My Old School is a documentary that examines one of the most surprising revelations of the 1990s. In 1993, Brandon Lee enrolled in Bearsden Academy in Glasgow, Scotland. Over two years, he became something of a sensation impressing teachers and his fellow students. But when his strange secret was revealed, everyone was left wondering what had happened.
There is a truth is stranger than fiction quality that makes the film automatically engaging. Director Jono McLeod was a classmate of Lee and uses excellent pacing to build maximum suspense. Instead of putting everything out in front, My Old School uses a crawl in the beginning to state Lee agreed to be interviewed, but would not appear on camera. Anyone watching will immediately wonder what happened.
People appearing in shadows is common in documentaries, but My Old School handles things differently by casting someone to play the part of Lee. Again, this is nothing new, but having Alan Cumming play the role is an inspired choice. It can be jarring at times, but it works overall.
The use of animation and music is also smartly done. Each is period specific and effective. In particular, using MTV’s Daria as inspiration is a wise choice. Those who remember the show will be caught up in the nostalgia My Old School is trying to convey. Anyone who is unfamiliar will still be taken back to the 90s.
A running theme in My Old School is the power of memory. Interviews with the students (no actors were needed for the others involved) do not paint a picture of regret and hatred. Instead, there is bemusement and a sense of joviality. As the classmates look back on the wild incident, there is the question of how much is actually remembered versus how it was remembered.
Overall, it is something that is not seen very often in documentaries today: fun. The story is wild and hard to believe, but McLeod never goes for something sinister. My Old School is an engaging and entertaining watch that will surprise on a number of levels.
My Old School comes to theaters July 22
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