Elizabeth Holmes Film Explores Documentary Ethics, Not Revolution

The documentary "You Can See Everything," directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, chronicles the 34 days leading up to Elizabeth Holmes's incarceration for fraud. The film captures Holmes, her partner Billy Evans, and their children as they withdrew from public life. Evans had approached A24, seeking a documentary to present an accurate picture of Holmes, whom he felt was unfairly villainized. The film's title derives from Holmes's promise to Fielder to reveal everything, a promise the review suggests she did not fully keep.

Throughout the first half of the film, Holmes maintains a facade of transparency, offering evasive half-truths and emotional appeals. Fielder, often on-screen and engaging in performative questioning, is depicted as a central figure alongside Holmes. This approach, characterized by "faux-Kabuki irony," leads the reviewer to question if this is the future of creative-nonfiction filmmaking, suggesting a departure from the observational style of filmmakers like Frederick Wiseman.

Holmes's "smile-talker" demeanor, characterized by a constant grin and unwavering eye contact, is examined. Her glassy blue eyes are compared to 19th-century porcelain dolls, adding to a sense of unease about her sincerity. The film's density and Fielder's prominent role mean that audience reception may hinge on their tolerance for his particular style, which often involves making himself and others appear foolish, as seen in his previous works "Nathan for You" and "The Rehearsal."

A Shift in Focus

The film undergoes a significant shift in its second half, picking up two years after Holmes began her prison sentence. With direct access to Holmes curtailed, Fielder and Oppenheim turn to Amanda Seyfried, who portrayed Holmes in the Hulu miniseries "The Dropout." Seyfried steps in to represent Holmes and comment on her situation, injecting a new dynamic into the narrative.

As evidence suggests Evans may be exploiting Holmes, Fielder's perspective evolves, raising questions about whether Holmes is a victim of her partner. Seyfried expresses concern for any woman under the influence of a potentially dangerous man and considers the possibility that Holmes, who believed her company could revolutionize healthcare, may have been manipulated. However, she also notes Fielder's potential emotional over-attachment to his subject. This dynamic makes the latter half of the film compelling, with Seyfried's uncalculating presence acting as a saving grace.

Despite its inventive touches and the filmmakers' success in keeping the project secret for over three years, "You Can See Everything" is critiqued for not revolutionizing documentary filmmaking. The review concludes that the film reinforces existing ideas about the filmmaker-subject relationship rather than offering a groundbreaking perspective, ultimately feeling more like a market product than a work of art.