<P> Peter Debruge of Variety called the film "a virtuoso feat in editing" and noted, "The way Kuenne presents the material, with an aggressive style that lingers less than a second on most shots, it's impossible not to feel emotionally exhausted ." </P> <P> Martin Tsai of the New York Sun said the film "has so many unexpected developments that it plays like a first - rate thriller...and the film is so unsettling that it will stay with viewers for a long time . Like The Thin Blue Line, Dear Zachary borrows some narrative dramatic tricks, and they pay off remarkably well . It's hands down one of the most mind - blowing true - crime movies in recent memory, fiction or nonfiction ." </P> <P> The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures named the film one of the five top documentaries of the year . Among those who named it one of the best films of 2008 were Time Out Chicago, The Oregonian, the Times Herald - Record, Slant Magazine, and WGN Radio Chicago . The website Film School Rejects place the film in third place in their 30 Best Films of the Decade list . The Film Vault included the film on their top 5 good movies you never want to see again . </P> <P> The Chicago Film Critics Association nominated the film for Best Documentary . The Society of Professional Journalists presented it with its Sigma Delta Chi Award for Best Television Documentary (Network), it received the Special Jury and Audience Awards at the Cinequest Film Festival, it was named an Audience Favorite at Hot Docs, it received the Audience Awards at the St. Louis International Film Festival and the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, it was named Best Documentary at the Orlando Film Festival and was awarded with the jury award for best international documentary at Docville (Belgium). </P>

Dear zachary a letter to a son about his father youtube