Too Much Sugar

The film slips in and out of reality, following a kind of dream logic that often disarms and disorients us. As a result, when the real emotional fireworks arrive — and they absolutely do arrive — we are left devastated.

Greene excels at conducting this fast-paced carousel of weighty questions. Even more impressively, he finely balances the gravity of his empirical study of human connection with small moments of great tenderness.

This hybrid documentary represents the director’s most audacious attempt to rethink the interplay between reality and art.

Something new even from this reliably restless filmmaker, Greene’s latest is as lively and pugnacious as the man it initially scrutinizes, though with a significant jump on him in humility and human interest.

What emerges is an immensely moving look at troubled fathers, dysfunctional relationships and the deep regrets that even movie magic cannot erase.

In Too Much Sugar, such an approach coaxes Holliger and Midgyett into facing some of their many demons, revealing themselves to the camera in ways they haven’t necessarily done before. Their machismo gradually gives way to something more disarming and sincere.

Despite all the kids and all the movies-within-the-movie, and notwithstanding some truly moving scenes – and an unexpected denouement –Holliger’s life and Greene’s film are not quite interesting enough to merit all this screentime.