EMPz 4 Life

EMPz 4 Life is the latest fly-on-the-wall documentary from filmmaker Allan King, and follows a dedicated volunteer named Brian Henry as he attempts to steer several “high risk” teenagers away from various illegal pursuits (eg he signs them up for math lessons). King’s expected hands-off approach – used to exceedingly positive effect in festival favorites such as Memory for Max, Claire, Ida and Company and Dying at Grace – doesn’t fare all that well this time around, as the majority of these teens remain unsympathetic and flat-out disagreeable (Henry is a rare exception to this, and it’s difficult not to empathize with his uphill battle). The movie’s unclear and hollow sound design certainly doesn’t help matters (additionally, ambient noises often drown out the dialogue), nor does King’s incessant use of a grating hip-hop tune throughout EMPz 4 Life‘s overlong running time. With the exception of one or two genuinely compelling sequences (ie one of the kids visits his brother in prison), there’s little within EMPz 4 Life to appeal to the casual viewer (those with a vested interest in Henry’s plight will probably find something here worth embracing).

** out of ****