Some documentaries can transport you into another world.
Documentaries have the uncanny power to immerse you in a real world, with real people. A good documentary is not only informative but also engaging, as you marvel that these real people and places thrive in our world. While some of the best documentaries address larger-than-life figures and places, some documentaries, like Hello, Bookstore, succeed at drawing a bookstore’s charm and intimacy.
Hello, Bookstore follows the day-to-day of The Bookstore, a small independent bookstore, run by Matt Tannenbaum. Director A.B. Zax follows The Bookstore during its regular business days and during COVID, showing Tennenbaum’s joys and challenges during such a tumultuous time. Matt Tannenbaum is a shining light the entire film. You feel his passion when he reads passages from books in his collection or bonds with customers over their taste in books. I love his joy when he sees a customer reading a book in his shop. He’s an incredibly wonderful character that I’d happily spend an afternoon with over a glass of wine.
The scenes during COVID are heartbreaking as Tannenbaum misses the social atmosphere the store used to possess. We easily empathize with his disappointment and struggles to keep the store open. These scenes don’t weigh down the lighter tone of the rest of the film; instead, they add stakes to the overall narrative. They showcase Tannenbaum’s strength and lend importance to the bookstore itself. I’m confident many viewers will relate to trying to keep these stores or gathering places open, and the film exemplifies the love and camaraderie that comes from a bookstore.
I believe in the value of sharing art. The greatest joy can come from finding and recommending a film, book, or song to another person. Hello, Bookstore epitomizes that love, as you see Tannenbaum’s delight when someone finds the perfect book in his store. My favorite scenes have Tannenbaum talking with customers and recommending books to them. You see the bridges built and bonds forged over these books and his sheer happiness at finding the perfect book for the perfect person. I enjoyed Hello, Bookstore, it’s the ideal little film for a lovely afternoon.
Hello, Bookstore is now playing in select theaters