Review for ‘‘Sunday at the Chelsea’’ by Cathie Boruch

Cathie Boruch - actress, comedian & filmmaker as of late - produces, writes, directs and stars as interviewer in Sunday at the Chelsea, a short collection of interviews narrating the experiences of new yorkers with the Chelsea Hotel's glorious past.

Boruch's passion and love for the New York show scene, and the Chelsea Hotel at the center of it, runs a deep red through the veins of this short. Through a multitude of interviews with locals of every age, occupation and aesthetic, a composite image of the Chelsea, its glorious past and dynamic present is crafted. Amateur in the best way possible, the free & natural flow of the interviews combined with the creator's own excitement of the building and what it represents make up an endearing and fun short documentary about an NYC landmark.

Visually, Sunday at the Chelsea is as raw as it gets. Handheld footage, limited graphics, lack of music, little regard as to framing or lighting, and a totally unstructured approach guided by enthusiasm and curiosity make for an authentic experience through-and-through. As a result, there are no impressively staged shots, no feats of editing to be found within. Exactly because of that however, the short is pure unadulterated experience, life itself. Without pretense and without glorifying any aspect of the history it tells, it gives us the real point of view of a visitor, with the director's own emotional dedication and admiration peppered in.

Just like Sunday at the Chelsea itself, we won't veer into pretentiousness and grandstating. This documentary piece is made with heart, an obvious passion project, and simple in its execution though it may be, it offers a very real point of view, and exemplifies the adage that you don't have to follow any rules to the letter or go big on the technical aspects. Just take a camera and bring your passion to life, just like Cathie Boruch.