A documentary a day keeps the doctor away

It seems like it's been a while since my last post, about a week, but I've been busy. I went to the Minnesota State Fair (the Great Minnesota Get Together) and ate deep-fried olives, deep-fried pickles, deep-fried cheese and deep-fried bread pudding. I am so glad I only do that once a year. I also wound up seeing Dar Williams twice, once in St. Cloud and once Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Totally worth the drive and I cannot recommend her music enough, so give it a listen; and if you are one of those eco-hippies, you should really check her out because she is a huge supporter of community gardens. Okay, done with the excuses.

I didn't exactly watch a documentary a day, but it was pretty close. That's not a bad thing, but by yesterday I was feeling educated, but also really serious. I watched two Academy Award winners, two nominees, and one that was neither, but I still recommend it. So, let the reviews begin (you're on your own for the drum roll).

8/24/13 The Times of Harvey Milk, Best Documentary, 1984

I probably should have timed watching this documentary better, maybe with marriage equality day here in Minnesota, which was August 1, but I just don't plan everything so well. Seeing The Times of Harvey Milk almost 30 years after it was released is a real trip back in time for gay and lesbian rights. Thirty years ago it was considered a major milestone for a member of the GLBT community to get elected to the Board of Supervisors of a major American city, when gays and lesbians were part of the fringe of the American quilt, and today, twelve states in America recognize gay marriage. Harvey Milk played a huge role in laying the foundation for this evolution. The documentary traces the beginning of Harvey's political activism, and his huge personality, and how he won over tough union members with his ability to get things done. They may have been skeptical at first, but he seems like he was hard not to like. I remember when Milk was assassinated, but I was too young to understand what had happened and the implications, but the movie fills in those blanks nicely. Milk (2008) was a dramatized version of The Times of Harvey Milk with more details fleshed out. Sean Penn won for Best Actor and Dustin Black won for Best Original Screenplay. Penn really seemed to embody Milk's persona and the movie was almost as powerful as the documentary (maybe more because of the dramatic element). The GLBT community of the 21st century stands on the shoulders of Harvey Milk and other activists from that era and that's just one reason to watch the documentary.

8/30/13 Broken Rainbow, Best Documentary, 1985

Admittedly growing up in Cleveland, I had very little contact with or understanding of Indians or Native Americans, except what I learned in school, and now, living in Minnesota, land of the Sioux and Chippewa, I am still woefully ignorant, although a little less so, and am interested in learning more. The history of conflict and mistreatment and rationalizations are too complex and beyond my scope and knowledge to explain here, and I'm not going to try. For a very brief glimpse into that history, I recommend The Broken Rainbow. I found it enlightening, heartbreaking and infuriating. The Broken Rainbow focuses on the Navajo and Hopi Indians in the Southwestern United States and their fight against forced relocation. The relocation was due purely and simply to the government's and a few big businesses's desire to access minerals, coal and gas from the traditional homelands of the Navajo and the Hopi. The movie interviews elders from the tribe as they describe their lifestyle as sheep herders and keepers of traditions and of Mother Earth, children and young people, as well as attorneys for the tribes and even a politician. It sounds kind of New Age-y, and it might make me seem like some tree hugger, but I do believe there is something to be said for treating this planet with respect and maintaining a balance, but hey, there's always Mars; let's go screw up that planet too. Several of the elders also talk about the many broken treaties between the tribes and the government, and that too is just disgusting. Manifest destiny has a dark side, and this is one view of it. Coincidentally, a friend and I will be going to see The Indigo Girls next Saturday and Winona LaDuke will be there (she was in the film and continues her activist work).

8/31/13 Which Way Home and Food, Inc., Nominees for Best Documentary, 2009

Which Way Home follows several kids from Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico as they try to get into the United States. This is certainly a different take on the illegal alien situation in the US and for me, it raised a lot more questions than it answers (which can be a healthy and intellectual thing). When the filmmakers talk to the kids and ask them why they are coming to US, the answer is almost always the same: to find a better life so they can help out their families and maybe find a parent who is already in America. Isn't that the American dream? How many immigrants to the US over the last 300 years came here to help there families and improve their lot in life? Many of those immigrants, and these are no different, face a multitude of dangers; 200 years ago it may have been rough seas, pirates, indentured servitude, not understanding the language; for these kids, some of whom were as young as 9, they face hunger, jumping on freight trains and hoping not to fall off and lose life and limb, or sexual assault. I may seem like a crazy free spirit, but when it comes to managing risk, there are things I would not consider, like riding on the top of a freight train, but for these kids, this is their chance for a better life and they are willing to risk it. Some naively hope to get adopted when they make it to America. I wish there would have been a little more brought to light about why these kids are running away; maybe it seems so obvious, and it's obliquely referenced, but I want more. It's clear there is a lot of poverty in these countries, at least in the towns or villages where the kids are from, and some of the mothers struggle with their children and their new husbands who don't like the kids, but is this so pervasive that hundreds of thousands of kids make this trek every year? Are the governments doing anything to address the poverty, or is corruption the word of the day? Maybe that's a totally different film. This is worth a watch, it's not very long, because it shows another facet to the immigration question.

