A Day of Shorts - Animated and Live Action - Uptown Theater 2018

I think this is the fourth or fifth year that my friend and I have gone to see the Animated and Live Action Shorts in Uptown, making it an all day event. It's fun to see everything at once and discuss it afterwards, usually with food in my mouth. It also always seems to be one of the coldest days of the year, and this was no exception. However, it's all good once we get inside. 

2/10/18 Shorts Day

We started with the Animated Shorts.

Dear Basketball is retired Los Angeles Lake and NBA star Kobe Bryant's love letter to basketball. It was a black and white film, almost like a pencil style. Kobe narrates the retirement letter that he wrote back in 2015 after he decided to leave the game that meant so much to him. I suppose almost any pro athlete could write a letter like this, acknowledging his dreams as a young child to play professional basketball and to hear the cheers of the fans; making the game winning shot; essentially, doing what he loves as a kid as an adult. It's very sweet (I did not see the letter when it was first published and I don't know anything about the reaction received there). I think it's a wonderful ode to basketball and to Kobe's incredible career (even if you didn't like him that much). It was directed by longtime animator Glen Keane (son of Bil Keane, creator of the daily comic "Family Circus"). It was good, but I don't know if it will win the Oscar.

Negative Space is a bittersweet look at the relationship between a young son and his father who is always traveling for work. The son remembers the packing tips his father shared with him and carries that with him into adulthood - don't waste space, how best to fill every nook and cranny. I would say it had a "Cat's in the Cradle" theme, except there really isn't any indication his father realized that his son missed him. It has a pretty serious tone, and then it gets a little awkward when the father passes away and the son sees him in the coffin and notices how much unused space is in the coffin. 

Garden Party features different varieties of amphibians enjoying their surroundings in a back garden, complete with pool, garden furniture and a few surprises. The animation was really incredible and I liked the Animal Planet/National Geographic vibe; a voiceover from David Attenborough would have the cherry on top. There is a bit of a surprise, which caused the audience to issue a collective groan (which was funny). I think this deserves the win.

Lou is the entry from perennial powerhouse (now a combined powerhouse) Pixar/Disney. Sigh. It's fine, it's cute, it has a nice little message at the end. Lou are the letters that show/are prominent on the 'lost and found' box at a playground. The toys come to life and make their way back to the rightful owners, until a bully comes along and takes them back. The toys get their own revenge on the little boy, and teach him a lesson. Great. But nothing new here, not Oscar-worthy at least.

Revolting Rhymes is based on a book by Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach) that takes some familiar fairy tales and adds some disturbing twists (disturbing in a funny kind of way). The Big Bad Wolf from "Little Red Riding Hood" features as our narrator and provocateur, as he relays stories about Snow White, gambling addicted dwarves, a bank run by a corrupt pig, etc. It reminded me of "Fractured Fairy Tales" from my youth, but a little more sophisticated.

I asked my friend to share some of her thoughts: Animated Shorts – I was not truly impressed with the selection this year.  There was nothing thought provoking or what I would even consider a wow factor.  I was a bit disappointed to tell the truth.  Garden Party had lovely animation, but that is about as excited as I got watching them.  Lou will probably win as it is from the Mega Million Studio.

After a delicious lunch at Stella's we wandered back for an afternoon of Live Action shorts. All of the films, except for The Eleven O'clock, the films were based on actual events, and I don't recall that being the case in the past years (or at least not so many).

DeKalb Elementary is based on an averted school shooting at an Atlanta elementary school. A stranger walks into the office at DeKalb Elementary school and starts to act strange; his behavior sets off alarms, and the teachers and staff go into lock down mode, except for one woman. She starts talking to him, very calmly, with a lot of empathy, and he starts to have second thoughts about going through with the shooting. The 'invader' says he wants to turn himself in, but is afraid he is going to be shot, and he references medications that he stopped taking. It was really powerful to watch this woman talk to the young man, trying to keep him calm, and reassure him that someone cares about him. Given that we hear about a school shooting all too often these days, I was not sure how this was going to go. It also addressed the role of mental health in the discussion. 

My Nephew Emmett recounts the events leading up to the kidnapping and brutal murder of Emmett Till. Emmett was staying with his uncle Mose Wright and his wife and kids down in Money, Mississippi in 1955. I don't know what the impetus was for using this aspect of events for a film, except perhaps it was a way to give Mose (or his character) an opportunity to explain what happened, because he had a lot of guilt about what happened (from what I have read elsewhere) because Emmett was in his care. Mose Wright testified at the trial against the accused murderers, and he did so at great risk to himself and his family. I appreciated this perspective, but I wonder how many viewers didn't know about this case or the impact it had on the Civil Rights movement. Perhaps it prompted them to do their own research. While I think the topic is important in our country's history, and the film was well done, I feel like there could have been more. However, it was directed and produced by a graduate student, so it's very possible further development was limited by financial challenges.

