Brianne Berkson & Miguel Gluckster’s short documentary and biography is a charming little look at the life of Robin Cohen. Cohen spent most of her living with a sense of awareness, and once she gains MS and battles losing function of her legs, she learns how to really live her life. There’s not a ton of argument for Robin Cohen should have been spotlighted for a documentary, even a short one.
She seems like a sweet and good natured woman with a ton of fascinating stories to tell, it’s just that “How I Roll” watches like a Power Point presentation when all is said and done, rather than a portrait of an interesting person. That’s not to disparage Ms. Cohen, as the pair of directors spotlight her career, her love for her family, and her willingness to battle MS by opting not to take Chemo and going more for natural remedies and a lot of physical activities.
Throughout “How I Roll” there’s sadly such a saccharine element that it’s tough to come out of the other end without feeling like we’re being sold something. I get there’s a huge movement to spotlight the lives of the disabled, and explore how they live to break down stereotypes. But there’s just not a ton of justification for Cohen being the center subject, or what in turn she did to earn the spot as someone we absolutely have to know more about. It all feels self-promotion or self aggrandizing, and I just wasn’t a fan of what makes up a majority of the documentary’s themes.
This Year’s Dances With Films Runs from June 20th – June 30th.