Many of the most compelling documentaries are filled with stories that are stranger than fiction. For example, the story about the foot amputated at the center. Finders KeepersThe most sincere competitiveness in Air Guitar Nation,Or the mind-snapping twists and turns of the true crime gem The Imposter. Whatever the subject matter, a great documentary can entice you with its strange premise and then envelope you with its atmosphere, heart, and jaw-dropping revelations. Despite its quaint title, My Old School This film is exactly what you would expect. It features a compilation of memories from former classmates and portrays a complete, entertaining, but sometimes disturbing, portrait of a Scottish scandal.
In 1993, a new student walked into a Scottish secondary school, joining 16-year-olds in sex education classes. Brandon Lee had a dark past, a dream of becoming a doctor and loved the ’80s. There was something special about him. Still, like in any American teen movie worth its hair gel, he made fast friends, rose through the ranks of popularity, and then — well, let’s just say that when his secret came out, the whole town was thrown into tumult.
You could Google the details, but you would be missing out. My Old SchoolThis story is told in a unique and personal way by Jono McLeod, who was one of Lee’s classmates. McLeod is seated with his former friends in front of the camera. The backdrop is a classroom with sturdy wooden desks and dusty chalkboards. Because McLeod is one of them there’s an uncanny lack of embarrassment as well as an infectious levity about the interviewees. Lee was not only fooling them, according to one of their classmates. McLeod was jokingly mocked by her. [were] you, You mug!
My Old School This unique challenge requires extraordinary savviness.
Lee had to have a caveat. Lee was not one of those classmates who would be willing to share their memories about this scandal in the ’90s. The opening title cards of My Old SchoolExplain that although he consented to an audio interview, he didn’t want his face on camera. McLeod decided to photograph Lee in silhouette rather than capturing him as a state witness who was on the run from criminals. McLeod instead hired an actor to lip sync these audio interviews. This gives Lee’s words a face along with a visual performance that proves delightfully clever.
Of course, not any actor would be able to do the role. McLeod selected Alan Cumming to play Lee, the famous Scottish actor. It just so happens that Lee was once in McLeod’s sights to portray him in a documentary about his life. That film never came to be. The casting is strange at first, even though it is a playful nod to the story’s complicated nature. Cummings is easily identifiable as a professional, while the rest of the interview subjects remain unguarded civilians. This disturbing distinction makes it imperative for the audience to question every word Lee speaks from the beginning. Even now, he is still hiding. What a hiding spot! Behind the mask of a beloved, award winning thespian of stage and screen, who brings a mischievous wink to every outlandish story, even the nonchalant insistence, that Lee has mind control powers like a Jedi. And that’s only a small taste.
My Old SchoolPulls from Daria It’s sensational.
Cumming plays the role of the contemporary Lee. He wears gray hair and glasses as well as the conservative attire of a respectable allman. However, his performance also extends to the documentary’s many reenactments of Lee’s time with his 16-year old classmates. Instead of pulling a punch, Cumming pulls a. Pen15Adults cosplay as children in this live-action comedy scene. My Old SchoolThe animated re-enactments are voiceacted by performers. It does this in a style heavily influenced MTV’s ’90s cartoon. Daria.
Illustrations of students and teachers are created as caricatures. This, like the Cumming casting, proves to be incredibly clever. The DariaGen X’ers, and elder millenials, are drawn to this style of bright colors and thick black outline. It is a comforting reminder of the past and a prime source of nostalgia for high school hijinks. This is a great way to portray teenage bullying, reckless partying, cool kid makeovers, and other issues. However, it’s also a smart solution to keep Lee from being photographed, which helps to hide the truth at the heart of the story. After the cat is out, archive footage from the school will be available and Lee’s subsequent apology tour, which will show his ’90s features, making it a great payoff for the shocking finale. And, again, YesYou can search for it, but My Old School It’s more fun to be with the group.
My Old School Unsettling realizations are inevitable.
McLeod’s carefully conducted interviews with classmates invite viewers into the excitement and thrill of a reunion. Now adults, they laugh and joke and tell how their school’s principal was a Batman-like figure with an intense sense for justice and a long dark cape. It’s a comparison that animation happily makes! As the story turns to Lee’s lies, a feeling of unease sets in. The subjects are encouraged to reflect on what this revelation meant to them then — and what it means now.
It would be a strange feeling to discover that your friendship was built on fiction. Imagine looking at old footage without any knowledge of what was happening behind the scenes. How would your perception of Lee’s family change if you realized they were aware of what was going on behind the scenes? How must it feel to see the depth of these lies?
McLeod does not rush to get past such scenes. He welcomes us into his current discomfort as he did in the first gossip sessions’ frenetic joy. It is so intense that you can feel the hardwood chair underneath you and smell chalk dust in your air.
Interviews with Lee grow more pointed as they probe his lies and push for answers. As one would expect from an internationally recognized liar his answers are elusive, insatiable, and sometimes downright frustrating. You can’t help but wonder, is he lying to us — or to himself? It matters.
My Old School This is a must-see.
Don’t fret. McLeod isn’t going to leave us in this dark place. In keeping with the story’s theme, McLeod transitions from a happy youth to somber adult realizations and then moves on. Lee sees this as something very strange. The rest of the class has celebratory shots. With equal delight, black-and-white school photos are juxtaposed against modern footage. Even the school photos roll into the credits, reminding us all of our youth and how it shaped us, whether we were a sneering teacher or a plucky theatre kid, or even the famous Brandon Lee.
In the end My Old School The story balances its nostalgia with giddiness, while adding in a sophisticated dose to reflection and painful realizations. McLeod is not content with a simple happy ending, and instead offers something deeper and more compelling. When I was done, it was over. My Old SchoolOut of Sundance 2022After the big reveal, I wanted to revisit the film. It’s an exciting experience to learn this story through McLeod’s thoughtful retelling. But this doc is even more captivating on a second look. You can see the edges and determine where the pieces fit together and where they don’t. It makes you wonder why no one has noticed sooner. You won’t feel judgmental or smug because the story is so sincere. Perhaps you will just wonder how you would fit into such an absurd tale.
My Old SchoolHulu is streaming it now
UPDATE: Nov. 17, 2022, 10:03 AM EST This review was originally published July 22, 2022. It is tied to My Old School’s theatrical release. This review has been republished with updated availability information as the film is now available on Hulu.