The Silent Child is a British entry, starring Rachel Shenton as Joanne, a social worker/sign language teacher who is brought into a mildly dysfunctional and very distracted family to help young Libby get prepared for school. It takes a little while, but Joanne is undeterred by Libby and her family's initial disinterest, although they're disinterested for different reasons, and she breaks through to Libby. Joanne believes sign language is the best way to integrate Libby into the world and facilitate better communication with her family; her mother, in particular, is resistant to learning and thinks they should stick with lip reading. There seem to be some underlying reasons that are not clear to Joanne why the family seems to exclude Libby. The ending is heartbreaking (sorry for the spoiler), and there are some statistics and information scrolling across the screen at the end, pleading for better integration of hearing impaired people and a for schools to provide sign language instructors/translators for students. Rachel Shenton actually is qualified as an interpreter, and became interested in sign language when her father lost his hearing and the young girl who portrayed Libby was deaf. This was one of my favorites.

The Eleven O'Clock was the only film that was not based on real events (well, that we know of). I would say this was a cinematic version of three card monty. A patient comes in to see his psychiatrist... Or does he? Who's the doctor? Who's the patient? Who's the receptionist? Even though I thought I knew what was happening, there was a part of me that thought, well, maybe, they're going to trick me. You kind of have to watch it to really get the absurdity of it. It was well done, and I think we both appreciated the levity after some heavy films. It might win because it is the only 'fictional' film.

Watu Wote/All of Us is a German film, but is based on the real events of an attack on a bus carrying Muslims and Christians in Kenya by the terrorist group Al-Shabaab. Jua is a young Christian woman who is traveling home to visit her family; she is leery of the Muslims around her. We learn why later. As the bus makes its way through Kenya and some very dangerous territory, there's an ambush. What happened next shows the best of humanity in the face of worst of it. The Muslim passengers were asked to turn over the Christian passengers, to certain death. The Muslim passengers refused; lecturing Al-Shabaab on what Islam really is, denying them their demands at the risk of their own deaths. They faced down their attackers. I hope this wins, because I am optimistic enough to think this could make a difference in some people's prejudices, and bring people together.

Thoughts from my movie companion: 

Live Action Shorts – I thought all were done well, but I think that The Silent Child moved me the most.  Maybe because I am a Mom, or maybe just because I am a caring human being. 

All of the movies had a point to make and they did a good job making it, with the exception of The Eleven O’Clock which was just a good bit of fun.

I do not think that there was one that was a huge standout to be the winner.  

Here's to a great day at the movies with a pal. 

More nominations: The Square, Coco, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

2/22/18 The Square, nominated Best Foreign Film, 2017

That is two hours of my life that I will never get back. I really want to know who the people are who think this movie is the best Sweden had to offer this year. At first I thought maybe I'm going soft in the head and didn't get it; well, I didn't get it, but I think it's because it wasn't very good. When I think satire and movie, I always think of Brazil by Terry Gilliam (comedy and drama, satire, just like The Square). I wouldn't even put this in the same category. The Square uses the art world, art installations, performance art and some of the pompous pretentiousness (that seems to be one of my favorite words) that is found when 'those in the know' extol the virtues of certain types of art. So, I guess you could say that is juxtaposed with the arrogance of gallery director, Christian, who essentially threatens an entire apartment building because he thinks the thief who stole his wallet and phone lives there. There is some bizarre relationship with a journalist, Anne (American actress Elisabeth Moss) which I cannot explain or understand why it's in the movie. There is another scene of performance art involving an actor imitating a chimp and getting very violent with the guests at a dinner event; his violence incites violence form the guests. Was that the point? I actually think there may have been a good point (the impact of social media on society, can social media be art, etc.) I like to encourage people to check out foreign films, but I won't be recommending this at all. I probably won't get to see the other nominees until after the Oscars, so I really don't have any idea which one will win.

