An intimate look at the rise and fall of Iron Mike Tyson, the youngest heavyweight champion ever speaks plainly about his life and boxing in the recently released “Tyson” directed by James Toback.

After watching the movie there is no doubt that Malik Abdul Aziz (Tyson’s Muslim name) is/was the most intimidating fighter in boxing. Before a fight he would walk slowly to the ring, surrounded by his entourage, having already broken a full sweat, with no robe or sweatsuit, pounding his gloves together over and over hoping to push his knuckles closer to the surface of the Everlast leather. On top of that, the speed and power of his combinations was plain frightening. You can see the fear on the face of his opponents.

The film is comprised of a few long interviews cut and mixed together with footage from fights, training, the early years with Cus D’Amato and some of Kid Dynamites more, ehem, candid moments. The story is told solely through Tyson’s point of view and oftentimes he speaks directly into the camera creating an eery dynamic for the viewer. The fact that the director, Toback, and Tyson are friends helps Mike to open up a bit more than usual to speak truthfully about his success and misfortune. For someone that, at times, might have seemed a bit delusional to some, Tyson is surprisingly so matter of fact when describing his troubled youth and career. Especially interesting is his commentary during fights later in his career when he starts to lose.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a more entertaining and insightful documentary this year. Now playing in NY and LA, be sure to catch it if it comes your way. More info at Tyson.

A documentary about Hurricane Katrina, life in New Orleans and the state of the U.S, Trouble The Water is an authentic, first person account of what went on during the disaster. Witness what it was like to experience the Hurricane from an attic in the Lower Ninth Ward. I encourage everyone to go see it.

I plan on watching Spike Lee’s When The Levees Broke, but seeing Trouble The Water makes me think that no documentaries are ever as good as when made from a first person perspective.

I finally got to check out “Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait” during a recent screening at BAMcinematek in Brooklyn, NY. It offers enlightening insight into the beautiful game through the eyes of one of the best footballers of our time. Whether it’s the soccer or the artistic visual portraiture, “Zidane” is worth seeing for either or both qualities. Check out an in depth review at Cool Hunting.