What gives a documentary film its integrity? : Brick City

I continue to like "Brick City" despite its flaws, especially episode 3, as we really get to like Jayda and continue to be in thrall to Corey Booker. The narrative has a little more focus in this episode, as we zone in on two crises: the delays in the construction of the new Central High School, and the budget crisis forcing across-the-board cuts in all agencies, including police, now struggling to keep down the murder rate. The filmmakers valiantly try to make Chief McCarthy the 3rd main character, but he seems not too willing to let them inside his head or to grant a lot of access outside of public appearances. Booker lets them go with him everywhere, but seems to have no private life. Jayda gives pretty complete access, which makes her a very winning and open character - struggling to make a life, and to help other young women, but with plenty of flaws and with a lot of pressures pushing her back to thug life. I notice that the filmmakers never actually interview any of the characters - they only observe - and I think that's great, and I wish, as I've said in the past two posts, that they'd brought that same integrity into the editing and production process because I think this series would feel much more true and real if it didn't have a musical score. That said, this 3rd episode is not quite as frantic in its editing as the first two, and a few scenes - the overnight for freshmen boys at Central, the meeting of the men's group against violence - are allowed to unfold a little, and these are highlights of this episode. There's a danger in having too much material and trying to jam it all in - some stuff has to fall by the wayside to let the best material bloom.