under that calm cool exterior. Worse, she is probably profoundly disappointed in someone who had regained her trust.

One particular scene said it all for me as to Weiner's self centeredness. When the additional sexting comes to light he tells Huma he wants her with him all day. Not because he is worried about her mental state or needs her emotional support, but because he is "afraid someone (the press) will get to her".

It's too bad that such a narcissist and sex addict was also rolled into the personality of somebody who seemed to genuinely care about average people, had an average upbringing so he knew where other people were coming from, and was willing to fight for what he thought was right. What a waste.

A disgraced politician lets it all hang out in this memorable documentary.

[JohnDeSando · 17 June 2016]

"I did a lot of things. But I did a lot of other things, too." Anthony Weiner

The tragicomic story of seven-term congressman from New York, Anthony Weiner, is almost too absurd to be true. After resigning from Congress over sexting, while waging a vigorous 2013 campaign for mayor of NYC, Weiner is disclosed to have texted again visions of his maleness to other women than his wife, Huma Abedin. The tragedy is that this aide to then Senator Hillary Clinton is an accomplished woman, totally undeserving the abject humiliation her husband's sexting has caused her.

Filmmakers Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg in this fascinating doc called Weiner gained permission from him to film his most intimate moments of the campaign, especially with his wife while his tech-straying disgrace is made public. While for us commoners, such peccadilloes amount to little in a public forum (but much, of course, in the personal arena), these moments are heart-rending to see: This accomplished wife forces herself, with barely a smile, to support her husband.

The ancient Greeks knew well the flaws and foibles of celebrities gone wild. In this revelation of hubris, an overweening pride that comes before the fall, even the tragedians might not have dared to show the Congressman sexting even after his initial exposure (so to speak). Yes, he sends photos of his masculinity to a 22 year old woman, who will complete his ignominy by revealing them to a press overjoyed at a second round.

The despair is that he had seemingly come back into the good graces of the public, only to be outed again and lose that support and the mayoral primary to Bill DeBlasio. The documentary is there for the grand moments of revelation and shame, none more poignant than privately with his wife, who seems almost shell-shocked by the new revelation.

Unfortunately, the quotes at the beginning of this review are the most insight we ever get, despite the filmmakers' intimacy, to help us understand why such a gifted populist should so carelessly toss away his position and reputation. Perhaps his wife's mute incredulity stands for our own.

In the end we must conclude with a saying never more appropriate than here: "Who knows the secrets of the human heart?"

Just saying the word 'Weiner' makes me laugh.

[bryank-04844 · 7/10 · 7 June 2016]

It's funny. Damn funny. Just saying the word 'Weiner' makes me laugh. I know, I'm ten years old, but I laugh every time. I'm not the only one though, as you can listen to forty seconds of a radio show below to see well-respected and professional film critics laugh at the word. It might be ironic and even funnier when you say the word and imply the former politician Anthony Weiner from a few years ago, given what happened with that guy's political run and life. Luckily for us, a couple people made a documentary on Anthony Weiner's life in the thick of all the scandals, simply titled 'Weiner'.

Filmmakers Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg were granted heavy access in Weiner's home and political campaign offices as Weiner himself was given a second chance in New York City to run for Mayor. If we back up a bit, and as this documentary shows in the first couple of minutes, is that Anthony Weiner was once the top of the democratic field with his amazing and boastful performance at the House of Representatives that made the news for quite a while. You couldn't talk about politics or social issues without bringing up Anthony Weiner and his courageous stand against the opposing view. It wasn't very long before Weiner became a joke, when an image of his weiner showed up in a sexual text message to someone other than his wife Huma Abedin, who was a former adviser for Hillary Clinton.

Anthony lies to the people and media about it all, but then confessed. He resigned from his political office and tried to work on his marriage. This is where this 'Weiner' documentary picks up, with Anthony asking the people for a second chance and his run for mayor. We get glimpses of his home life, campaign rallies, and him riding a bike in New York. Things look on the up and up, but a new scandal hits again with new images taken recently of Weiner's weiner, this time fully exposed to a woman named Sydney Leathers.

In the heart of him running for mayor, all of these images leak and his family and media jump all over it, and not necessarily in a good way. Anthony tries to talk politics on numerous television shows and interviews, but the only thing anyone wants to talk about is his weiner. It's funny and sad all at the same time, and this intimate documentary shows the awkward and sad moments that Huma had to endure at her husband's now public weiner. Anthony seems like a nice enough guy and he seemed to be on top of his game, but he just couldn't seem to keep it in his pants, at least on a text message.

