Photo courtesy of Hot Docs
WIZARD MODE
Directed by: Nathan Drillot, Jeff Petry
With basically my only experiences with pinball being the Dolly Parton game at a bar on Dundas street when I’ve been really drunk, I wandered into very green and unprepared for what was to come. This emotional ride follows Robert Gagno, a 26 year-old person with autism, who is one of the world’s best pinball players as he talks about his life and bounces between one tournament after another. “I want people to know that I can be just like any other good person,” Robert muses in one scene, very aware of not only himself but how a large portion of society reacts to something like autism. The documentary becomes less about pinball and more about Robert’s forays into the work world: traveling on his own, dating, learning about proper hugging, music, and everything in between.
Documentary filmmaking seems to always walk a thin line between exploitation and respect, but Drillot and Petry’s film gives Robert a platform to explain how damaging stigma can be, and there is a distinct feeling that the filmmakers and Robert have become good friends over the course of this movie. Wizard Mode is occasionally very emotional and stressful, specifically in scenes where Robert succumbs to anxiety during pinball tournaments and loses his winning position, then becomes really hard on himself for losing. Although Robert suffers losses, he also has many successes, such as being invited to speak at a lecture about how pinball helped him make friends, feel confident and gain focus. Drillot and Petry are fantastic filmmakers, using not just the captured footage but also occasionally shooting very creative and interesting scenes, particularly ones where Robert is alone in a black void, playing pinball. Wizard Mode is a heartstring-plucking, captivating story with a very clear message that it gets across easily. (Richelle Charkot)