Joey Magidson
There aren’t many men like Patrick McCollum. In fact, it’s fair to label him as one of a kind, given the life he leads. The new documentary The Man Who Saves the World? showcases him, as well as how filmmaker Gabe Polsky feels about him, to surprisingly successful effect. After all, if most men came up to you and said they were peace activists and that they’re destined to unite South American tribes, saving the Amazon in the process, you’d back away slowly. McCollum, however, makes you consider the possibility, even when an ancient prophecy comes into play.
The Man Who Saves the World? lives and dies on how fascinating we, as well as Polsky and others, find McCollum to be. Luckily, he’s endlessly interesting, so spending time with him never wears thin. Obviously, there’s an element of the absurd at play here, but there’s also a big heart, as well as a genuine desire to do good. After all, how many people do you meet who may fulfill an ancient prophecy, as well as is passionate about making his own version of a Starbucks Frappuccino? Exactly.
This documentary is the story of Patrick McCollum, as well as his quest to save the world. A self professed spiritual leader and peace advocate, McCollum is a jack of all trades, an ordained minister but also a jewelry maker. He’s partnered with Jane Goodall on multiple projects, to the point where she nominated him to be Messenger of Peace for the United Nations in 2020. McCollum has a bad knee, but he doesn’t let his desire to spread peace slow him down. Chief among his beliefs is one that he is tapped by prophecy to unite various Indigenous groups, a mission that could save the Amazon, which in turn, may well save the planet.
Pulled into his world, Polsky himself becomes a part of the doc, confused by the man but also inspired by him. Sometimes, he asks himself, via voiceover, what he’s missing about McCollum. It’s a way of keeping an audience that might not be fully bought in on him on the side of the film/filmmaker. Even if you think he’s full of it, Polsky is showing you a colorful character that many a documentary would be lucky to feature.
Gabe Polsky knows that Patrick McCollum is an enigma, if a pure-hearted one, so his reactions to the zaniness that he sometimes witnesses is a feature, not a bug. Lesser documentaries wold be poorly served by the director showing up within it as a character, but this one benefits from his audience surrogacy. The doc could stand to be a bit tighter, but then again, just sort of going with the flow is a part of understanding McCollum’s uniqueness, even as he gets into the nitty gritty of organizing for his causes. Polsky has made feature films like The Motel Life, as well as documentaries like Red Army, but this is something new from him.
The Man Who Saves the World? isn’t a groundbreaking documentary, though it does have a one of a kind character at is core. Whether you believe that Patrick McCollum is truly fulfilling an ancient prophecy or merely has his heart in the right place, we sure could use more people like him in the world.
SCORE: ★★★
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