The real villain here is Sydney Leathers, who made everything public just to be famous and get money. She even tried to to show up to his campaign office on election night to make it awkward. That's poor form, but hey, she went on to do adult films. I don't know if Anthony Weiner can ever recover from this second scandal, but I hope the people of the USA can look past personal lives and focus on the political issues he stood for, because that's what it's all about, and not some naked photos online. The documentary does a good fly-on-the-wall type of approach and never gets in the way of any political issues here. It's just about the Weiner family's life in and out of a particularly embarrassing scandal.

RECOMMENDED!

if looks could kill

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 19 September 2016]

New York Congressman Anthony Weiner gets caught in a sexting scandal and resigns in June 2011. He decides to reenter politics by running for Mayor of New York. His campaign in the Democratic primary in 2013 starts to pick up speed when a second sexting scandal erupts. His wife Huma Abedin again comes to his side but the campaign flounders. Weiner is no doubt a compelling Shakespearian tragic figure. Once his scandal erupts again, this gets very uncomfortable at times. The central star becomes the mysterious Huma. In some respects, she's the Spinx holding back her secrets. In other respects, her looks could kill and she speaks volumes with her silence.

A view of politics

[pamma09 · 7/10 · 30 June 2016]

I was most curious of this film having only known what was in the papers and on TV. Anthony Weiner appears to have gotten over the initial scandal prior to deciding to run for governor of New York. He seemed sincere in his desires to help people have a better life and to do better for New York. Then a 23 yr old from Las Vegas releases the information that she had been sexting with him for quite awhile and his campaign and life are in deep trouble again. I do not have a good opinion of the young lady - not that she set out to destroy Weiner - but she appeared to want the spotlight for herself. The person who I feel the most sorry for is his wife - to have put one scandal behind her and then have it happen again - I'm sure her trust in him was shattered both times. As the movie goes on you notice her standing back and offering less advice/opinion. He strikes me as another narcissistic politician who felt he could do anything and get away with it. I am sure the facts were presented well - makes you wonder why on earth he agreed to have the videographers follow him for this campaign. A very interesting movie of our political people - not all are like him but we know there are more too.

Defining Acts

[Sandy-461-249597 · 10/10 · 30 May 2016]

It's so easy to judge Anthony Weiner from reading text on social media, in the newspaper, and / or the news shows on TV. "Weiner" is a great documentary film and as others have written, riveting. I was fixated the entire 90 minutes; all the time asking myself, "Why would he let them document this?", all the while cringing for his wife, Huma Abedin.

Where is the line drawn between loyalty and abuse? Although Huma is very clear on where she will and won't participate in the documentary, you wonder where and when does her loyalty to her husband become nothing more than emotional abuse? There are two types of obscene behavior, the indecent kind that brought Anthony Weiner down, and the disgusting kind that has little disregard for the rights of others. The documentary exposes the latter in a defining rarity: With only 4 - 5 % of the vote and dead last, the media chases Weiner all around like dogs in heat trying to squeeze every last tidbit out of the story.

Who are we to judge? When we become persistent observers of misery or scandal...fascinated with the distressing sordid scandalous events of others, are we engaging in voyeurism? If you see the movie, please let me hear back from you.

The Name Game

[jadepietro · 7/10 · 2 July 2016]

(RATING: ☆☆☆½ out of 5)

THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.

IN BRIEF: An interesting behind-the-scenes look at a campaign and the destruction of a politician's career.

GRADE: B-

SYNOPSIS: The sex scandal of a once promising politician.

"The name of a man is a numbing blow from which he never recovers." Oh, how very true! That quote, attributed to Marshall McLuhan, begins this riveting documentary about a politician's fall from grace. Weiner is standard treatment of a compelling subject. Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg assemble interviews and archival footage to show the makings of a scandal and the undoing of a promising career. Their access to the politician and his campaign provides many insights into the election process and its toll on his family.

Once the rising star of the Democratic Party and now just a shameful reminder of ego and sexual bravado, ex-U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner suffered humiliation and defeat literally with his own hands (or other anatomical parts). A mix of intelligence and no common sense, the man remains a curiosity. His undoing: First by sexting his bulge (sorry, there's no other way around it), and sending it to another woman online (not his wife) and later texting salacious messages to another woman, Miss Sydney Lathers, a publicity seeker and porn-star, imploded his political career big time. His penis (thinly veiled) was seen around the world, under his code name Carlos Danger, making the entire situation even more absurd and constant laugh fodder for many pundits and late-night comedians.

