The Jinx

Doing bullet points is probably not the best way to practice writing, but not having to connect one paragraph to the next makes my life so much easier. This blog is currently me and my thoughts about shows that I don't have anyone to discuss with. I don't see any point stressing out my brain with extra work. So, in bullet points, let's talk The Jinx:

— What got me glued to The Jinx is the way it tells the story. Sometimes it tells you one event, then connects you to another. Other times, it lets you into a few events and pieces them together in the end, fluidly and with enough shock and surprise. It got me at Dorothy Ciner. The way the score is placed, the camera work timed, and details spanning three decades arranged and presented are also perfect. Following The Jinx is like unfolding a fairy tale, which is poor fairy tale being associated to this, because we know what the story is about.

— But if you still don't know what it is about, search 'Robert Durst, Wikipedia'.

— The question is, why did he do the interview? He was linked to one disappearance and two murders and practically got away with it, and there he was, reminding a few people who he was and introducing himself to the rest of the world. I saw All Good Things a while ago and didn't even care about it, and now I know what building the Durst Organization owns. There are a few theories out there on this. Whatever the actual reason is, it's not news that, being human, we usually just want our version of the story to be heard and accepted as the true narrative.

— Robert Durst is scarily a charismatic man. He's funny, candid and unaffected. If you didn't know the whole story surrounding him, he'd look just like another slightly grumpy -- but could be likeable -- old man to you. I doubt you'd entirely be blamed if you kind of felt sorry for him:

• One -- you are innocent until proven guilty, although in his case, that statement will only create about two thousand jokes.
• Two -- we can't help but pause and think: How much did the editing and music and dramatization make him look guiltier than he was? Did the perfectly timed pauses and camera focus set him up? What were the criteria used to pick which events or details to be shown? How objective was the reenactment? How would you feel if people mic'd you up in a bathroom? (Please don't remind me the bathroom recording was unintentional.)
• Three -- forget The Jinx. Generally, we all want everyone to live a happy, good life, especially those who are at an advanced age. We love to hear a good ending. It reflects what we wish for ourselves too. We might have been poor, struggled, lost, hurt, made mistakes or failed at some point in our lives, but we want a turnaround. We hope we'll get better and be proud of it in the end.
  

Then you are reminded again that here's a 70-year-old man from a privileged background who, for the past thirty years, has been hurting people or accused of doing so, with some pretty damning evidence closing in on him.

Image: HBO via standbyformindcontrol.com