I tend to approach government referencing documentaries with care. I blame Michael Moore for that. For this reason alone I was hesitant when it came to Rob Delgaudio's Please Remove Your Shoes. The story was simple enough, and I honestly felt that it covered an important topic that Americans should hear - that of TSA mandated procedures. However, this sort of topic can bring out more emotion than fact and therefore provides little opinion-altering information for which to ponder. Fortunately, unlike Moore's ridiculous attempts to show the government in a bad light, this film surfaces with a meaningful cause, and that makes it worth watching...once.
I say that this film is worth watching once for many reasons - most notably because it is an information filled movie. While other documentary filmmakers attempt to add personality and humor into their stories, Delgaudio does not. He insists on providing countless references and examples to drive home his worrisome point, never backing down from an interview and always laying the cards out for all to see.
Interviews are at times lost due to the lack of clarity from those speaking, but that is part of making a film such as this. The editing should have been done a bit better, and the film itself could have been cut down by some 15 or 20 minutes. It definitely triggered my own ADHD - be warned when watching with friends - but for the information it provides, the knowledge is worth the risk.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not being 'soft' on this film simply because it is a documentary that dives into the government mishandling of terrorist threats (or the countless other points it attempts to make throughout its 94 minute run time). In fact, to a degree I would say that the film is a bit bland and will likely loose 95% of its audience within the first 5 minutes. It is tough to hear, but it is true. For those that stick around and opt to learn something, they will leave this film more knowledgeable (from one point of view at least), and that is something worth noting.