The filmmakers give us a front row seat to gawk at this emotional wreckage of the politician's failed bid during his New York City mayoral campaign. In viewing this debacle, one wonders about Weiner's unwise decision to allow filming this documentary which becomes a creepy time capsule of his life unraveling. We silently debate if this decision was his best judgment call, among many other poor personal choices throughout his career. Nevertheless, it sure makes for fascinating behind-the scenes journalism.

The scandal is presented factually which proves uncomfortable for all involved, especially for his "good wife", Huma Abedin, the clear victim of her husband's destructive behavior. The tension between the couple is palpable. Her body language, glaring looks, and gestures fill in all the anguish and scorn of a betrayed lover. She becomes the human center of the film for this moviegoer.

Weiner follows the scandal and lets the viewer determine if the cause is due to the congressman's sexual addiction or just his narcissistic impulses rearing its ugly head (no double entendre intended). Still one can only feel remorse for his loyal wife and family members during this self-inflected ordeal. The media has a feeding frenzy on the politician and leaves nothing in its path. Unfortunately, the bad outweigh all of Mr. Weiner's good, which eventually ended a highly productive career.

The documentary depicts a man who shows more regret about his personal loss than about the hurt and humiliation he caused friends and family. At least he now has this film for repeated viewing to serve as a helpful reminder should he feel the need to stray once again. Let us hope the situation became a lesson learned and an even better reason for Mr. Weiner to accept his actions and move on with his life in a more positive way.

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This is outstanding

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 29 May 2016]

"The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of." Blaise Pascal

"Man, you're all full of **** anyway." Passerby on street

"Huhuhuhuhuhuhuh Heheheheheheh Weiner..." Beavis & Butt-head (probably)

I feel like these three quotes kind of sum up a lot of what this movie, Weiner, a documentary that chronicles as a harrowing, cringe-inducing tragedy of politician Anthony Weiner's failed bid for the 2013 Mayoral race in New York city, is going for, but only part of it. You can look at what the filmmakers present from different angles - as a portrait of a media that, due to how it operates (especially in New York city with the Daily News and Post and everything under the sun) in reporting the 'news' of this or that or the other with Weiner's sexting as "Carlos Danger", and how this media obsession perpetuates things further and further (technology itself is part of it - imagine what would've happened if things were only 10 or 15 years before this), or of course as a portrait of a man and his marriage which we see glimpses of in quiet looks and stares and things that the (mostly) fly-on-the-wall filmmakers get.

What you think about Weiner ahead of time may influence you going in. Or if you don't know much about him outside of the Daily Show and Colbert Report skits it may be educational in that way of recent/contemporary history. I think that the movie is fair in that it shows ALL the coverage - both the bytes in the various cable news coverage and things like Weiner's appearance on Lawrence O'Donnell where he was asked point blank "What's *wrong* with you?" - while showing Weiner in both the (semi good) early run-up when he started his campaign and, indeed, had a lead to start with, and then as he kept his composure much as he could while the second scandal blew up and wouldn't go away.

Could it have gone away? No, probably (or definitely) not, and the question of should or shouldn't he have dropped out of the race comes to mind. But the coverage of it all in this film is uncanny. At times you'll wonder how they got a camera in such a place, or how, up until the moment the filmmakers are told to get out of a room, they stay there until told to leave (or on the flip-side the very funny moment when in a car the director happens to ask a particular touchy question and Weiner can't help but go off on the guy, like "Is THIS what you mean by 'fly on the wall?') A lot of the humor that does come up is in that pitch-black, uncomfortable way that goes far beyond anything you'd ever see on Louie or Curb Your Enthusiasm. And the cringing isn't always funny - sometimes it comes down to the look two people have with nothing being said out loud and everything being said in the eyes.

One of the things that is hard to not come away with, whether by the end you feel some modicum of sympathy (or, hell, even empathy if that's possible) with Weiner from this period of time, is that he's not your average politician or, I should say, one that is the usual type we might think of as a politician. Usually they come off as stiff, bought and paid for or at the least handled to such a degree as to seem inhuman, or try to come off as "wholesome" and yet say the most monstrous things.

