No. 11 (2021) DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD February 3rd.

 

Film No. 11 (2021)  Feb. 3rd.  8:00 PM   NETFLIX,  Mt. Hawthorn, West Australia. 

"Just the idea that I might ever lose this man is just too much to bear." (The voiceover of Kirsten Johnson during the opening credits).

This unique film has stolen the hearts of many in 2020. I'm not sure there could have been a better year for a film like Dick Johnson Is Dead. The fact that it is another Netflix original, making it so accessible for so many, has to be a good thing.

So what do you need to know? Well, to begin with, it is a documentary, but it is laced with fantasy, and that is what makes it so original. Our subject, Dick Johnson is filmed over a period of time from his mid eighties through to his late eighties. The film is a project of his daughter, Kirsten, with the premise that Dick is going to die. There are many staged  enactments of his coming death, and they are very inventive. Have I convinced you yet?

The key to this project is the fact DJID is a love letter from a daughter to her father. Kirsten knows she will lose her father eventually, so she may as well have fun with him while she still can. Dick is genuinely a beautiful man. We are all in love with him by 20 minutes in. We just love hanging out with Dick. The films concluding scenes have us sad, delighted and finally invigorated. I bloody well loved Dick Johnson Is Dead. Give it a go, I don't think you'll be disappointed.  11GUMS.