Aaron Schocks Circo is a visually stunning tapestry telling the very real tale of the Ponce family and their life in Mexico as they struggle to live the only way they know how – on the road and through the family tradition of the circus! Theres no question that their bond to the circus as a family trade are deep rooted and in the Ponce familys blood, and this fascinating way of life turns out to be not nearly as glamorous as the shows they put on in impressive marquee.
The documentary is split into segments as we get up close and personal with Tino Ponces (the ringmasters) family. From himself to his wife, Yvonne, their daughters, their sons and his own parents, we are let into their lives, given an idea of their history and a strong image is built as to how they arrived at this point, along with their thoughts on everything. One strong element strings the piece together, which is the importance of family bonds. Deep rooted bonds are what this family have been built on and yet those same bonds also threaten to tear them apart.
Yvonne is struggling with the circus way of life. She wants a proper education for her kids and for Tino to settle down so that the family can reap better benefits than they currently do with the circus. This eventually becomes is a clash of dreams and ambitions (as Tino dreams of making it big by taking his circus to the cities) versus an ever-growing realist view.
Charming, simple and effective, Circo is given a fly-on-the-wall aesthetic as the filmmakers take a truly unobtrusive approach when dealing with the family. Of course there are interviews and awkward camera set-ups that would require time and the occasional request of the Ponces being documented (such as one fantastic shot taken from inside the cage of a spinning roundabout at a play park). However, we never hear, nor see, the filmmakers. It really does fit the tone as we are engulfed in a strange world, given a full experience of the sights and sounds of this way of life through a serious of dazzling shots, natural sound recording and a very lean pace to the narrative. No familiar faces or voices are here to lead you by the hand. It is also accompanied by a very suitable soundtrack from an American country group known as Calexico.
The quality of the DVDs picture is top notch, smooth with subtle yet strong colours. The audio quality is crisp and the disc comes with quite a few important special features including a, Making Of section in which Schock shares his intentions behind the documentary and we get taken through the filmmaking process. Were also given an update on the family, where viewers can catch up on what is currently going on their lives since filming wrapped and theres also a Making of the Circo Score for those who were interested in how the soundtrack was put together.
Circo deserves every one of the four stars. Its a piece which I found very easy to empathise with. The characters and their situations, rising stakes when everything comes down to a balancing act between a dream (a lifelong goal) and a harsh reality. The cinematography is beautiful and relevant to the piece, the score and audio are expertly handled and all-in-all this is a pleasurable DVD experience.
Overall Verdict: Insightful, entertaining, thoughtful and it delivers. Check out, Circo!
Special Features:
The Making of Circo
The Ponces Now
Calexico on the Making of the Circo Score
Trailer
Reviewer: Sam Love