Weiner was/is a liberal, but you get someone who can talk in reasoned tones except when, well, things p*** him off (his entree into the spotlight came in his time as Congressman when he exclaimed "I will NOT yield" during a debate on a 9/11 responders bill), or when he is confronted by someone. We see him not back down from people, whether it's hard questions at a City Island campaign stop or a heckler in a deli. The guy is tough, and yet there's also a self-deprecating humor at times. And he'll even watch things like the O'Donnell clip - extended version online, of course - just to get motivated to start his day. What a pair of... oh, nevermind.

And yet at the same time what I love about the movie is that it shows that he can't escape, and really liked to be a part of, the whole 'game' of it, the act. When he does an ad for TV it feels like he's acting for the camera, and seeing the footage from this ad in its finished form intercut with his wife sitting by the side looking a mixture of bored and (maybe) frustrated is astonishing. It's difficult not to leave the movie with some judgment of him, and at the same time the trick of this is that it presents him in (as much as possible) the full, er, 'package' (sorry, puns are unavoidable, I tried). The point is if you like to see the nitty gritty political maneuvering and how a mind works in the midst of a scandal, this is a serious delight (both serious and delightful).

PS: Recently Weiner's retracted how he feels in the documentary and wishes he hadn't made the movie and won't watch it. The latter is fair, while the former is... well, who knows.

The Trainwreck Unfolds Before Your Eyes

[dgz78 · 7/10 · 29 May 2016]

I doubt anyone that pays to see this doc will be unaware of the history of Anthony Weiner's prowess with a phone camera. The beginning of the movie covers his time in Congress and the resulting pictures and scandal that forced him to resign in well deserved shame.

I wish that story had been explored more by the filmmaker since it makes his subsequent behavior so hard to imagine (though very believable). His initial scandal was not just the fact that he texted pictures of his underwear - he went out and attacked those that claimed he did it as liars and had some people believing him when he said his twitter account had been hacked. He refused to tell the truth and accept responsibility while he accused his critics, notably the late Andrew Breitbart, as dishonest partisans hoping to stop him from helping the American people.

Part of this is shown in his fiery attacks on the floor of the House of Representatives against a bill funding health care for 9-11 first responders. (This has always puzzled me since I would bet my mortgage that the NY police and firemen have gold plated health care packages as part of their union contracts. Why did Congress have to give them more? Were police and firemen losing care because the city couldn't afford it? Did Weiner and others just want to have the federal taxpayers cover their health costs? This is never explained in the movie. Maybe if the film had explored this question it might not have reflected well on his image as a great crusader for the people).

And that sets up the train wreck everyone in the theater knew was coming - the new texting scandal while Weiner is running for mayor of NYC and doing well enough to force a runoff if not win outright. Here's a guy that has gone through the humiliation of a sexting scandal once, rehabilitates his image enough to be compete for office in the only city that would even consider voting for him, and he knows there are other women he has sent pictures of his junk. PICTURES HE SENT AFTER HE HAD WEATHERED THE FIRST SCANDAL.

Forget whether he used bad judgment or hurt his family. One has to wonder if he has an IQ above single digits to think these new pictures and messages won't come out. People actually supported him, volunteered for his campaign, signed on to work for his election and he did not have the intestinal fortitude to tell those closest to his campaign and his wife that there are probably more pictures that are going to come out. He just led his staff, supporters and family down the campaign trail knowing they were going to look like fools for believing he had repented.

The film shows Weiner trying to salvage his quest and it goes as badly as one would expect. He could have held a news conference explaining he had discovered how to give everyone unicorns and rainbows and the only questions he gets are why he did it and how could he be so stupid. Making matters worse he somehow doesn't realize how bad he looks in a combative interview with Lawrence O'Donnell or with a voter at a bakery.

As the election results roll in and it is clear that Weiner will be lucky to break 5%, the last crisis develops with how to get him in to his campaign's last event so he can thank his supporters and give the traditional speech a loser has to give. His texting compatriot and the one that revealed what Weiner had been doing (Pineapple as we learn the campaign had named her) was at the event hoping to confront Weiner and his wife. Of course they avoid her and still manage to screw up when he gives the finger to reporters and photographers as he leaves the event.

One person I feel sorry for is his son who will grow up learning what a dumb a** he has for a father. I don't feel much pity for Huma though. After the first scandal and his subsequent decision to run for mayor, the first question I would ask is "do you have anything you want to tell me?" She has been with the Clintons through Bill's making a fool of his wife so she is not some naive waif bravely standing by her man. She went into this with her eyes wide open.

