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“The most satisfying and rewarding aspect of “Suburban Fury” is its wealth of wonderful archival footage. The clips of national politicians and news events, juxtaposed with footage of radical Bay Area political groups, are a joy to behold, as are the street scenes of San Francisco and Oakland in the tempestuous 1970s.”
“Moore is a fascinating subject, and she’s aware of this fact about herself… What makes up the rest of the film is a far more engaging collection of archival footage, much of which answers the question: why would someone want to kill Gerald Ford? Moore, to her credit, is a wily and seductive subject.”
“It’s a fascinating historical story on the radicalized would-be presidential assassination suburban single mother Sara Jane Moore.“
“Devor’s filming technique is very stylized with nods to the paranoid cinema of the 1970s… Fortunately Devor is not overly concerned with unveiling the “truth” but rather exploring Sara Jane Moore’s various influences along with the social and historical landscape of the time. Viewing the film through this lens is quite rewarding and even suggests some parallels with our contemporary political climate.”
“‘An archival adventure, with stories and characters whirling in and out of focus… Devor avoids making Moore a mere talking head by interviewing her as she sits in a car, looking down across San Francisco, composing a wry visual metaphor for her journey to and from the penitentiary. The landscape around her seems graceful and orderly; this dizzying film reminds us that it was anything but.”
“Moore is as much a person as she is a persona, a symbol. Through the camera’ gaze, she is a vehicle for cinematic exploration… Just as she constructs her myth, so did America create a mythos for its past. They reflect each other and “Suburban Fury” is the light caught between two mirrors face to face.”
“Devor’s meticulous recounting of Moore’s actions only deepens their mystery.”
“Moore’s story is the kind of stranger-than-fiction story that many documentary filmmakers dream of… There’s genuine visual imagination in the way Devor and cinematographer Sean Kirby stage and frame the backdrops surrounding Moore, each setting relating to a section of her story. Devor’s use of archival footage and clips throughout… is similarly masterful in the way he deploys them to add cultural context to Moore’s testimony.”
“Fascinating. The film’s greatest strength — its bevy of archival material. The filmmakers flesh out a gripping sense of time and place.”
“A gripping, stylish documentary.”
“Engrossing. Plays like some of the best 1970s suspense thrillers.”
“Formally audacious. [Moore’s] testimony is riveting.”
“The film achieves incredible momentum as it goes, with Moore’s increasingly feisty attitude adding fuel to the fire… Devor heightens the feeling of intrigue by shooting the film like a spy thriller. “
“It’s an incredible documentary… it’s a subject I find fascinating to the nth degree. And really rendered incredibly powerfully.” – From Deadline Doc Talk Podcast with Robinson Devor and Jason Reid
“A remarkable documentary set in the turbulent early ‘70s… It’s a really, really extraordinary film.”
“Robinson Devor’s filmmaking has always defied easy definition… Through Devor’s distinctive approach—a fragmented narrative divided into numbered chapters—Sara Jane emerges as a dizzyingly multifaceted figure, a collage of complex and contradictory selves. The film is also a rich portrait of an era of American history with distinct similarities to today—a time of intense anger at the government, paranoia about surveillance, distrust between the classes, and impassioned protest movements.”
“Robinson Devor is no stranger to unusual subjects… In his new film, Suburban Fury, Devor sits with Moore to learn her story. Through her eyes, the film presents the immense social and political turmoil of the early to mid-’70s, interlacing copious archival footage into interviews with Moore taking place throughout San Francisco.”
“A time capsule of 1970s San Francisco…. The film unfolds like a thriller.”
“One of the “23 Best (and Most Anticipated) Documentaries of 2024. Nothing short of riveting, excavating a strange, compelling story from the footnotes of history… The impressive breadth of archival footage manages to sidestep the era’s clichés, while Moore, who served more than 30 years of a life prison sentence, shows off her prime storytelling skills and occasionally some deft evasions.”
“’Suburban Fury’ does that rare thing and offers a highly specific motivation for Moore’s infamous crime… Holds you with a kind of rapt tension.”
