A Disappointing Continuation

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The acting in this movie is really good.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Like IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL, this documentary explores an "outsider artist" who shares his life between reality and a fantasy world of his own construction. Mark Hogancamp's miniature WWII town of "Marwencol" is far less bizarre than Darger's creation, but serves as a reflection of his frustrations, desires, and imagination. It truly is "art as therapy". Director Jeff Malmberg takes a decidedly unflashy approach to the material, mostly just allowing Hogancamp and his associates to speak for themselves. This is really for the best, as Mark is an instantly likable person, not charming so much as open and relatable. The film's revelations are not presented as earth-shattering shockers, but simply facets of a complete person with his own quiet quirks and nagging demons. An understated but fascinating and often inspirational movie about the artist (who didn't know he was one) and the value of art.

Suffering from brain damage and permanent memory loss , Mark Hogancamp spent nine days in a coma after a severe beating which almost killed him. When he awoke Mark went through therapy to try and regain all the skills that he lost. After leaving the hospital Mark began his own therapy in the form of Marwencol, a 1/6th scale World War II era town he built and is inhabited by dolls. Using some of the dolls as representations for people he knows, Mark creates numerous stories within Marwencol, some of which relate to the time he was assaulted.When his photographs are seen by magazine publisher an art show is set up in Greenwich village, New York. Conflicted by whether or not to go ahead with the show Mark must decide if he wants to keep his therapy to himself or share it with the outside world, which he doesn't have much interaction with and doesn't feel safe in.An interesting documentary, this film gives a view into the world of a man who has created a unique way to deal with the trauma of having nothing from a life he had prior to an assault outside a bar. The viewer gets to see the before and after sides to Mark's personality, some which seem a little creepy and others which show him as a simple man trying to get his life back. More importantly it shows how Mark didn't just become a victim who gave up because of what happened to him. Although the film tends to lag a little near the end and leaves a few questions unanswered this is worth viewing.

As with all the very best documentaries, it's what is implied rather than what is said outright. This brilliantly restrained piece chooses to give subtle information at all the right times, perfectly conveying the emotion attached to its subject matter.Previous alcoholic, bitter and angry, Mark Hogancamp was left in a coma after he received a savage beating outside a bar by five men. The resulting damage meant that he had also lost a lot of memory from the attack, losing details in his life (including his need for alcohol). Having lost his identity, Mark dealt with his traumas by constructing the titular miniature town of Marwencol, often reenacting scenes from flashes of memory, with toy dolls closely representing people in his life.Brilliantly paced, we learn of Mark's life, anxieties, and fears, and learn of a lonely, highly intelligent individual, who just does not want any further pain in his life. Thus, retracting from life and society, to live through his doll-town stories.If the first half is a little labouring in providing information to the viewer, the second half justifies this approach no end, as we compassionately learn of Mark's personality, what makes him comfortable, and the few real loves throughout his life. As well as the reason for the attack that so affected his life.The film is never judgmental, never dwells on its issues more than others. Scenes of Mark walking a toy jeep 160 miles on his trips to the local stores in order to wear the wheels in and appear authentic, prove to be highly endearing rather than seem odd or snigger-inducing. When Mark's constructions are later discovered as works of art, he struggles with his preparation for a New York exhibition of his constructions and photography. Yet clearly his honesty and integrity have a strong effect on the people he encounters there. What we are left with in the end is an honest portrait of a man overcoming his life's traumas. Therapy through art, in the most dignified and humble of ways.

Marwencol is an unusual documentary about a real-life character, Mark Hogencamp, a resident of Kingston, New York. Hogancamp used to be married and had a hobby as a talented illustrator (although the subject matter of his illustrations, often aggressive and sexually tinged, reflected an angry temperament, undoubtedly exacerbated by alcoholism). Everything changed in 2000 when Hogancamp was assaulted by five low-lifes at a Kingston bar and sustained significant brain damage. He was in a coma for nine days and hospitalized for 40 days, only gradually recovering physically from the attack. As a result of the attack, Hogancamp lost almost all his memories of his former life. At the same time, he completely lost his desire for alcohol and became a much more docile, sensitive person, in contrast to the angry alcoholic of his pre-attack days.Unable to afford any therapy, Hogancamp created a miniature town called Marwencol inhabited by dolls dressed up as World War II action figures (Marwencol refers to himself and two important women in his life, Wendy and Colleen). One of the dolls is a stand-in for Hogancamp himself and some of the other dolls represent friends or acquaintances who have impacted his life. Hogancamp takes photos of the dolls using various props to create scenes from an occupied town in Belgium during World War II. Hogancamp still is angry about the bar beating but channels the anger by taking revenge on the Nazi action figures who represent the men who beat him back in 2000. Often, he utilizes some of the female dolls to take revenge on the Nazis, who end up as bloodied corpses on his miniature stage.When a local photographer discovers Hogancamp's collection of photos, he puts him in contact with the publisher of Esopus Magazine, an art magazine, who ends up publishing Hogancamp's work. Later, an art gallery agrees to put on an exhibition of Hogancamp's photos and Hogancamp grapples with the idea of getting out of his shell and making the trip to Greenwich Village where he'll have to interact with real-life people.I found the most interesting part of 'Marwencol' is when various people talk about Hogancamp including friends, co-workers and those who knew him before he sustained brain damage. These brief interviews serve to fill in the back story regarding Hogancamp's character. In addition, his rise to notice beyond his small circle of friends, is also quite fascinating and perhaps more of the public reaction to this newly found 'artiste', could have been included in the documentary.Certainly Hogancamp's miniatures have helped him cope with his devastating brain injury and has been instrumental in his recovery. And it is quite clear, that he is a talented person, with an artistic eye. Nonetheless, two questions arise regarding Hogancamp's 'work': 1) Is it really art? and 2) In the long run, is his attachment to his fantasy world, a good thing? For me, Hogancamp's miniatures remind me of the 'kitschy' world of Andy Warhol. His obsession with his make believe town (reminiscent of any mediocre, "B" movie about World War II) should appeal more to comic book aficionados than connoisseurs of serious art. And how long should he immerse himself in this make believe world? Isn't it more healthy to interact with real people than maintain the illusion that he's an action hero in his war against the Third Reich? Yes crutches are good when you're first injured—but there comes a time, when one must throw away one's crutches to make further progress. The film does show that Hogancamp has some friends—but I would have preferred to see him interact with his friends a bit more than fall back into his ruminations regarding imaginary Panzer movements.Is Hogancamp that disabled, that he is unable to form a relationship again with a woman? At this point he seems more eccentric than devastatingly handicapped. I'm not suggesting that he give up Marwencol, but wouldn't it be better if this was merely a hobby than an obsession? Hopefully Hogancamp can profit from his 'talents' in the future. It wouldn't hurt that at a certain point in the future, he engages a therapist or counselor who can help with social skills so he can make more friends and perhaps get involved with a woman (or a man for that matter).Marwencol features unique subject matter and is worth viewing simply because it is different and highlights the struggle of one man coping with a devastating brain injury.