In the end, Weiner is shown as just another politician that only has a talent for running for office and getting elected to an office so he can have taxpayers give him a paycheck. He couldn't run a business or actually produce a product that people would give him money for. His only skill consists of getting the government to spend money on things he wants. Had he stayed in Congress he probably would have been there for 40 years retiring a multi- millionaire despite never having a job that paid enough to do so. No doubt he admired the Clintons for being rich enough to be the top 1% of the 1% despite having never produced anything or running a business putting people to work (unless one considers the Clinton Foundation an actual business instead of a vehicle to enrich the Clintons themselves and give their friends a paycheck between campaigns.

Anyone reading this review probably already knows all the details in the film and the only question is it worth watching? I would say yes, at least once. Watching a truly stupid politician squirm on a big screen is worth the $7 I paid but until it comes out on DVD I wouldn't see it again.

Never heard of him

[invest-51-228241 · 2/10 · 13 October 2019]

21mins in & so many references to "the sex scandals" that I had to turn it off, cause I have no idea what they are talking about. If you are going to make a documentary do it properly from birth to now, for everyone to learn something about someone famous. It's so arrogant & unprofessional to assume everyone in the world (yes everything is global) & future generations will know who the subject is. I think what really makes it worse is this is under "award winning biographical movies". You have to be kidding me.

Cringe Factor

[travisbickle86 · 9/10 · 16 July 2016]

I grimaced (both with amusement and embarrassment) throughout this tightly-edited portrait of an egomaniac. The filmmakers were allowed an amazing amount of access in to subjects lives, during which the viewer can't help but debate if we want to like or despise Anthony Weiner. I think that was also what his spouse, Huma Abedin was debating the whole time too. Weiner: A guy who literally could not keep his d**k in his pants. The question is raised during the film, to whether or not Anthony may have a mental illness or sex addition, which is never really addressed - more accepted. A highlight is when Weiner snaps at the filmmaker for daring to ask him a question. Great Film! 9/10

Eye opening film of a doomed and cursed man who lost it.

[blanbrn · 8/10 · 3 June 2016]

Everybody knows that politics and political figures are so common with scandal, corruption, and bribes, and you guessed it sex scandals! And the world again was rocked with one Anthony Weiner! This eye opening and interesting film called "Weiner" looks at how the media and scandal of texts and photos and nude pictures help bring down a former congressman and mayoral candidate. The news footage is nearly from every network and the interviews are a compelling saga and the way the camera follows around Anthony and wife Huma is so interesting as you the viewer can feel the tension and pain between the two as the scandals break, and the speak and words from the mouth of Weiner confirm that he is a destroyed and beaten man. Most of you who follow the news know the story in 2010 a hacker and media outlet had broke news that Anthony Weiner had texted and snapped pictures of his erect and hard penis thru his underwear and the incident would cause him to resign from congress and then later in 2013 when he got back in the game or his "New York Grove" the next scandal hit online on a website from a source a young girl named Sydney Leathers who's an attractive big breasted girl that exchanged text nude pictures and even admitted to phone sex with Anthony. And you guessed it this would destroy his mayoral campaign and political life, yet thru it all Huma would stand by her man. Overall near excellent film that shows how a vice when revealed and exposed can destroy your profession and bring you down in life never being the same as some like Anthony Weiner never learn as the habit is so hard to break!

Entertainingly spectacle but doesn't manage to find a bigger point

[bob the moo · 23 October 2016]

There can be few in the western world who don't know the morality tale of Anthony Weiner – the politician married to a close aide of the Clintons, who fell from grace when he posted a shot of his underwear to Twitter instead of sending a direct message. In this film he allowed a fly-on-the-wall film crew to follow him as he relaunched his career with a run to be mayor of New York. Of course, we all know that the scandal never truly left him, and in the end it came back worse as it transpired that he never shook of his addiction to flirting and sexting online.

To follow the tawdry tale in the papers is one thing, but to do so from the inside makes for a different experience. The film becomes an interesting cringe-inducing spectacle as a result, which makes you marvel at the sheer character of Weiner – at times he is narcissistic; or a great political showman; or a man with compulsion and self- control issues; or someone treated really unfairly by the media. Really he is all of these and the film lets us see that. As such it allows us to feel for him when he has to deal with endless personal questions (including O'Donnell's unprofessional 'what is wrong with you?') but at the same time it is impossible to look past how much he brings this on himself, and how he tried to lie his way out the first time, then thought he would never be caught again.

