Keanu Reeves goes full Charlie Rose with Scorsese, Nolan, Cameron, and Soderbergh — but the topic is way more volatile: is film dead, or just evolving?
Shout out to RAD on Marginal Revolution for putting this one on our radar.
Trailer for “Side by Side”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- George Lucas insisted on shooting “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” digitally in 1999—at a time when most theaters couldn’t even project digital films properly.
- Martin Scorsese used digital tools to de-age actors and re-create entire historical scenes in “Hugo”—techniques that were pure sci-fi 10 years earlier.
- David Lynch says he would never go back to film. Christopher Nolan says he won’t touch digital. Yes, this doc catches them both saying that…in the same film.
Watch “Side by Side”
You can watch “Side by Side” on Amazon.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 90/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 92/100 (Users); 86/100 (Critics)
Director’s Note: This is Christopher Kenneally’s breakout doc, but the real magic is Keanu Reeves. He not only narrates, he interviews legends face-to-face—George Lucas, David Fincher, James Cameron, Lena Dunham, Robert Rodriguez, and Greta Gerwig all show up. If you’ve ever wondered how Hollywood decides between grainy film vs. crisp digital, this is your film school in 99 minutes.
Release Date: Premiered in 2012 (world premiere at Berlin International Film Festival)
My Review of “Side by Side”
The Setup
Film vs. digital. Old school vs. new school. The documentary goes deep on the biggest shift in Hollywood since color replaced black-and-white. Keanu Reeves (yes, *that* Keanu) serves as host, guiding us through the evolution of moviemaking—from the early days of photochemical film to the digital explosion of the 2000s.
And this isn’t a tech manual—it’s a war of philosophies. Nolan fights for film. Soderbergh fights for digital. Lucas changes the whole industry. Cameron upgrades the whole toolkit. These directors don’t hold back.
More Highlights from the Doc
- James Cameron compares the switch to going from horses to cars—saying film is just “the end of an era.”
- Lena Dunham talks about how digital made her debut “Tiny Furniture” possible—she never could’ve afforded film.
- Robert Rodriguez says digital let him make “Sin City” with more control than he ever had before—every shot was composed live on screen.
- Film editors, VFX teams, and cinematographers weigh in: how workflows changed, what they lost, what they gained.
- Bradford Young (“Selma,” “Arrival”) explains how digital lets him shoot natural light scenes with way more freedom.
Cameos – Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- John Knoll (VFX supervisor, “Star Wars,” “Pirates of the Caribbean”) explains how digital tools came out of Industrial Light & Magic’s in-house experiments.
- Dion Beebe (Oscar-winning DP for “Memoirs of a Geisha”) reveals how digital lets DPs experiment on set without running out of stock.
- Lars von Trier says digital cameras allow a more intimate, invasive style—he actually prefers the grainy, imperfect look.
- Derek Ambrosi and Craig Wood (editors) walk through how digital editing compressed months of post-production into weeks—without sacrificing control.
Wrap Up:
Even if you’re not a tech nerd, “Side by Side” is loaded with Hollywood war stories and some of the best minds in the business. This one will change how you see every movie ever made.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc