Review: Inspiring story of ALS activist overshadowed in documentary ‘Augie’
With the Oscar-nominated “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me,” director James Keach shared the story of a towering figure’s fight against deterioration as Campbell battled Alzheimer’s. His latest documentary, “Augie,” takes a similar approach toward business giant Augustine Nieto’s struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a.k.a. Lou Gehrig’s disease). It doesn’t reach the heights of the earlier film — though no fault of its subject matter.
As the founder of gym equipment mainstay Life Fitness, Augustine “Augie” Nieto is a successful entrepreneur whose business was built on the health of others. But in 2005, Augie was diagnosed with ALS, upending his world and his priorities and leaving him dependent on a modified wheelchair to move and communicate through a screen. Augie’s relationship with his wife, Lynne, drives the film as they invest their time, money and resources toward finding a cure for the fatal disease.
Augie’s challenges and efforts are moving, as is Lynne’s devotion to him. Unfortunately, the film lacks consistency in its structure, and it glosses over some moments and people without explanation.The treacly score doesn’t merely nudge viewers toward emotion, it shoves them.
Meanwhile, techniques like showing archival footage and interviews on Augie’s own screen only serve to distract. Keach should have trusted the power of Augie and Lynn’s story, rather than adding these unnecessary, ineffective flourishes.
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‘Augie’
Not rated
Running time: 1 hour, 24 minutes
Playing: Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills
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