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Sunday, October 23, 2011

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Battle for Brooklyn (2010)

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1.5 rating, 35 votes

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14 Readers' Reviews
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October 21st, 2011 10:55 am 14. Compelling drama

This movie is astonishingly good -- a documentary with the narrative arc of a big budget Hollywood film. While it is a story
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that is grounded in the details of a particular neighborhood, the themes are universal - power, economics, politics, housing, and the struggle of ordinary folks to control their own destinies. Is it "objective"? No. Is there any documentary (or any movie worth watching for that matter) that does not have a strong point of view? Of course not. Praise it or vilify it, but SEE IT. Erik Johnke, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Recommend Recommended by 0 Readers Report as Inappropriate October 11th, 2011 4:52 pm 13. Outstanding! Rating:

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The movie shows so well how difficult it is for people affected by large economic interests to have any meaningful participation in political institutions or processes existing to oversee, for the public good, certain decisions made by those interests. RM, Bellingham WA
Recommend Recommended by 0 Readers Report as Inappropriate July 11th, 2011 4:20 pm 12. The Long Shadow of the Footprint

1. Margin Call 2. Martha Marcy May Marlene 3. The Three Musketeers 4. Le Havre 5. The Ides of March
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I lived for 5 years in the long shadow of the now infamous footprint--first in Fort Greene near the detestable Atlantic Center, and then in Prospect Heights a block from the project's edge (I could see Daniel Goldstein's building from mine)--and moved away a year after the plot to destroy the area launched. I am not impartial about this story. Neither is the film, to be sure. But it does not change the facts, and the facts are outrageous. The film does a good job of showing the mind-boggling and corrupt machinations of the plutocrats and bureaucrats involved in the planning of the project, and it does a decent job of laying out how devastating the potential impact could be on the neighborhood and its residents. Sure, it only pays lip service to the residents who were duped into believing in the project, but that's all they deserved, really. Because anyone who lived/lives in that area knows full well how unwelcome a sports arena will be--with or without the entire rest of the project.

Let me count the ways the quality of life in the long shadow of the footprint--Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, Park Slope, and more-will be adversely impacted. 1) Increased traffic on roads that have long been impassable, such as Flatbush between the bridge and the park; 2) Parking hassles on game nights (one used to be able to find street parking in some of these neighborhoods--not any more); 3) Increased filth on the sidewalks and streets, inevitable due to the increased pedestrian traffic; 4) Late night revelry-though doubtful given how sucky the Nets are--or just public drunkenness in a community that ought to be safe for its growing population of kids; 5) so much more. If anything, the film didn't delve into this enough! Anyway, in my heart, I loved the film. In my mind, and this is where I have to try to be objective, I thought it was really well done. Wild applause from the crowd at the Cinema Village the night I saw it. Must see if you love BK. Ben J, NJ
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers Report as Inappropriate July 11th, 2011 4:17 pm 11. Power and Passion

In Battle for Brooklyn, you see a community fighting for its life. The fact that we lost makes this a poignant story. The fact that we ALMOST WON makes it an inspiring on. Go see it, and tell your friends! razorgirl, Brooklyn, NY
Recommend Recommended by 0 Readers Report as Inappropriate June 30th, 2011 12:14 pm 10. Get out and see this film

This stuff happens all around our country. Monied interests dictate their needs to politicians - who gladly comply. The laws of New York in this regard need to be changed. The Atlantic Yards project makes a mockery of the notion of "public good". The film does and excellent job of illustrating this and making it personal, but the evidence is there for all to see. In fact it pretty much required a media to be willfully ignorant of what was happening before their eyes (NY Times). No fancy editing required. anoyes, Brooklyn
Recommend Recommended by 1 Reader Report as Inappropriate June 25th, 2011 6:52 pm 9. Documentary at its Best!

This is documentary filmmaking at its best - talented filmmakers dedicated to a story that matters, pursuing it for 8 years, and creating a strong, entertaining narrative with characters you feel deeply about and touching on issues that affect us all. Entertain yourselves and support documentary filmmaking by going to see it at Cinema Village! dickyd, portland, or
Recommend Recommended by 1 Reader Report as Inappropriate June 25th, 2011 6:52 pm 8. Film insures they will remember how it was done

The film reveals that the story is not about "jobs, jobs, jobs" as claimed by the proponents, but is really about "sports versus homes." New York City Council member Letitita James asks the central question: "Do you want an arena at the expense of throwing

people out of their homes?" The answer, unfortunately, is "yes." Forest City's unctuous P.R. man dismisses the project's opponents as merely fearful of change. "Change is hard for everybody," he smoothly counsels. Mayor Bloomberg encourages supporters by asserting that in the future no one will care how they brought the Nets to Brooklyn, only that they got it done. This film insures that despite Mayor Bloomberg's claim, in the future they will remember how it was done. Robert H., San Francisco, CA
Recommend Recommended by 0 Readers Report as Inappropriate June 25th, 2011 6:52 pm 7. Good Storytelling