Around him the film lets us see other interesting characters. Huma Abedin perhaps is seen in a different light now that her involvement with the Clinton Foundation exec and 'pay for play' is a matter of public record, but here it is hard to watch her graceful attempts to weather the storm while being endlessly humiliated by her husband. The film doesn't question her motives for staying with him (political or love?) nor does it show us enough to draw a conclusion on that. Likewise the bunch of eager young staffers around him, all of whom appear to be bottling up frustrations the best they can – you get the feeling that this is as much about the Clinton's being a few degrees away, rather than a great belief in Weiner himself.

As an insider look at a tabloid scandal, it is 'entertaining' and engaging, with great editing to give it pace and impact. However it doesn't manage to connect to anything bigger than itself – which is a shame given the great opportunity that the access and timing gave them. At the end of the film even Weiner muses that the film will never be about more than the scandal, and he is right, they cannot get away from it. There are points to be made about the scandal- obsessed media, but yet since the film is doing this itself, that never totally flies; and it isn't smart enough to ever hold a mirror up to the audience and ask 'why do you find this interesting?'. This lack of a bigger point is a weakness in the film, but there is enough energy and content in the film to give the viewer plenty to mull over, even if the film doesn't seem able to do it itself.

A good doc

[proud_luddite · 7/10 · 17 June 2018]

A documentary covers the private and political life of Anthony Weiner during his campaign to run as mayor for New York City in 2013.

The beginning of the film informs of Weiner's promising career as a congressman during which he fought passionately for underdogs and other good causes. But in 2011, he was disgraced and had to resign as he had been caught exposing explicit photos of himself on the Internet.

This documentary is almost like a fictional film in that there is a riveting start with snappy editing, an encouraging mood, and then a plot twist that throws everything right off.

In the second half right until the end, the movie leaves many questions: why stay in a long campaign and face more humiliation for yourself and your wife (Huma Abadin who has also been a top aide to Hillary Clinton)?; why did you not get help for your compulsions and sick behavior?; why did you bother to have even more exposure and degradation by doing this documentary (this question is actually asked though in different words)?

The viewer might even feel guilty at witnessing some conversations and silent exchanges between spouses that should truly have been kept private. Perhaps, there is even a greater neurosis about receiving attention of any kind that would allow this privacy to be so exposed.

In any case, this film is fascinating in exposing a very odd element of the human condition. Even more odd is after watching it, it's still possible to like Anthony - not just for his good causes but also when he gets fired up in arguments with a pompous political commentator on TV and a voter in a bakery shop. He's got fire.

more Huma, less Weiner please

[ferguson-6 · 8/10 · 9 May 2016]

Greetings again from the darkness. Normally I would have no interest in a movie with this title, but in this case, it's a chance to get a glimpse into the psychological make-up of a guy who obliterated his own political career … by simply being unable to keep his privates private. The end result of the efforts from filmmakers Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg is nearly unrestricted access to a NYC mayor candidate's campaign, as well as a look at a politician that is at times tense, and other times funny (in a laughing AT you kind of way).

In 2011, seven-term New York Congressman Anthony Weiner resigned in the aftermath of a sexting scandal made worse by (what else?) … his lying and attempted cover-up. The film begins with a clip of one of Weiner's explosive speeches, meant to portray his expertise as a legislator and politician. This is quickly followed by the pun-filled headlines that exposed his sexting habit, seemingly leaving his political career in the dust.

Picking up two years later, the film finds the disgraced former Congressman running a campaign for NYC mayor. We can't be too surprised as we have learned numerous times that many politicians are addicted to power and life in the public eye. What makes this an interesting subject is two-fold: how publicly humiliated Weiner had been, and the fact that his wife is Huma Abedin, long-time Hillary Clinton adviser and aide.

We don't learn how it happened, but we do find Anthony and Huma are still married, are parents to a young child (she was pregnant when the first scandal hit), and that Huma fully supports his mayoral candidacy. As the campaign kicks off, Weiner is a frontrunner, proving that we are a forgiving lot. The cameras capture him in full candidate mode – making calls to potential donors, giving speeches, dealing with staffers, and working the crowds at his energy-filled parades. Of course, it's all a façade … or at least half of one.