I was prepared right from the beginning to be irritated with this movie and to dismiss its premise right away as fear mongering (this may have been due to movie overload), but Food, Inc. held my interest and has made me think about how those chicken tenders get on my plate. Food, Inc. shines a big ugly light on agribusiness and the effects on family farms as well as on consumers. There are only a few players at the highest level and they seem to call the shots, some people are even afraid to speak on camera because they fear the repercussions. They also showcase a smaller farmer who raises grass-fed cattle and has free-range animals. Living out here in the beef and pork belt, I'm somewhat of an anomaly because I eat neither, and it's really not a political statement, more of an 'ew, I don't like it' deal, but after this movie, I'm ready to make it a political statement. It's abominable the conditions under which these animals live; these are sentient beings, they deserve better treatment. You should probably make up your own mind, and it can be lonely up on the soapbox, but, seriously, these cows and chickens and pigs should be more than a means to an end. I know the focus of the movie was the industrialization of the livestock business, but I think it would have been interesting to bring in Temple Grandin and hear her perspective (it probably would not have gone with the flow of the film, so if you are interested, you should check her out and read her books, or better, see her live if she comes to your city). For my part, I am going to take a bigger interest in my food and where it comes from, and try to buy local when possible.

Both of these movies were beat out for the Oscar by The Cove which focused on the dolphins that are killed in Japan. It was very well done, very intense, and humans (at least Americans) seem to have this incredible connection with dolphins, maybe it's because of their playfulness and what seems to be their 'smile'. There were shocking and disturbing scenes in The Cove and that may have been the push the judges were looking for in the selection. All three of these movies, and Burma VJ, which is about video journalists in Burma, which until very recently, was very isolated from the rest of the world, are worth watching. I have not yet seen The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers.

West of Memphis was not nominated for anything, but I wanted to mention it anyway because it covers the topic of The West Memphis 3 who were the subject of a trilogy of documentaries, one of which was nominated in 2011 for Best Documentary, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory. West of Memphis gives a recap of the events leading up to the imprisonment of Echols, Baldwin and Misskelly, but the real focus is the investigation launched by Peter Jackson (yes, Peter Jackson of the LOTR trilogy) and Fran Walsh to find new evidence in the case. If this wasn't a true story, it would make a great detective movie. It seems pretty clear that some people had their minds made up and nothing would change it, but for others, it was clearly a revelation. If you don't want to watch the trilogy, but are interested in this story, you should see this movie.

8/29/13, Ted, nominee for Best Song, 2012
I'll make this brief, briefer than the movie, that's for sure. There was no way this song, "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" was going to beat Adele and "Skyfall". As for the movie, I'm fairly certain that I was not the target demographic because I did not think it was one of the funniest movies of all time. But, it's off of my list, and I will move on with my life.

It's Labor Day weekend here in the US, which means four days off for me, and probably several more movies. It's also the time to remember that a lot of hardworking men and women helped build this country.