Money and power roll over everyone, an old story, an American story as is said in this fine portrayal of the city as we, who live here, know it. It's not unique to NYC which makes it all the more painful. CK, East Village
Recommend Recommended by 0 Readers Report as Inappropriate June 25th, 2011 12:46 am 6. Wonderful New York Doc

I'm not one to post reviews of movies often, but the NYT review of Battle for Brooklyn couldn't be further from the truth. This is a fantastic documentary about the story of a man and his property in the borough he loves. Brooklyn, Prospect heights specifically, has changed so much over the past decade, and these filmmakers capture it beautifully. This is a movie for New Yorkers, activists, home owners, and everyone in between. The accusations of manipulative editing are ridiculous. Nobody put a gun to these politicians' heads and made them sound like buffoons. See the movie! Classic New York doc! Nick, Upper West Side, NY
Recommend Recommended by 1 Reader Report as Inappropriate June 25th, 2011 12:46 am 5. Must watch!!

This is a movie with sorrow and hope. This is a movie about how loyal Brooklyn residents defend their roots and memories. The continuous fight between gov/private sector interest groups and the local people built up the backbone of this extraordinary story. It is not just a movie for Brooklyn people, but a movie for everyone who has a past and future to cherish and protect. The metaphor of a newborn concluded the movie with tremendous hopes and encouragement. It is a loss of yours if you missed this epic. 5/5 stars!! Dennis H, Chicago
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers Report as Inappropriate June 24th, 2011 8:58 pm 4. Great film maker

No amount of editing can hide the truth Fraser, Alta UT

Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers Report as Inappropriate June 17th, 2011 5:38 pm

3. Where's the NYTimes disclosure?

If the NYTimes wants to portray this film as "unabashedly slanted" then they really should mention that Forest City Ratner was a development partner for the new Midtown office tower built for The New York Times along with the review so as not to be completely hypocritical. David, Brooklyn, NY
Recommend Recommended by 10 Readers Report as Inappropriate June 17th, 2011 9:58 am 2. It wasn't editing that made public officials look bad

It's irresponsible for the Times to claim that the directors "make public officials sound like manipulative weasels or clueless buffoons." Those public officials manage pretty well on their own. Also, there are multiple episodes of such behavior that didn't make the film, such as when mild-mannered WNYC host Brian Lehrer called out Empire State Development Corporation Chairman Charles Gargano for "classic political evasiveness." More here: http://atlanticyardsreport.blogspot.com/2011/06/times-puntssomewhat-on-... My long review, published by Dissent, offers this summary: "HAVING OBSERVED much of the story in real time, I found Battle most valuable in the camera's witness to the palpable insincerity and cold-blooded indifference of the developergovernment alliance. Though Atlantic Yards may not directly evoke the Robert Moses era, when massive numbers of people in New York City were displaced by large public projects, the film shows that the powers today are less blatant but still relentless." Full review here: http://dissentmagazine.org/online.php?id=495 Norman Oder Atlantic Yards Report Norman Oder, Brooklyn
Recommend Recommended by 4 Readers Report as Inappropriate June 17th, 2011 9:56 am 1. Is this a Review ?

This review gets half a star. Do you really think we New Yorkers are so ignorant to think that Markowitz can't sound like a total bumbling idiot, and Bloomberg a smug out of touch with reality billionaire, all on their own? For over 7 years, The NY Times has been unable to report anything about the "mess " of the Atlantic Yards with out demonizing the community and rolling out the carpet for their benefactor Bruce Ratner. In 7 years the NY Times could not and DID NOT EVER portray the dismay of what this corrupt land grab was doing, but somehow a documentary covering ACTUAL EVENTS, is supposed to make lazy sell out politicians, and greedy millionaire developers and their BILLIONAIRE Russian bailout king, look good, or sympathetic, or somehow un-weasel like? What? So to suggest that the filmmakers somehow edited these weasel politicians, is to give them almost too much credit and, stands to implicate this reviewer in some seriously incredulous reviewing. No amount of editing could portray the ignorant lying banter of the politicians who paved the corrupt way for this project. And for the record, people on "all sides" ( as if it were as simple as that) have been moved by or found this film to be very fair. So where is your POV really coming from? Shame on you for telling half a story for so many years, and continuing your own powerful censure with this CLEARLY SLANTED REVIEW. THAT'S unfortunate. This is a barely thought

out subjective synopsis at best and another component to how the "story" might never ever be told, at worst. Flanders, NY
Recommend Recommended by 7 Readers Report as Inappropriate

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1.5 rating, 35 votes

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