Documentary director Sonia Kronlund interviews various women around Paris who have all had a relationship with the same man, he goes by many names, has had many jobs and has seemingly lived many lives. Kronlund, with the help of these interviewees, her film crew and a private investigator from Poland, goes on the hunt for the man behind the stories and to seek justice for all the women he's left behind. On this globetrotting journey, she finds even more secrets than she bargained for.
In the same year as Netflix released Sweet Bobby, we're shown another true story of people suffering from loneliness being manipulated by a sociopathic liar. Though, without trying to spoil Sweet Bobby too much, the manipulative subject is a lot braver and a lot more conniving than the titular “Bobby”. Through the stories of a multitude of women we're introduced to (some are played by actors, who you can't tell apart from the real women) we're told of a seemingly very insecure man who manages to maintain relationships with at least four women at a time, seeing them all individually and using excuses like work trips to disguise him meeting the others. You get a sense of how much “Ricardo” has hurt these women and the sheer scale of his betrayal. Some of them he even has children with. It's fascinating and gripping to hear these tragic tales, however it can sometimes feel like we're getting half the picture. There are points where Kronlund does get very close to interrogating “Ricardo” or even his family members, but they're never given a true interrogation. So we never really know what created “Ricardo” or why he's been doing what he's been doing. With that being said, Kronlund does a very good job at giving his victims justice in a completely unique way which you'll have to watch to find out about.
In a world where the Netflix style of documentaries, popularised by the increase in true crime content, with faceless, voiceless interviewers and the story being narrated by talking heads, it's refreshing to see a documentary with an actual face to it – ironic, given the film's title. Akin to the style of Michael Moore, Sonia Kronlund narrates the film and is also ever-present throughout the film, holding the audience's hand through the often overwhelming amount of dialogue. It's a shock to the system if you've found yourself on the end of a documentary rabbit hole on any streaming service at any point in the last decade. Though Kronlund wasn't exactly born to be in front of the camera, a lot of her expressions speak a thousand words when she hears the treatment of these women and her empathy towards them as she herself explains at the beginning, being someone who would usually date men who would later turn out to be manipulative liars as well.
The Man With A Thousand Faces is a raw and valiant documentary that revels in taking serious risks in a bid to gain a semblance of justice not only for the victims of “Ricardo” but for women everywhere who have fallen victim to smooth criminals. Sonia Krunlund is neither the most charismatic presenter or the most artistic director, but what she lacks in showmanship, she makes up for with empathy and passion.
The Man With A Thousand Faces will release in select UK cinemas on November 22nd
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