Back to school with Monsieur Lazhar

8/23/13, Monsieur Lazhar, Best Foreign Film nominee, 2011

This movie is about the things we say, the things we don't say, what we know, what we think we know and what we don't know. Monsieur Lazhar is set in Montreal, Canada, primarily in an elementary school and tells the story of a class of ten and eleven year olds after the suicide of their beloved teacher in the classroom. Two of the kids actually see her, but the incident affects all of the kids as well as the teachers. The school brings in a psychologist to meet with the kids; we never see what those meetings look like, but you get the distinct impression that nothing is really discussed. Bashir Lazhar, an Algerian immigrant, walks into the school to apply for the job; nobody else has applied and he convinces the principal to give him the job. Monsieur Lazhar has very different methods from Martine Lachance, including making the kids sit in straight rows and take dictation from Balzac (not exactly third grade material). Even though things are not quite the same, the kids do well and get used to Bashir's methods. We only get brief glimpses into Bashir's personal life, but we learn that he is a refugee and that his wife was killed in Algeria by people less than happy with her book; she was the teacher, Bashir ran a cafe. He does not share this information with anyone at the school. Bashir bonds with Alice, one of the students who found Martine, and is having trouble coping; Alice writes an essay talking about her feelings of loss, which is very expressive and provocative. Bashir wants to share it with the school, to help them in the grieving process, but Madame Vaillancourt, the principal, wants nothing to do with it, better to leave the discussion of feelings to the psychologist. Simon is the other student who found Martine and he shows his grief with violent outbursts, and is very misunderstood. Bashir and the principal clash at various times, and the final disagreement and the fact that Bashir is not actually a teacher, he has to leave the school. Because he has such an intimate understanding of what it is like to lose someone without having the chance to say goodbye, he begs for to have one more day to say goodbye to his students, and he does it in a beautiful and subtle way. The movie is only 94 minutes long, and as I was watching the time and it was coming to an end, I wanted fifteen more minutes, I wanted to know how things turn out with Bashir and the kids. But it ended. I would not necessarily recommend this movie for young kids, besides the subtitles might be too hard for them to follow, but I think older kids, thirteen and older, might be able to relate to this. This might be a good conversation starter about death, suicide and loss. It's a gentle movie and you can tell there was a lot of love in the creative process. It was taken from a play which is what contributes to the intimate feeling. Monsieur Lazhar was the Canadian entry for Best Foreign Film from 2011; A Separation was the winning film that year and it was very good. There were also a couple other films that looked very good (I have not yet been able to see them), and I think this would have been a hard vote to cast. The good thing is, you can actually watch them all and decide for yourself.

A trip to an exotic land with 'Indochine'

8/18/13 Indochine, Best Foreign Film, 1992

What better way to spend a day off than to get new tires on your car? Well, you can top it off with writing a review on a beautiful movie and then heading off to St. Cloud to hear Dar Williams. Let me say this first, I think that Catherine Deneuve is terribly under-appreciated in the US. Most people may know her from her makeup commercials or The Hunger (which I have never seen, or not yet, anyway); I haven't seen most of her movies either, but when I do, I always want more. Indochine is set in French Indochina and tells the story of a rubber plantation owner, Eliane Devries (Deneuve) and her relationship with her adopted Vietnamese daughter, Camille. Camille was orphaned after her parents, who were royalty, were killed in a plane crash. It is a sweeping story that covers several decades (1910s through the 1950s) and over that time examines the impacts of French colonialism on the region, as well as the swirl of Communism coming over from neighboring China. Oh, and there is Devries's relationships with her workers, the opium den, Jean-Baptiste Le Guen, a French naval officer, much younger than Devries. As you can tell from my few sentences, there is a lot happening in this movie and you really have to watch it unfold to appreciate it. It helps to have a little understanding of the regional history (FYI, the war in Vietnam did not start in the 1960s with the United States). I think it is interesting to see movies or read stories that examine another country's imperial and colonial history (I am not using those terms pejoratively, so I hope they are not taken that way) since I am much more familiar with the colonial past of the United States. Always looking for the teachable moment. The settings are beautiful, with great vista views, as well as scenes filmed in 1930s/1940s Saigon. This movie is very patient and deliberate with its pacing to let the narrative unfold (this is code for it is a long film), but I did like it very much. Catherine Deneuve owns her role, and goes through a variety of emotions and there were a few moments I did not like her very much, but she definitely played a very strong female character. Indochine won for Best Foreign film and Deneuve was nominated as Best Actress (similar to Amour in 2012). She lost out to Emma Thompson in Howards End, and I saw that movie when it first came out; Emma Thompson is good in just about everything, but I just don't know if she beat out Deneuve here. The movies are polar opposites, so it may not be a fair comparison, but there you go.

An anniversary of sorts

I'm a couple of days late and probably more than a few dollars short, but I just realized that it is the one year anniversary of the blog. Did anyone bake a cake? Maybe I'll go crazy and have a glass of sparkling water and a cookie. One whole year, and I just passed 3,000 viewers. It surprises me because I thought only my friends would read it, and it's hard to sustain something like this, at least I thought it would be, and some movies are harder to review and write about than others. Other reviews pretty much write themselves. It's funny how often my friends ask my opinion on movies, any movies, and then related to the blog, what's my favorite so far, what's the biggest surprise, etc. So, in honor of the blog being one year old, I thought I would give some of my highlights and my disappointments.

