'Weiner' explores nuance in disgraced politician's scandal
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Directors Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg had always intended to try to elevate disgraced politician Anthony Weiner's story above the sensationalism of the sexting scandal that effectively ended his congressional career.
The end result, "Weiner ," out Friday in limited release, might not be the comeback narrative that he was hoping for, but it is a fascinating verite exploration of a man trying to rise above his transgressions, a husband and wife dealing with public humiliation, and a culture that won't let him move past any of it.
[...] roll the cameras did, through many of the public and private moments that followed with both his campaign staff and wife, Huma Abedin, as they all come to the dispiriting conclusion that these new indiscretions happened after he had already resigned from Congress and had begun rehabilitating his image with proclamations of reform and a glossy People magazine spread with Abedin and their new baby.
The documentary does not shy away from showing Abedin throughout the ups and downs of the scandal, whether it's making a statement on her husband's behalf, using her connections for fundraising efforts, instructing a staffer to not look upset in front of the cameras, or even refusing to be in a campaign ad.
The directors have vehemently denied suggestions that additional footage of Clinton was cut from the film to avoid risking damage to her presidential campaign.
Beyond the fascinating peek behind the curtain of Weiner's ill-fated campaign, and the very human moments that emerge both with his wife and his increasingly disenchanted campaign staff, the documentary also forces the viewer to consider both the personal impact and the role of the media in scandal coverage.