When the second sexting scandal hits and "Carlos Danger" makes headlines as Weiner's online pseudonym, the real trainwreck begins, and we find it impossible to turn away. It's at this point where our feelings are confirmed … Huma is by far the more interesting of these two personality polar opposites. Where Weiner is two-faced – bouncing between humbled and overly ambitious; Huma is cool, collected and (seemingly) smart.

Weiner remains clueless about his chances, and the level of tension skyrockets in meetings and during spousal moments. It's impossible not to believe that the energies used towards the campaign would have been better spent in therapy – both individual and as a couple. His stream of lies proved he had not changed his ways, and his periodic reflective and apologetic moments are diminished by his true color nastiness, which is more pervasive.

The film gets unnecessarily sidetracked during a segment that features one of Weiner's phone sex relationships – codenamed "Pineapple". Entirely too much time is spent on her pathetic publicity grab, and fortunately it all falls flat. It is a reminder that the media never misses a chance to film a frenzy … even if they have to manipulate it. There is no room in a documentary for TWO trainwrecks! After the film and the irresistible draw of watching this ego-driven dude never once come to grips with why he is socially unacceptable as a leader, we realize there are unanswered questions. Why did Huma stick with her husband? Why was she onboard with him getting back in the game … did she really miss the public eye? The filmmaker flat out asks Weiner "Why have you let me film this?" Perhaps the answer to that last question is somewhat explained when you know that Anthony Weiner made an appearance in "Sharknado 3". Some people just need the spotlight.

The hecklers, the eye rolls, the angry outbursts all lead up to Lawrence O'Donnell asking Weiner "What's wrong with you?" I asked myself that same question after the movie when I realized that I was mesmerized the entire time. As for Huma ever allowing herself to be the subject of a documentary, we can only assume that she is too sagacious to allow such unfettered camera access to her work. I suppose her appearance in the next "Sharknado" is equally unlikely.

An ode to misguided dogged perseverance

[estreet-eva · 6/10 · 19 October 2016]

For nihilistic comedy fans located in New York, peak experience was one brief shining moment when politician and cyberpervert Anthony Weiner had a genuine shot at becoming mayor America's most important experience. He didn't get there and this no-frills documentary quietly documents the excruciating moment by moment train wreck that was the campaign. If this was a superhero movie, Weiner would be The Joker doing discomforting and senseless sexual things by night under the classic moniker Carlos Danger and then tell patently transparent lies about it by day. If this were a old-timey cliffhanger serial, his wife Huma Abedin would be the poised, respectable damsel tied to the railroad tracks for being unwilling to just cut and run. This overall theme of relentless stick-to-it-iveness in the face of the universe earnestly urging its players to just give up pervades the tale. Despite Carlos turning him into a global laughingstock, Weiner carries on with his quixotic quest. And he does so knowing there are at least 3 more icky online dalliances that likely would come to light. Huma sticks with him through the scandal, the jokes, the peer pressure to leave, Anthony's failings as husband and father and his refusal to accept the end of his political career. She does this despite having a bright future for herself in the same arena. Watching her soldier on is hard to watch. Her neutral demeanor allows the audience to project their disappointment and sympathy on to her. In short, if you are a fan of the awkward and tawdry, this is the doc for you.

Oh, if only the filmmaker could have hung on until November 2016!

[jrinvest · 9/10 · 25 September 2017]

I just finished watching this documentary ten minutes ago, after first hearing about it less than two hours before. It is absolutely RIVETING and deserves every one of the many awards it has won. I am amazed that Weiner allowed the filmmaker such total access to his campaign and inner circle during his Mayoral run.

I must say that after watching this documentary, I have considerably more respect for the man now than I ever did before.

That said, the documentary ends the day after Weiner's Dem primary loss in 2013. It would have been SOOO much better if it had included his THIRD sexting go-around (with a 15-year-old girl in 2016) that ended with criminal charges, to which he pled guilty and will have to register as a Sex Offender. Sentencing is tomorrow (expected to be 2-3 years in prison.)

Perhaps there could be an addendum added to the film?

Fascinating and compelling documentary on this American Politician

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 7/10 · 22 December 2016]

Anthony Weiner is not a household name in the UK, but in the US he is quite notorious. He was a member of the Democrats who was a Congressman for part of New York from 1999 to 2011. He was very outspoken, very brash and seemed to have a lot of popular support. He was married to Huma Abedin – a well known talent in her own right – often seen as the right hand 'man' for Hilary Clinton. So a man with clear abilities and a sort of 'bloody' charisma.