Biggest surprises:  A year into the process and I still think Departures is one of my favorite movies. It's a Japanese foreign film and I found it graceful and and tender and very respectful of its subject matter. Crash also took me totally by surprise, and it is not graceful and tender, but still extremely powerful, but hard to watch at times. I was glad I did. I had routinely beat up on Gary Cooper as being wooden and uninspiring and just awful in movies that I really didn't like anyway. That changed with Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. It was playful, funny and I enjoyed his performance immensely. Nowhere in Africa was another foreign film that blew me away. Set in Africa during World War II, it was poignant and triumphant and an homage to a different kind of pioneer spirit. There have been a lot of other movies that I liked a lot and recommend, but these four stuck out in my mind (I probably could list more, but I'll stop for now).

Biggest disappointments: The Hours seemed brutally long and I seriously thought about stopping the movie and admitting defeat. It would be nice to say my persistence paid off, but the only pleasure I take in finishing the move is that I didn't jump into oncoming traffic. Read Mrs. Dalloway instead. The Private Lives of Henry VIII was disappointing because I had seen the movie years and years ago and thought it was great, so either I was somehow brainwashed because it was in black and white and ipso facto a 'classic' or I was just young and naive. Take your pick, but a second viewing was torture, and I think I fell asleep at some point, although I woke up long enough to watch the ending. Charles Laughton is much more tolerable in Mutiny on the Bounty. Federico Fellini's 8 1/2, I'm just going to say I didn't get it and leave it at that.

Favorite Genre: I honestly have to say that forced to pick a favorite genre or type of movie is not that hard: documentaries hands down. In fact, I have done a few posts just on documentaries. A good documentary, even on a topic or point of view with which I disagree, is still thought-provoking, entertaining and sometimes will induce a brief and quiet crying spell, like Undefeated or Invisible War. Invisible War did not actually win the Oscar in 2013, but to me, it should have because the consequences of that film are still being felt today in the US Senate and House of Representatives. The documentary on the DeBolt family was equally inspiring and made me laugh.

One of the hardest parts of writing a review for me, is to decide if I want to give a full blown synopsis of the movie or focus on my 'feelings' of it, or my reaction to the movie receiving the award that it did. If it's a well-known movie, like the Wizard of Oz, I may be more inclined to talk about the awards or the wave of nostalgia that I experience when watching it. I try to give you an idea of the story line up to a certain point without giving away the ending or critical plot points that add (or detract) to the film. It's not perfect and it's definitely not an exact science. You can probably tell when I struggle with writing. I also realize that I have different tastes in movies, which is why I mainly watch them by myself, most of my friends are not interested (of course, I have broken out of my stuffy, elitist mode periodically, most recently for The Heat and 2 Guns, and I'm not even ashamed of it). I'm still determined to complete this task I have set for myself, and I have 707 movies to go. Watching such a broad spectrum of films, silent films, early color films, actors in different roles, etc., fits into my holistic view of things; it's important for me to understand the whole picture, who influenced whom, who is copying whom, where do the lines blur. Here's to a successful and fun first year. More to come.

Lerner and Loewe's Camelot

8/17/13 Camelot, Best Art Direction - Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, Best Music - Scoring  of Music (Adaptation or Treatment), 1967

I don't know anyone who is not somewhat familiar with and intrigued by the legend of King Arthur; I'm sure they exist somewhere, but I don't know them. Even if you are not one of those people, you can still enjoy Camelot because it's not really buried in the myths and legends, the quest for the Holy Grail does not even warrant a mention. Camelot is a musical and it has a cast that I would not normally associate with musicals, starring Richard Harris as Arthur, Vanessa Redgrave as Guinevere and Franco Nero as Lancelot, whose vocals were dubbed for the movie (Julie Andrews, Richard Burton and Robert Goulet starred in the Broadway production which preceded the film). That fact does not impact the movie at all, in fact, I was surprised, but I thought Redgrave sounded quite lovely, and Harris did a speak-singing kind of thing (like Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady, also a Lerner and Loewe production). The story focuses on the relationship and eventual love triangle between Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot, and not so much on the stories and quests of the knights, Merlin barely makes an appearance. Camelot won in the visual categories, and I would say that the Set Decoration was very well done, and kind of a mix between what seemed to be real trees and rocks, and then something a little more fantasy-like, I'm not sure that's the best description, but I know what I mean. The costumes covered a wide range, from suits of armor, to gowns for Guinevere and the other ladies and the daily jackets/vests worn by Arthur (I'm sure there is a design-y term for them, but I don't have a clue). Camelot was up against Thoroughly Modern Millie (reviewed in a recent post) and Bonnie and Clyde (you should be well-acquainted on my feelings about the movie, but if you are not, I can sum it up in one word: nooooooooooooooooooooooo). Camelot is suitable for family-viewing, but I warn you, it's long, really long, 2 minutes short of three hours, which did not make me feel better. I did find my attention wandering periodically, but overall, I did like it. The ending is probably overly dramatic and almost reads like a medieval locker room speech, with the coach rallying the players, and yet I still got tingly. Actually, I didn't think it was going to end right there, so I was a little disappointed (by this time, I had a second wind and was ready for another 15 minutes). If you like musicals, and you like Lerner and Loewe musicals, you should definitely watch it. Like I said, you can watch it with the family if they can sit still, you might even be humming 'Camelot' when it's done.Younger viewers (and their older family members familiar with the Harry Potter movies) may recognize Harris as the original Dumbledore from the first two Harry Potter films). See, I can find a connection with just about anything.

