Allow me to explain. I am not typically the person who does exactly what everyone else is doing. Try as I might, I could not stay away from this documentary. Ever since the trailer was first played in front of the class, I knew I wanted to see more. Three Identical Strangers is based around these three brothers, triplets to be exact, that were separated at birth. They found each other when they were nineteen, first were Bobby and Eddy. Then after all of the publicity, David was also uncovered. In a blur of newspapers, talk shows, and bars, everyone was still asking why. Why were they separated, why did no one know there were three? This documentary shares the story of these adopted triplets, and the jaw-dropping reason behind their separation.

          I can not remember the last time I watched a documentary, much less one I enjoyed as much as this one. Right from the opening, it captivated me. I loved even the little things, like the background of the brother’s interviews. The lighting was also very nice and well exposed, as it should be in a professional film (unless there is a reason). I loved the way the b-roll was incorporated, it never felt abrupt or out of place even when it was reused at some points later in the film. The way information was portrayed made it feel like I was in the room, speaking with these siblings, living their experience. The music in the film is what really gave that impression. In the moments of first meeting, scenes were quick, beats were snappy, random facts the boys had in common were being thrown your way and you felt as ecstatic as you imagine they must have. Then there was the ambient, more suspenseful music to deliver the more impactful details. I noticed that most of the b-roll was shot from the backs of the actors. I loved this take on it, for example, while Bobby is explaining how he got to college and all these people are saying hello and you are watching this curly afro walking around being greeted. Rather than seeing a face that didn’t look anything like the older people talking to you.

        While most, if not all, of the documentary I liked, there were aspects I might change. Some of the beats between lines were slightly too long, like when they were intertwining two people’s interviews, although that is just me being picky. I didn’t like how in some of the interviews when the interviewee moved (even just slightly) the camera would pan. In one of the shots of David, it just kept moving back and forth quite a few times when it was a close-up and he was barely moving. I found it interesting how the other set of twins were shown. I thought it strengthened the story in the sense of being reared apart, but at some points, like talking about their book and showing them on talk shows, almost took you out of the story about the triplets. I typically judge films, mostly from an acting perspective being that I have not learned anything about cinematography until taking this class, and I don’t really enjoy a good majority of what I watch. Especially recently, everyone recommends films, and I actually truly like maybe twenty-five percent of them. So watching with a “critical eye” is really nothing new to me, especially when I live with a theatre major.

        I noticed the rule of thirds in some, most rather, of the interviews. The two brothers were displayed in the center of the screen, however, and I enjoyed the contrast. You never heard the interviewers voice, yet the story was beautifully told entirely in the words of those who lived it.

        I highly recommend this documentary, especially for someone in my position who is in a psychology course. It is such strange timing that we just finished the developmental psychology unit and are currently working on the personality/ Sigmund Freud unit. Although even for those who know nothing about or have no interest in psychology, I believe you will still enjoy it. It is a story everyone should know and be educated about. The way information can be hidden, and how you can work to uncover it. Not only is this documentary a story, but it is also in ways a lesson. I have three words for my viewing experience: astounded, intrigued, and disgusted.

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