I used to have a great memory. When I was younger I did a lot of theatre which required me to memorize a bunch of scripts. A few years ago I even did a run of 11 plays in 9 months, so sometimes I'd be rehearsing for one play during the week and be performing in another over the weekend. Don’t know how I ever kept them separate, but I did. After I quit ding theatre I noticed my memory began to weaken. I guess not exercising your brain does that to you. Well, that and age. Now I find that sometimes I forget what I had for breakfast. Lately, I've even had to make my wife and kids wear name tags so I could remember their names. Well, not really… but something like that did happen to a guy named Doug Bruce. Bruce was at one time a successful New York Stockbroker, until one morning about three years ago. He awoke on a subway train that was heading out to Coney Island, completely unaware of who he was, where he was going or even why he was going. As a matter of fact, it turned out that he couldn't remember anything.

Friends, family, experiences… all of it was gone. All he had to go on was a phone number on a scrap of paper, which after a stay in a mental facility, eventually led him to a friend who picked him up and brought him home.

Bruce was diagnosed with Total Retrograde Amnesia, which is a very rare form of amnesia which wipes out pretty much everything he's ever known. And I'm talking so much memory was wiped that he wouldn't even be able to remember what chocolate tasted like. I cannot even begin to imagine what an experience like that would be like. If I looked at my wife and baby girl and they were strangers to me, would I feel sad… or would I feel anything at all? The documentary "Unknown White Male" attempts to answer that question by looking at Bruce's life following the memory loss. Along with footage of Bruce, director Rupert Murray talks to friends and family about what he was like before and how his loss of memory has made him a changed person.

This creates a strong argument for those who believe we are who we are as a product of our environment and experiences. In a way it makes sense because chances are you react to certain situations because of things that have happened in your life. If those circumstances were to disappear from your life as if they never happened, you might react differently. This is what happens to Bruce. His friends and family talk at length about how different he is. Where he used to be an ambitious go-getter he is now much quieter and reserved.

I originally heard about this film earlier this year, not because of how good it is, but because of the controversy surrounding it. It seems there are those who believe the film to be a work of fiction and that Bruce is faking the entire thing. I cannot say one way or the other if it true, but I can say that is it is a fake then it is a very well produced fake. In watching the film, I saw nothing that would make me believe it was all made up and I've got a pretty eye when it comes to judging people's actions. Though I won’t say it is impossible to fool me.

Genius Entertainment is releasing "Unknown White Male" on DVD this month, and for a film that is by and large a more art film style of documentary, there are quite a few extras added to the disc. There are extended versions of some of the interviews and a featurette on some of the film's more visual sequences. There is also an updated interview between Murray and Bruce that helps viewers catch up with how he is doing now. You'll also find a short piece on the accusations of fraud that have been cast towards the film where Murray is joined by the film's producer in an attempt to put the rumors to rest.

"Unknown White Male" is a fascinating piece of work. If it is true, as I believe it to be, I really feel for Bruce's loss. If it turns out to that I was fooled as well, then so what? The film still succeeds by showing viewers the wonder of everyday things. Perhaps it can teach us to appreciate all of the things we see every day and not take them for granted. Who know when we'll lose them?

Directed by: Rupert Murray
Starring: Doug Bruce
Extras: Making of Featurette, Where is He Now Featurette, Interview with Friends, The Experts - Extended Interviews, Q&A with Director and Producer, Original Sand Dune Sequence
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Genius Entertainment
Release Date: 9/12/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (For Drug References and Brief Strong Language)
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We'll give Unknown White Male a B+.