A conventional documentary (talking heads, old photos, period footage and news reports), but a near-perfect example of the form. The subject is the 1975 evacuation of Americans and their South Vietnamese compatriots from Saigon as the North Vietnamese army closed in on the city. By hook or by crook; by plane, boat, or helicopter; with or without official clearance, people helped people to escape. There is enough triumph and tragedy and heroism and heartbreak here to fill three or four features, but director Rory Kennedy smartly packs everything into just 98 minutes, and so captures the rushed, chaotic, just-keep-going feel of those dark days. The participants had ample cause for tears, but little time to cry; ditto the audience. There is simply too much going on. Also smart: Kennedy mostly leaves the viewer alone when it comes to drawing conclusions, passing judgment, or making parallels to modern-day scenarios. (2014) — Matthew Lickona
This movie is not currently in theaters.