Double Digits: The Story of a Neighborhood Movie Star (2015)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

You know how at the beginning of an MGM movie Leo the Lion roars and you see that Latin caption "Ars Gratis Artis" (Art for Art's Sake?).  In director Justin Johnson's documentary "Double Digits : The Story of a Neighborhood Movie Star" we meet Richard "R.G" Miller of Wichita, Kansas. Miller, is an extremely DIY indie filmmaker, screenwriter, special effects creator AND star of his own movies who lives to produce his modest features and upload them to YouTube. Miller creates art for art's sake, content as an outsider to make movies on his own terms. These films do not provide his livelihood, but they are very much his life. Justin Johnson and his production team, all with roots as DIY filmmakers, take us into Richard Miller's world as he plies his craft with a modest video camera, no budget, but a wealth of passion.  His set pieces are miniatures, crafted and spray painted in his kitchen/workshop. Props are scavenged, friends and family members called upon as performers. He derives great joy from his work, and his enthusiasm and self-deprecating tone is touching as we watch him prepare and lovingly shoot his movies. Overcoming personal setbacks, Millers perseveres at his craft and maintains modest expectations, considering his work a success if YouTube views of his features exceed 10 ("double digits").  We learn that he's gone through some troubled times and that filmmaking in many respects, has saved him. To watch him work, often in difficult situations (a scene where he is trying to shoot on a windy day comes to mind), is fun and frustrating, but inspiring. Miller's wisdom in all of this is making the best of a situation and then moving on to the next challenge. This all grounds him and provides a Zen-like quality to his life.When an opportunity to showcase one of his films unexpectedly arises, we share Miller's apprehension and hope for his triumph. Johnson and crew capture these moments without being intrusive and it's what makes the documentary work.In a world of $250 million movie budgets, $20 million actor salaries, and multi-billion dollar box office receipts, Richard Miller is a true original. And as "Double Digits: The Story of a Neighborhood Movie Star" proves, you can't put a dollar amount on art. To quote the MGM Lion: "ROAR!".

Richard 'R.G.' Miller is the epitome of a modern day Don Quixote and watching his internal struggle to find perfection in his films is not only fascinating, but is also something that should resonate in the heart of every creative artist. Unbiased interviews with family members, friends and even Miller himself provide a heartwarming and inspirational look at how one man has been able touch the lives of an entire community (and potentially, the world via YouTube).The real prize though is in it's final moments when 'Double Digits: The Story of Neighborhood Movie Star' truly reminds us of why we make films in the first place: to capture the hearts and minds of others - no matter the age and no matter the cost.

Double Digits sucked me in right from the start. I was blown away by R.G. Miller and his dedication to his craft. The documentary stuck with me for days. I still think about R.G. and his successes and struggles. Totally understandable and extremely inspiring. Very well done. I don't usually cry during movies but this one hit my pretty hard. It was definitely a mix of emotions though. You really feel for R.G. and learn a lot through him. His creative drive is off the charts. I don't know how he does it. The pacing and the edit were great and the music was on point. You're with R.G. all the way though the end. I was glued from the start. I highly recommend this documentary to all the creators out there. R.G. Miller is a child at heart, and I think we have a lot to learn from this man.

Double Digits gives us close-up look at the life and work of Richard 'R.G' Miller (a truly independent filmmaker whose preference for a lo-fi, handmade aesthetic sets him apart) and leaves the viewer with the overwhelming sense that life is full of possibility and the fire to chase our own dreams. Miller is a delightful subject to observe, his joy at practicing his craft his utterly infectious. The filmmakers manage a careful and practiced balancing act of examining the life of an artist who defies conventions without making a spectacle of their subject, and the result is stupendous. Double Digits accomplishes the rare feat of looking closely at a life, fraught with success and failure and tragedy and comedy and joy and sadness and all that goes with it, and comes away with a clearer understanding of the human condition. This film is art that nourishes the soul.