First off, just the sheer coincidence and odds associated with this happening are remarkably inconceivable. The depth this story goes into leaves you deeply connected with these three men. Their unbelievable journey is a tragic fairy tale. So glad this story was able to be told.
... View MoreOne documentary but many interesting topics to discuss & many real life questions raised by 'Three Identical Strangers'. Let me just list a few: nature v. nurture, rapidly changing medical ethics, what traits are hereditary, how much of our actions are preprogrammed & how much do we have control over, what price the society should willingly pay for scientific research & when does it become too high, is knowing the truth so important that we would wrap our life in turmoil or is it better not to know such a truth, should the people who have been targeted and been subjects of experiments be now themselves conducting experiments on their own in the name of science etc. 'Three Identical Strangers' unfortunately does not answer these questions though the scientists did set out long ago by conducting these experiments to answer many of these questions but medical ethics evolved during the experimentation that prevented them from publishing a scientific paper. However, the documentary does provide 'feelings' on these profound topics expressed by many people who were either subjects of study or closely related to the subjects. I was deeply engrossed in the movie due to many of its twists & turns. I highly recommend this documentary if this kind of stuff interests you.
... View MoreThree Identical Strangers is a documentary to die for: it has camera-ready, outgoing triplet brothers, who discover each other 19 years after birth (1980), become media darlings, and provide filmmaker Tim Wardle with one of the best thrillers of the year. Read this review but not those that will disclose the mysterious underpinnings of one of the best docs this year. Yes, things do not all turn well after the initial exaltation over their finding each other. The doc expertly distributes the dark revelations as if we were their friends slowly learning astonishing facts about the triplets from separation to owning a restaurant called, what else, Triplets. Not only do we see the nuances of differences among the triplets, but we also get tantalizing looks into the machinery of adoption, not all happy to be sure.As adults, Robert Sheridan, David Kellman, and Eddy Galland are outgoing and articulate (only two are talking heads, while Eddy's part is archival footage). Good for director Wardle letting them tell the story without prompting, for effective docs mostly let the camera roll and the subject talk. This doc will grab you and not let you go-you'll hunger for more.As the background of the adoption and the testimony reveals startling information, our natural inclination is to contrast the three different social backgrounds to see the effects of nature vs. nurture. Indeed social scientists are here plying their trade, sometimes in unethical ways yet food for the thriller part of this engrossing film. Although the nature/nurture debate is never fully deconstructed, I was pleased with the taste of it, as most social scientists must be in such a delicious dramatic stew. I'm done writing for fear of spoiling one of the delights of this documentary: What comes next? Don't even Google because you can find the details there. Most desirable is to witness how artfully through excellent film you can find in reality that truth can be stranger than fiction. And definitely not fake. Three Identical Strangers is one of the year's best documentaries. It has it all but the definitive answer to the central mystery. Learn more by seeing it, not Googling it.
... View MoreThree Identical Strangers is a documentary covering the unlikely reunion of three identical triplets separated at birth who all meet eachother for the first time at the age of 21. Then following their experiences together and unfolding the dark mystery as to why they were separated in the first place. The first half of this film is 10/10 phenomenal. Absolutely stunning, captivating, uplifting, and amazing. I was glued to the screen watching these impossible events unfold. The second half however begins to drag a little, they cover the darkness and mystery behind their separation, and although very interesting, it could have been executed much better as the film definitely loses some steam while covering this. This is definitely one of the most interesting documentaries ever made regardless of its flaws, and I absolutely recommend it.
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