‘Gunther’s Millions’ review: The worst kind of Netflix doc

From the first trailer, Gunther’s Millions The dashing dog is heiress to a massive $400 million fortune, meaning Madonna’s Miami mansion, and lives a luxurious life on a diet of steak and gold flakes.

What a great child. What a whimsical concept! Billionaire with no problems!But Gunther’s Millions — despite the winking title Charming screwball comedy (opens in new window)— neither fun nor engaging. This is the latest boring and infuriating true crime release from Netflix. In this case, it’s an overlong documentary series that quickly shifts focus from lovable wealthy dogs, to fame-hungry hangers-on who are more sticky than fleas, to leash-pulling masters.

What Gunther’s Millions almost?

Directed by Emilie Dumay and Aurélien Letourgy Gunther’s Millions is a four-part documentary series that details the extraordinary story of a German Shepherd named Gunther VI. Gunther VI was reportedly awarded a multi-million dollar trust fund after the death of the owner, a widowed countess with no living relatives. In episode 1, “Lucky Dog,” the Netflix series draws viewers into the extravagant (and ridiculous) lifestyle of this ridiculously wealthy pup, his sophistication, his PR man, the enthusiastic spokesperson. Meet Parson, a bewildering personal his chef, a cold-hearted lawyer, and more. while laying out a generous B-roll of the dog casually strolling the grand grounds of his Tuscan villa.

Gunther’s employees shine as if they were competing wheel of fortune As they spin the story of his destiny and its rules.they claim most of his money goes to things he Like. for example. Gunther seems to like boating. Therefore, he owns a huge yacht. Maybe you need 1 second. Perhaps because dogs crave variety too?

Like when fashion model-turned-canine spokesperson Lee Dahlberg recounts how she worried she wasn’t fit for the role of representing the enigmatic German billionaire, this section has whimsy. “I don’t speak German,” he warns, adding with a goofy smile, “Neither does Gunther!” It’s fun to imagine our world as a world where such quirky millionaires could exist, snuggled up in the lap of a plush cashmere dog bed. Something ominous creeps in when the man confesses with surprising enthusiasm.

His confidence in such candor suggests that this line would be great at a cocktail party, perhaps even one thrown by Gunther. But this is also a red flag. This documentary his series is one of many that warn him that it’s not about incredible dogs, but about humans who flock to build and maintain legends at all costs.

Gunther’s Millions It’s a frustrating bait and switch.

Dumay and Leturgie invite us to turn to the self-serving soundbites emitted by Gunther’s minions. Likewise, the filmmakers urge us to grimace as these subjects writhe with not-so-fluffy questions. Under the direction of a documentary, whether interviewees were to grin or look worried as they moved on to the “cult” allegedly fostered in Miami, they were supposed to talk about these things. ask the person directly. Dumay and Leturgie appear not to be playing by Gunther’s rules. Obviously, there’s a thrill in seemingly breaking that rule.

Gunter’s stories explore the sex lives of enthusiastic youths, decoy dogs, eugenics, financial fraud, animal cruelty, tabloid prey, reality TV jewelry, and dog namesakes. But essentially, this is about Mian. As anyone thinking about the dog millionaire problem can guess, if you think about it for a moment, Gunther’s story is a sleeper of plenty, and he’s the creator of it.

Episodes 2 through 4 draw viewers into Mian’s many lives and loves (and lies). We meet his ex-wife. Lady Gaga’s role in sinking veneersWe meet a baby mama who put up with a very strange publicity stunt. Then we meet a cheeky, tattooed man who grins and introduces himself as “God”, but he’s actually God. Fabrizio Corona(opens in new window), an Italian reality TV star who has mastered the art of the seductive confessional interview. No wonder he was played as one of his on cliffhangers every episode.

for no reason Gunther’s Millions Requires 4 episodes length.

A common complaint about Netflix’s true crime documentary series is that the stories themselves aren’t always the length they need to be, but as long as the filmmakers can stretch them out, perhaps Netflix won’t let them count. It means that you can make the most of it.I watched it for a minute. In this case, I was actually screaming by the time episode 3 ended. another A frustrating cliffhanger of barely intriguing questions to set up the fourth and final episode. I was convinced this story was over, but I still dragged on.

Dumay and Letorgy keep the audience on the string by overindulging in the beat of the story. Interviewees agree, agree, agree with the copious B-roll footage and shady reenactment shots, as if they’re afraid you’ll play with your phone or make a sandwich . As such, the plot crawls like a wounded snail. Perhaps, as many have, we’re meant to be embroiled in quirky characters and scandals. tiger king, But Gunther’s Millions Nothing is more scandalous than a murder plot, and nobody is more chaotic and charming than Joe Exotic.

Instead, we have Mian, who complains and bald lies with the same grumpy look. yet, Gunther’s Millions Treat Mian’s apparent fatigue as a big revelation in episode 3! Yet it dodges a far more bizarre question.

was Gunther’s Millions Maurizio Mian invested?

At one point, Corona turns to the camera and directly asks the filmmakers if they’re working for Mian, but they don’t answer. We use this about lack to our advantage. Why some subjects seem genuinely shocked when the filmmakers ask about Mian’s most shady deal, or are so nonchalant that they laugh that they could be arrested for what they just said. It seems like the most logical explanation for why people are there. Make a final cut. Could this be why Mian herself confessed to fraud? jinx(opens in new window)?

Even in the finale’s mid-credits, they reveal he’s been blatantly lying again, and this dastardly falsehood will fuel the story. Do you believe that you have so much power, privilege, and influence that you can impress your will on anyone who walks your way?

Mashable has reached out to Netflix to clarify whether Mian is the producer or funder of the documentary series. A rep for her streaming service said neither.

Whatever Mian’s involvement (or lack thereof) is, I’m not sure it matters. Because the truth doesn’t matter to this guy. Apparently, more than anything else, he just wants attention, for better or worse.This is how I remember voyeurism(opens in new window)is a truly thought-provoking Netflix documentary about a man who confessed to decades of provocative trespassing and eventually became the subject of Gay Tully’s book. The Voyers Motel. Between voyeurismfilmmakers Miles Kane and Josh Coury unravel this person’s confessions and reveal that his story may have been lied to just to get the spotlight.

But Koury and Kane grapple with the thorny question of what attention-grabbing behavior means.of Gunther’s Millions, where serious topics are treated like flashy hashtags with painfully little insight. Even more frustrating, the filmmaker provided re-enactment footage of things in his first three episodes, later revealed to be completely fictional, essentially adding credibility to Mian’s lies. , then expose them as a big revelation.

That’s how I left Gunther’s Millions Reminded me of the worst crime documentary I’ve seen on Netflix don’t fuck cats(opens in new window) (For full disclosure, I haven’t come close to releasing it since Joe Berlinger’s awful Ted Bundy series.(opens in new window)perhaps I missed some even worse.) don’t fuck the cat Director Mark Lewis dazzles viewers with a web-sleuth promise to righteously seek justice for tortured cats in an anonymous online video that, without warning, turns into an even more gruesome crime. Angry that viewers are interested in such content. It’s not even what we logged on in the first place!

Gunther’s MillionsThe bait and switch are not grotesque, but they do have some similarities. It also begins with a gripping ruse of animal tales, then turns into a true crime tale about a con man greedy for attention. With all the bells and whistles and interviews ready to be published, Gunther’s Millions need to do it…somethingIt should be interesting, challenging and even shocking. But for most of its runtime, its reveal feels bizarre and superficial, until the sad final chapter.

Gunther’s Millions It will premiere on Netflix on February 1st.