Reviews

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  ★★★★ review by Mr. DuLac on Letterboxd

  Good evening. Hello. I have cancer. How are you?
  
  -Tig Notaro

  The word inspirational gets thrown around a lot in describing films and documentaries, but I'm confident in saying that I've never used that word to describe any of the over 2000 films I've logged on Letterboxd, except for this one. This right here is an incredibly inspirational story.

  If this had been a fictional story I would have panned it and been annoyed because what happens to Tig Notaro in such little time would have seemed contrived and impossible. Everything from her entire life taking a nose dive like no other to her romantic relationship, this doesn't happen in real life.

  All of this did happen though. It happened to Notaro and how she handled herself through it is awe inspiring. I've had life changing events happen to me that seem incredibly trivial in comparison, and I can say with the utmost honesty that I did not handle it with even a miniscule fraction of Tig's determination.

  It's a documentary about an incredibly unique individual and survivor.

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  ★★★★½ review by Scott Anderson on Letterboxd

  If I were to tell you a film was "simple", would you assume I meant it in a negative or positive way? It sounds so negative, to call something as complicated to make as a film "simple", but often times simplicity can be so damn wonderful, especially in regards to a documentary.

  So damn wonderful, the simplicity of it all.

  Except here's the thing: if you push aside the actual skill of the filmmaker and the fact that the new Netflix Original Documentary Tig is about one woman and her personal journey, there is nothing simple about what we see happening on the screen throughout. Life isn't simple. Death isn't simple. Joy isn't simple. Pain isn't simple.

  Cancer isn't simple. Comedy isn't simple. Love isn't simple. Heartbreak isn't simple.

  Yet here I am, still basking in the simplicity of Tig. I absolutely adore the narrow focus of the picture, the fact that we are seeing her various stand up bits, from the material that gets used on a daily basis to the absolutely iconic and game changing set she did one shortly after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, but these jokes carry so much more weight the more we get to know and learn about the person delivering them.

  This film is about her, but it's also about so many other people in the world who have been knocked down over and over and over again and had to find the strength to get back up again. The people who have emerged on the other side of tragedy with a smile on their face that seems incomprehensible considering their pain. The people who manage to find humor during a time when the desk just seems to be stacked against them time and time again. Tig Notaro is a wonderful, strong, inspiring person and this film does a brilliant job of reflecting these traits while, again, maintaining a simplicity in focus and vision that makes the whole experience feel honest and intimate.

  Illness, tragedy, heartbreak, disease, and then amazingly, laughter. Moving forward even when everything seems to be pushing her back. Finding hope in a world that can seem so hopeless.

  I never once felt manipulated or mislead by the story of Tig Notaro. Not once. I laughed, I hurt and I was emotionally moved by both her darkest moments and also when her brightness still managed to shine through. When the final frame disappeared from the screen, I couldn't shake the power of seeing the human spirit triumph over so many hardships.

  The filmmaking and storytelling approach of Tig is simple.

  Yet nothing is simple about Tig.

  
  
  No Blogging for Old Men

• 

  ★★★★★ review by Cheyenne Brown on Letterboxd

  "Good evening, I have cancer"

  Truly one of the most beautiful documentaries I have ever watched.
  
  Documenting the past three years of Tig Notaro's life, Tig is about love, loss, and what one strong woman had to do in order to survive.

  One of the most beautiful things expressed in this documentary is how Tig uses her art as a way to not only find meaning in life, but to heal. Her audience connects and identifies with such a serious topic that is way too common and often never talked about in such away.
  
  Tig is one of the most iconic standups of this generation and this documentary shows that she deserves this status probably more than anyone else on the scene today.

  In addition, Tig's desire to start a family with her adorable fiance, Stephanie Allynne, brings more love and hope to an incredible human, survivor, and artist.

  I do not only love this documentary because I am a fan of both Tig and Stephanie, I love it because this story is human and it's a gift Tig has chosen to share with us.

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  ★★★★ review by Trudie ❄️ on Letterboxd

  This was so beautiful and funny. I'm a Tig and Stephanie fan for life

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  ★★★★ review by Ms_Zero 🦄 on Letterboxd

  Scavenger Hunt 42
  
  Film #20 of September 2018 Scavenger Hunt
  
  Task #19. A documentary about a woman or women.
  
  I love Tig even more after watching this. This movie is honestly really inspirational and is a great reminder that your life can literally be falling apart around you, but if you keep your chin up and don’t let it stop you, everything can be completely different and stunningly perfect before you know it. I sure needed that reminder today. Such a touching, sweet, and wonderful documentary. And funny too!

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