blogger's note: A friend of mine, who is a regular reader, just questioned my use of 'tingly'. Just to be clear, that was in reference to Arthur's last speech, not Arthur (or Richard Harris) himself, that would be another blog for another lifetime. I meant to imply that I felt it was inspiring, similar to, although not exactly like, Henry V's St. Crispin's Day speech, 'We few, we happy few...'. So my friend, does that help?

Run, Logan, Run

8/10/13 Logan's Run, Special Academy Award for Visual Effects, 1976

Either 'dystopia' is becoming the most overused word in movie synopses, or I'm in a rut. Or option C, it's what we call 'a happy accident'. I barely remember the movie Logan's Run, but I do remember the television series (with Gregory Harrison), so it closes the loop to have finally seen the whole movie. Basically, it's a couple of millennium in the future and the thirty is the mandatory retirement age...from life. According to the government and the true believers, you may get 'renewed' if you are lucky enough. Of course, there are people who are not so trusting, and are not all that eager to give up without a fight. That's where Logan 5 (Michael York) and his fellow Sandmen come in; they wrangle up the 'runners' and terminate them if necessary. York meets Jessica 6 (Jenny Agutter) and eventually figures out she may be part of a group of 'runners' who are looking for 'sanctuary'. Logan is asked by the computer (perhaps it should be capital 'C' because it seems to have a lot of authority) to find out if 'sanctuary' really exists and to report back; unfortunately, this means that Logan must become a runner and escape the Sandmen. Jessica and Logan flee and encounter all kinds of interesting things on the way: Farrah Fawcett as an assistant in a 25th century plastic surgeon's office (yes, that Farrah Fawcett), a crazy, delusional robot named 'Box', and a slightly addle-pated elderly gentleman played by Peter Ustinov who likes cats. Oh, and they discover the great outdoors with everything from trees, to lizards, to rivers and mountains. I probably forgot to mention that they lived in a sanitized bubble. Jessica and Logan are fascinated by the old man (he's been on his own so long he doesn't remember his own name) because they have never met anyone older than 30. They find the old man in what they are calling sanctuary, and the ironic thing is sanctuary is actually...wait for it....Washington, D.C. (if that was intended as irony back in 1975, how ironic is it today with Washington such a stagnant cess pool of career politicians?). Logan and Jessica want to return back home, but bring the old man with them to show the others that there is life after 30. Logan's Run was based on the book of the same name and it made me think about A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, which I read on my own volition many years ago, and I recommend reading just to add it to your own database books about the future written many, many years ago (it's nice to cross things off your list). The movie won a Special Academy Award for Visual Effects, and I imagine at that time it was probably groundbreaking; it's hard to imagine Star Wars came out just a few years later and changed special effects so much. The movie is worth a watch if you like science fiction, maybe watch The Planet of the Apes, Logan's Run and Omega Man (with Charlton Heston) for a triple feature. Logan's Run is pretty family friendly (maybe not for kids under 10).

I'd like to dedicate this review of someone 'running' metaphorically and literally to a friend of mine who is competing in an Ironman Triathlon this weekend. Bon chance, mon ami.

