The Kingmaker

It's grimly compelling viewing as Marcos gives filmmaker Lauren Greenfield intimate access to her opulent life and oblivious narcissism.

The Kingmaker is a thoroughly entertaining primer on the past, present, and perhaps future of Filipino politics

What's interesting about the film is that at the center is this ludicrous, ridiculous figure. As the doc scratches away at this, you see grotesque horror, and I thought that was a very astute way of approaching this.

From her very first simper, I was hooked. Some see Imelda as one of the world's greatest villains. After this tour of her closet, that shoe fits.

Greenfield's portrait is damning.

It's dark material, expertly handled.

A well-researched cautionary tale of what can befall a nation that allows a familial pack of jackals to loot the resources of a struggling, impoverished country.

It's almost as if [Lauren Greenfield has] been working up to this; it's a perfectly logical move for her after her last two films.

Even with repeated beats, The Kingmaker still begs to be watched. What it lacks in focus it makes up in personality.

The Kingmaker is less a historical biography than a timely cautionary tale.