So Matt Cooper, Kim Jong-Un and Dennis Rodman walk in to a bar...
The creatively titled Dennis Rodman’s Big Bang in Pyongyang is a new documentary that has been getting plenty of good reviews, thanks in part to the narration of Matt Cooper from The Last Word, who lends his dulcet tones to the project.
Cooper is no stranger to North Korea himself, having gone with Rodman on the trip and seen first hand the unique and sometimes bizarre nature of the event, which was a basketball game to celebrate the leader's birthday in Pyongyang. While most wouldn't figure Kim for a big hoops fan, Rodman brought his NBA extravaganza to the North Korean capital at a time when US relations with North Korea were worsening, which meant that there was a lot of pressure and plenty at stake for his seemingly light-hearted venture.
The reviews have been glowing for the documentary as a result however, as the piece gives an insight into one of the most secretive countries in the world in a way that few other pieces have ever done. Variety were full of praise for the film as a whole, remarking on Cooper's "impressive ability to turn on a dime from whimsy to seriousness throughout", something which suits the overall tone of the piece.
The contrast of the increasing international tensions and the innocuous basketball game in honour of Jong-Un's birthday seem to juxtapose well, with the movie going from "uproariously funny" to "brutally revealing".
Via Variety