An unlikely trinity in Thoroughly Modern Millie

8/10/13 Thoroughly Modern Millie, Best Original Score, 1967

Maybe this is what the Jazz Age was supposed to be, not Baz Luhrmann's version of The Great Gatsby. Neither one is very realistic, and if I had to pick, I would pick Millie and company over Jay Gatsby et al every time. Millie (played by Julie Andrews) moves to New York to find a husband via job interviews (the interviewees think they are interviewing Millie for a job, while she is interviewing for future husbands). This may not seem very independent or feminist, but Millie has it all under control and knows what she wants. Miss Dorothy (Mary Tyler Moore) is even newer to New York and more than a little naive; Millie takes Miss Dorothy under her wing. Millie and Miss Dorothy are staying in the Priscilla Hotel for single women. James Fox (familiar to viewers of the BBC) plays Jimmy Smith, a young man who is vying for Millie's affections. The inimitable Carol Channing plays Muzzy, a very wealthy widow, who loves to throw big parties at her Long Island estate and show off her new talents (dancing, singing, leading the band). One of the subplots in the film involves Mrs. Meers, the proprietress of the Priscilla Hotel and her predilection of Mrs. Meers to abduct any of her lodgers who are alone in the world because nobody would miss them. This could be rather sinister, and does provide many of the more suspenseful moments in the film, but also some of its comedic scenes. Mrs. Meers was played by English actress Beatrice Lillie, who was more well-known for her stage work in America and London. She was amazing; great facial expressions and timing. Hilarious. I tried really hard to find something I didn't like about the movie, and my only issue is I think it went on about 10 minutes too long at the end, other than that, I loved it. The music was fabulous, the comedy was right on, the cast was spot on, I mean was there anyone better than Julie Andrews in the 1960s for musicals? I think not. Even in the 1980s with Victor/Victoria, she was brilliant. And think about it, how many movies have a Jewish wedding scene, a vaudeville show, a major character in drag, and an acrobatic finale? Exactly. Carol Channing was nominated as Best Supporting Actress, and based on her performance here versus Estelle Parsons in Bonnie and Clyde, I'm still not sure how Estelle Parsons' hysterical shrieking beat Channing's dancing and singing and flying. Elmer Bernstein won for Best Original Score. George Roy Hill directed, and he also directed The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid among many others. It seemed almost in the style of Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther movies). The movie was set in the 1920s, and made in the 1960s, and I'm fairly certain that if the movie was made today, the portrayal of the Chinese would be changed drastically because those stereotypes are not acceptable. The next time you are looking for a 'terrif' film that is suitable for the whole family, think about Thoroughly Modern Millie, you will not be sorry (see if you can spot Pat Morita - The Karate Kid and Jack Suh - Barney Miller).

A very grown up collection of shorts

One question I get quite frequently as I make my way through this seemingly endless quest is 'are you watching all the movies and all the categories (or it's phrased as 'why are you....)? My answer is I'm sure gonna try, and that includes the shorts. People think that's nuts. I say there are a lot of great shorts out there, why miss out? Shorts are hard to locate, so I always appreciate it when I come across a collection of them in one place. If you're interested in seeing this shorts, Netflix had them available on a disc called Shorts International Presents: The Oscar Winning Shorts Collection which has live action and animated shorts from 2004 - 2010 (not all inclusive). There are two shorts that I have watched before, so they are not included in this post, The Danish Poet narrated by Liv Ullman and West Bank Story which is a modernized version of West Side Story set in the West Bank. As I tried to hint in the title, this collection of shorts is geared more towards adults, even the animated shorts, so hide the children.

Harvie Krumpet, Best Animated Short, 2003

Harvie Krumpet is narrated by Oscar winner, Geoffrey Rush and is done using claymation. When the film starts, you kind of think it's going to go one way, maybe silly and funny, but then it takes a few left turns, but retains a gentle sense of humor about its main character, Harvie Krumpet. Harvie was born in Poland in the early 20th century, and as he gets a little older, his parents discover he is a little different, he has Tourrette's Syndrome. After he is teased and harassed in school, his mother, who is not exactly educated, decides to teach Harvie at home. His mother teaches him 'fakts' and thereafter, he carries a book of fakts for the rest of his life. During World War II, Harvie moves to Australia. You would think that Harvie is the most unlucky guy in the world because he regularly has many bad things happen to him (getting struck by lightening for one), but yet, he also finds some very good fortune, finding the love of his life while he is in the cancer ward at the hospital, adopting a thalidomide baby (thousands of babies were born with birth defects after their mothers took thalidomide). You would not necessarily ever think that a thalidomide baby would be funny, and it's not hilarious funny, but Ruby and her dad have a great time together and laugh and clearly enjoy life. That's kind of the way the film goes, bad things happen, yet Harvie and his family make the best of the situation and seize the day. There is no sugarcoating here, though. Harvie's fakts pop up throughout the short and they provide additional laughter and food for thought. This may actually be good for older kids to watch because it shows, in a non-preachy way, acceptance of others. I must warn you though, there is nudity, and naked claymation characters are not for everyone.

