Non-spoiler review: Netflix's 'Voyeur' hits hardest once you push through the creep factor
There's an undeniable irony in writing this piece.
After all, this is a documentary about a journalist reporting on a voyeur. And in reviewing said documentary, I've become a third researcher. In essence, I'm a watcher of a watcher of a watcher.
Voyeur follows the story of Gay Talese as he chases his most compelling story to date; quite the statement when you consider the source.
Talese has written books about Charles Manson and Frank Sinatra. He's written about fame and sex and journalism at large. He's one of the great American storytellers.
Following the 1981 release of Thy Neighbor’s Wife, a controversial study of sexuality in America, Talese was approached by a man named Gerald Foos.
Foos claimed to have detailed reports, acquired through decades of personal research, that could add to Gay's study. And by "research," I mean to say he peered through ceiling vents on unsuspecting motel guests as they had sex. But the creepiness of Foos is really only half the story.
The tag line from the trailer provides some insight into the complications involved:
"Gerald Foos and I had a deal. That is, for me to tell the truth and him to live with it. Suddenly this guy is forgetting what we've agreed to." - Gay Talese
But which part of the agreement was he failing to honor?
We all want fame until we have it. It's the great American paradox. Perhaps Foos wanted his sick accomplishments to be known, but got a little camera shy when he was finally exposed.
Or maybe the truth being told wasn't the truth at all. We all exaggerate, but what happens when it goes beyond a detail or two? Imagine what wild fictions the mind of a Gerald Foos could come up with.
When a man's livelihood is based purely on his integrity, it isn't hard to unravel him. Voyeur is more about the undoing of Talese than it is about Foos, himself.
Mixed reviews can be explained away by the jumbled plot. And the jumbled plot can be explained away by the derailing of the story, itself. Any chaos helped replicate the state of Talese's life during that time. Though criticized by some, I actually enjoyed the pacing of the film.
Voyeur was a fascinating journey from start to finish. It examines two very similar personalities on very different sides of morality. Netflix's documentary game is as strong as ever. Give this one a watch.
