This documentary starts off with the right tone: the immediate aftermath of a domestic violence incident, with a dawning sense of horrifying gravity. As we are introduced to the "characters", the layers are slowly peeled off to reveal a crime of unbelievable brutality and appalling negligence. A little boy lost his life for absolutely no fault of his and everyone is left asking "Why? How could this happen?"
The filmmakers chose to put sharp focus on both the primary perpetrators as well as systemic faults that allowed this inexcusable event to occur. There are several pointed questions asked, with an attempt to draw strong lines between social entities. The main players - attorneys, extended families - say their side of the story and there is no doubt this was completely preventable. However, the issues behind this case are deeper than they're perceived.
And that's where the film starts to unravel. A puzzling segment on artificial intelligence acts as a distraction, with the pace stumbling. The episodes themselves seem a bit rushed: one feels this story deserved 8 parts, not 6 due to the amount of circumstances and causes contributing. I also felt the undercurrent of official incompetence and/or apathy wasn't effectively conveyed. Yes, attorneys face hostilities for executing court orders but the overall impression I got was this was a failure isolated to Gabriel's circumstances, the endemic disease plaguing the social welfare program was covered all too briefly.
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez makes for truly gut-wrenching viewing, few scenes come with a deserved warning. But what could have been a searing, game-changing perspective on children-family-welfare services dynamics is somewhat let down by inconsistent pacing and inordinate haste.
The filmmakers chose to put sharp focus on both the primary perpetrators as well as systemic faults that allowed this inexcusable event to occur. There are several pointed questions asked, with an attempt to draw strong lines between social entities. The main players - attorneys, extended families - say their side of the story and there is no doubt this was completely preventable. However, the issues behind this case are deeper than they're perceived.
And that's where the film starts to unravel. A puzzling segment on artificial intelligence acts as a distraction, with the pace stumbling. The episodes themselves seem a bit rushed: one feels this story deserved 8 parts, not 6 due to the amount of circumstances and causes contributing. I also felt the undercurrent of official incompetence and/or apathy wasn't effectively conveyed. Yes, attorneys face hostilities for executing court orders but the overall impression I got was this was a failure isolated to Gabriel's circumstances, the endemic disease plaguing the social welfare program was covered all too briefly.
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez makes for truly gut-wrenching viewing, few scenes come with a deserved warning. But what could have been a searing, game-changing perspective on children-family-welfare services dynamics is somewhat let down by inconsistent pacing and inordinate haste.