- Many people remember Marion Barry as the philandering drug-addled mayor of the nation's capital. He's the poster boy for corruption, a pariah. Yet to others, Marion Barry is a folk hero who has dominated Washington D.C. city politics for over 40 years. Today, Barry is once again in the political limelight. Who is Marion Barry, really? A hero? A scoundrel? For the first time, Marion Barry: Not Down for the Count reveals the complete unforgettable story.—Toby Oppenheimer
- A balanced, but relatively abbreviated, version of Barry's history in DC. Not enough detail about the (Yes!) positive effects of his first two - maybe 1 1/2 - terms. Also, IMHO, not nearly enough detail on the way the later administrations allowed DC's infrastructure to crumble. No mention of the disastrous effect on Barry's self-control when Ivanhoe Donaldson went to jail, although Donaldson makes a brief appearance in the film. All the talking heads were there for the duration; their varied presence in the film underscores the paradoxical Barry persona. A notable absence from the lineup: the current mayor, who grew up in DC under Barry's reign. Especially moving is Effi Barry's description of her experiences, underscored by the film footage of her writhing in humiliation at Marion's side. For those of us who lived the entire experience, the film conjures many mixed feelings. It succeeds in recalling the sense of hope & elation in Barry's - and DC's - political beginnings, which provides important balance for the cartoon-like buffoon seared onto the national consciousness. Barry will not be down for the count until he is dead, because, as the film repeats like a steady drum, he represents hope for many people in the City.
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