Ryan, Best Animated Short, 2004

Ryan is Ryan Larkin, a Canadian animator. The director of the film, Chris Landreth, used computer-generated imagery (CGI) and pieces of an interview he had with Larkin. I've seen a lot of animation over the years, and I don't think I have seen anything quite like this. Ryan's story was very compelling, and provides a brief glimpse into his animation style, which definitely seems groundbreaking (I am going to try and find his Oscar-nominated short Walking). This probably could have been done as a straight live action documentary, but it would not have been the same. Definitely worth a look.

Toyland, Best Live Action Short, 2008

If a short film is done well, it's running time should not be a factor. That is definitely true for Toyland. Do not let the title fool you, there is nothing playful about this fourteen minute film. Toyland is set in 1942 Germany and tells the story of two little boys, one German (Heinrich) and one Jewish;(David) they are best friends. The time is coming closer for the Jewish family to be deported; Heinrich's mother tells him they are going to Toyland, and everything will be okay. Heinrich wants to go with his best friend, and on they day David's family is being taken away, Heinrich tries to go with them. The editing here is the key, and it is done brilliantly to keep the story compact and taut with suspense. To tell you any more about it would ruin the tension. If you like this film, I would recommend The Boy in the Striped Pajamas; it's a full length film, and was very well done (although very hard to watch, but sometimes you have to do that).

Logorama, Best Animated Short, 2009

You can find snippets of this on YouTube, but until now, I have not been able to see it in its full, unedited version. Watching and listening to this, I got a sense of watching Southpark on steroids brought to you by the Michelin Man and McDonald's. I guess the inspiration behind this was to show how surrounded by advertising, even to the point where we just take it for granted. It would be one thing just to show us all the logos and characters associated with products, but to incorporate them into a story and make them characters in daily life is very clever. I think we have this idea that the Michelin Man is cuddly and roly-poly, but here, he (they) are tough, foul-mouthed police; a slightly effeminate Mr. Clean; the Pringles Man is sophisticated with his fancy mustache, who would have thought he would be a sexist, groping pig? And so it goes, turning our preconceptions on their heads. This is definitely not for younger kids; and if you are sensitive to your impressionable adolescents hearing the f-bomb, they should skip it as well. There is also horrific animated destruction, and Consider yourself warned.

The New Tenants, Best Live Action Short, 2009

As the movie opened, I thought I was in for some existential rant, which I was really not going to enjoy. It did not last long, and the rant turned into an existential question, which was more palatable. A gay couple move into their new apartment, and begin to meet some of the people who knew the previous tenant. Their elderly neighbor comes to borrow some flour so she can make cinnamon buns for her granddaughter; as she's chatting, she also mentions that the previous tenant was shot. Frank, the grumpier of the two, tells her they do not have any flour, but Pete, who is a little cheerier and trying to be neighborly, finds some flour that was left in the apartment. I don't want to reveal too much more, but there were a few surprises along the way. Stick around for the end credits because there is a recipe for cinnamon buns.

God of Love, Best Live Action Short, 2010

This was definitely one of the quirkiest shorts on the disc, which is a good thing. It was filmed in black and white, and is about Raymond Goodfellow, a singer in a jazz quartet who also happens to be a great dart thrower, oh, and he's in love with his drummer, but she only has eyes for their guitar player. Olympus, an unknown company, sends Raymond love darts. He tries to use them on Kelly, and they work for a brief period of time, but the path of true love never runs smooth, or in the direction you hope. Olympus later sends Raymond a bow and arrow, and you guessed it, he becomes Cupid. I enjoyed this, and it was very smart, and the actor who played Raymond Goodfellow also directed, Luke Matheny, was very expressive and had great timing. I look forward to more from him.

The Lost Thing, Best Animated Short, 2010

The Lost Thing was the most whimsical of the shorts on the disc, and may be the one best suited for kids, mainly because it was based on a children's picture book by Shaun Tan; Tan co-directed the short. I liked the animation style, it fit very well with the feel of the story. Shaun is the name of the major character who collects bottle caps and one day as he was out collecting, he came across the Thing (later called the Lost Thing). The Thing is unidentifiable, it is very large and has tentacles and seems to have nowhere to go. Shaun's parents aren't thrilled about the Thing, and after Shaun sees an advertisement on television about the Department of Lost Things, he decides that's where they should go. Shaun eventually gets the Lost Thing to a new home, and then we see Shaun several years in the future wondering about the Lost Thing or the possibility of ever finding something like that again. There was something poignant about Shaun's reflections.