Then in 2011 he got embroiled in a sexting scandal which led to him having to quit congress amid a flurry of media interest. Then in 2013 he decided to stand as a mayoral candidate for New York. Him and his wife gave film makers full access to then during the campaign period and the film premiered at The Sundance Film Festival. The events that unfolded during that campaign are all documented here including some seemingly honest pieces from Weiner.

As far as documentaries go this is a good one to watch as it is both well done and very entertaining – but I think that is because the story is so engaging and he is the sort of man that you kinda want to root for – and then again…. Anyway for US viewers they will likely have some knowledge of what transpired – but for the rest of us there is an interesting story here waiting to be viewed.

Almost certainly the best documentary I've ever seen

[EBGBeee · 10/10 · 9 November 2016]

I'm not going to do a precis of the film, given others here already have.

But: 1) I'm a picky so'n'so, and I think anything above 8/10 requires bribery or blackmail. Yet I barely hesitated on giving this full marks. 2) Most of the reviews are from men, who are bemused as to why Abedin stayed with Weiner for so long. As a woman, I'd suggest it's because ... 3) I've never seen charisma come over before on a screen. There's watchable in terms of actors, but that's different. This guy OOOZES charisma, to the point that it's leaking out of the screen. She didn't stay with him because she wanted to stay, she stayed because she struggled to leave.

This review is being written on 9/11/16, i.e. the day of Trump's victory in the US election (he makes a brief, hugely hypocritical contribution in the first 10 mins). The BBC showed this over the weekend, which was just after the Clinton / FBI / Abedin / Weiner contribution to the e-mail issue. Either the Beeb got *very* lucky on scheduling, or they pulled a blinder on rescheduling.

Trump has no self-awareness, cares nothing for his electorate, and struggles to stay away from women. Weiner's the opposite on the first two points, but identical on the third. Watch this film if you want to see the kind of human who should be allowed power, as opposed to the sociopath who's achieved it.

Downfall of an ego

[paul2001sw-1 · 7/10 · 21 November 2016]

Anthony Weiner was a loud-mouthed congressman whose career came to and end amid (relatively) minor sexual scandal. But Weiner is an insufferable egoist, and instead of accepting his time in the spotlight had come to an end, he decided to stand for the mayoralty of New York City, and invited a documentary maker to film him as he did so. The results are painful: the press is only interested in the scandal, new scandal erupts, but the underlying feeling one gets is of Weiner's selfishness and need for attention. That he might just retreat to a backroom role for the sake of his wife (an aide to Hilary Clinton) never seems to occur to him. Weiner might ultimately be remembered as more than a footnote because an FBI investigation into his sexual texting was exploited by enemies of Clinton during her recent failed election campaign against Donald Trump. Aside from that, this documentary is basically a reminder that politicians are simply not like the rest of us, not because we're all morally virtuous, but because any normal person caught in this sort of situation would give up and move on.

very entertaining and absolutely hilarious!

[framptonhollis · 5/10 · 10 November 2017]

Some documentaries manage to shock me because of how outlandish they become, and "Wiener" is one of those documentaries. It's about a complicated and controversial political figure, the notorious "sexter" Anthony Wiener whose campaign plummeted due to an awfully funny scandal. The documentary follows his quest for a second chance and the awkward, hysterical madness that ensues.

Whether you like or dislike Wiener or his political beliefs and connections is totally irrelevant, because this film is not focused around that, and it remains pretty unbiased throughout. Wiener's personal life doesn't shock me or enrage me as much as it amuses me, he comes across as more of a classically Jewish comedian rather than some grand political figure in this movie. His politics, themselves, are mostly mixed in my opinion, and his passion is certainly there, but his connections to the dreadful Clintons and the information that came out against him AFTER the release of this film make me shy away from supporting him in any way. However, the media manages to be so obnoxious and cruel that, while watching this film, I couldn't help but side with Wiener on some more personal issues. A candidate's private affairs should not judge whether or not they're a good candidate. Kennedy had affairs, but he was still an excellent president (and, quite possibly, one of the 5 or less ONLY excellent presidents the United States has ever had), making the media's manipulation of entirely private matters pointless in my view.

Sorry for going on a quick political tirade just then, because, as I have already stated, this isn't really much of a political film. It is mostly just a tense and enjoyable comedy of bizarre, but totally truthful, proportions.