Welcome to Harvard and The Paper Chase

8/3/13, The Paper Chase, Best Supporting Actor, 1973

It's not easy coming with a catchy title for the every new blog entry; I think it would be boring just to name the movie, but I have to admit, absolutely nothing came to mind for this one. Well, not nothing, but I wasn't sure if my reference would be so obscure as to mean nothing. Anyway, that lack of inspiration may sum up my feelings for The Paper Chase. I vaguely remember my dad watching the short-lived television series that was inspired by the movie, and I remember John Houseman being in it, but other than that, I didn't know who was in the movie. The first year of Harvard Law School is the setting for The Paper Chase, and it follows James Hart (pretty much just called 'Hart', never James) played by Timothy Bottoms (last seen in The Last Picture Show from 1971) with some crazy ass hair. John Houseman plays Professor Kingsfield, winning the Best Supporting Actor award for being a demanding task master, supposedly a proponent of the Socratic method. I had a philosophy professor in college who reminded me a little of Kingsfield, mainly in the way he scared the bejeezus out of me, and whom I only appreciated after the class was over and I escaped alive. Kingsfield has a daughter, Susan, (played by Lindsay Wagner) who lives in town and falls into a relationship with Hart, that in my opinion, that is doomed for failure. Kingsfield is tough on everyone, but he definitely is really hard on Hart, so the story becomes the evolution of this relationship, and Hart's need to get inside Kingsfield's head. There isn't anything really dramatic that happens, it just kind of moves along. Kingsfield is in almost every scene, even if he isn't physically present his aura is always there, he is always being talked about by the students, by Hart and Susan. Houseman was terrific, and probably created one of the most memorable characters in film from a not very memorable movie. I will also say I found the ending of the movie terribly unsatisfying, kind of like when you really look forward to eating something and it's not half as delicious as the picture makes it look.

I have 714 movies left to go. It's going much slower than I originally hoped, but I shall muddle on for the good of all.

Cimarron, it's Latin for really long, melodramatic and overacted

7/31/13, Cimarron, Outstanding Production, Best Writing - Adaptation, Best Art Direction, 1931

This entry could have been titled 'Cimarron the movie that derailed my NetFlix queue'. You would hope that a movie that sits on your television for over a month would be outstanding and that you would be smacking your head wondering what the hell took you so long.....Well, I also hope the Browns win the Super Bowl before I die....I live in hope, and it was not fulfilled by this movie. It was not horrible, I mean, I have watched horrible movies, but it did not quite energize me or excite me.

Cimarron starts with the Oklahoma land rush in 1889 and Yancy Cravat (St. Paul, MN native Richard Dix) trying to stake a claim. Yancy is quite the Renaissance man - a lawyer, a journalist, an adventurer, and full of wanderlust. The movie covers forty years of life in Osage, Oklahoma, with Yancy, his wife, Sabra (Irene Dunne), their children and the growth of a pioneer town into a bustling metropolis. Yancy kind of comes and goes as the spirit moves him, while Sabra keeps the home fires burning and their paper running. The movie won for Best Production (now called Best Picture) and I just don't know about that, it may have been because the scope was so sprawling and all-encompassing, or the other films weren't quite up to the same level, but perhaps they should have skipped it this year.

So, for all the snarkiness above, the movie was interesting to me in a few different ways. I think the period they were trying to cover was very interesting, and I don't think quite covered this way in other movies (the mini-series Centennial from the late 1970s/early 1980s covers a two hundred year period in Colorado's history and it's one of my favorites). Some of the portrayals verge on mocking stereotypes, particularly the black 'servant' (I use quotes because slavery was abolished, but he seemed to act like one), Isaiah which was actually kind of hard and embarrassing to watch. I'm not asking for political correctness from a movie made in 1931 covering a time period 50 years earlier, but it was just uncomfortable. The concept of such a strong (albeit sometimes disagreeable) woman, in Sabra Cravat was very interesting. The movie sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly deals with the conflict that the settlers had with the Indians, not so much with fighting, but with the racism and treatment of them; in fact Sabra has a few incredible rants against them. Yancy, when he is around, probably is the ideal of the Progressive Party from the late 1800s and early 1900s, and is frequently quoting from the Bible, especially when dealing with racism and defending those weaker than himself. I have to say, if my significant other came and went the way Yancy did, that door would not be open to him again (at one time he left for 5 years to go fight in the Spanish-American War). The movie was based on the book by Edna Ferber. I don't plan on reading that, but if you do, please let me know how it goes for you.