2/24/18 Coco, nominated Best Animated Feature, Best Original Song, 2017

I wasn't all that bothered whether I saw Coco or not; sadly, that's what happens when I get to the end of the list and have such a short amount of time before the Oscars. I kind of just get burned out. However, one of my movie companions kept mentioning it and that she would like to go with me if it worked out with our schedules. I'm really glad that it did work out; I had heard really good things from adult friends who saw the movie, and then my snark got the best of me. But, I am here to tell you that this was a really good animated film: a sweet, heartwarming story; good animation techniques (not as technically interesting as Loving, Vincent); funny bits that kids and adults laughed at (that is the benefit of being in a pretty crowded theater, you can hear others' reactions); and little bit of an introduction to Mexican culture and the Mexican holiday of Day of the Dead (before someone gets upset with me, it's just an introduction, but hopefully it will interest kids and their families, and I guess just adults, to learn more on their own about the holiday and its traditions). I will say, and again, someone will disagree with me, I didn't think the music was all that great, not like other Disney or Pixar films. Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) is a 12 year old boy who comes from a family with a history of hating music, but he's never really given a reason for this, and causes a little bit of hysteria when he reveals his love of music. Miguel has a close relationship with his great-grandmother, Coco, even though is very old and doesn't always remember his name. He wants to try out for a talent contest that will be held on the Day of the Dead when he has a confrontation with his grandmother. Something happens and Miguel is transferred 'over the bridge' to where the dead live, and he meets his great-great-grandmother, aunts, uncles, as well as a few other characters. His appearance as a human boy is as disconcerting to them as their appearances as skeletons is to him. Miguel wants to go back home, but he can only do that with the blessing of someone form his family; great-great-grandmother Imelda gives him the blessing, but it includes the condition that he will never play music again, a condition he cannot abide. He goes on a quest to find another member of his family, perhaps the famed singer, Ernesto de la Cruz (voiced by Benjamin Bratt who brings the same smarmy quality he has when playing Javier on Modern Family), whom Miguel believes to be his great-great-grandfather. Miguel befriends Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal) a lonely spirit who is fading from the memory of his family (when a spirit is no longer remembered, they disappear for good). The way the story unfolds is part of the charm, and if you haven't seen it, I do not want to ruin it because I think it was pretty clever. I have bemoaned the lack of family films, and rightly so I think, but Coco works on so many levels without getting sappy or preachy, and an adult can watch it and enjoy it as much as a kid. These days movies come and go so quickly, so when there is a movie with staying power (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Greatest Showman) like Coco which was released in November and up until recently was playing in chain theaters and is now at the 2nd run theater and was playing to a large number of people, I think that says a lot. It also says a lot when the audience applauds at the end, and to my surprise, this audience did, and loudly. My comment to my friend at the end was also kind of a question: how in the world is Boss Baby even considered on the same level as Coco or Loving, Vincent? I still have yet to see Ferdinand or The Breadwinner.

2/24/18 Roman J. Israel, Esq., nominated Best Actor, 2017

I wasn't exactly sure what Roman J. Israel, Esq., starring Denzel Washington, was about; I guess I made some assumptions based on the trailers, but they were all wrong. Or mostly. Tony Gilroy wrote and directed the film, and his last writer/director film, Nightcrawler was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, was a really well done piece of suspense and creepiness, and there was definitely some suspense (I was happy to not have the creepy aspect). Israel is an attorney, very happy in his current role writing briefs, doing legal research, etc., and not actually dealing with clients. That duty falls to his partner (actually, that may be more in Israel's mind than reality) and mentor, William Jackson, whom we never meet, but who becomes incapacitated and leads to the dissolution of the firm. Jackson made provisions for another attorney, George Pierce (Colin Farrell) to step in and give Israel a job opportunity. Israel has difficulty relating to other people; one could speculate he is on the autism/Asperger spectrum; he does acknowledge his social challenges. In his desire to get back to his roots, using the law for social change, he has an awkward encounter with some younger people who don't appreciate his 'old fashioned' ideas and it doesn't end well. However, he does being a friendship with Maya (Carmen Ejogo), a community organizer.  Meanwhile, Israel is having a tough time fitting in at Pierce's firm; challenged by the drive for billable hours and not practicing the law for the good it can do. Israel is given the opportunity to handle a case where the defendant is accused of killing a store clerk in a hold up. He says he didn't do it, but was there, and can tell Israel who and where the person is hiding. Israel makes a choice that will have impacts on the rest of his life, and that appear to change who he is as a person. He loses a bit of his optimism, his belief in the good of the system, to be dramatic - he loses a bit of his soul (much like Jake Gylenhaal and Rene Russo's characters in Nightcrawler). I liked that character study, and Washington is so damn good; you kind of believe that he is socially awkward. I thought the story was intriguing and not without possibility in the real world, but thought the end was kind of too neat. I would be surprised if Washington won for Best Actor because of the other nominees; Daniel Day-Lewis (whom I have yet to see in Phantom Thread, but who has won three Oscars for his five nominations) and Gary Oldman are probably the front runners. Who knows? That's the fun of watching. Out now on DVD.

Oscar nominated Documentaries: Strong Island, Icarus, Abacus: Small Enough to Jail; Last Men in Aleppo

Best Documentary Features for 2017

Have I told you I love documentaries? I really do, and this year's nominees (I have seen all but one of the films) are well done and cover a range of topics, and use a couple different narrative techniques, including the directors being part of the film, not just directing it; just filming and letting the action and people involved propel the story; or filming and interviewing for different perspectives and providing a lot of background data. A great documentary will make a stereotypical topic interesting, maybe even heartbreaking; you will come away more informed, more engaged, more curious. Many times (it seems to me) documentaries get short shrift in general and the Oscars are their moment in the sun, whether or not they win, they get a lot of publicity and then maybe the directors or producers can go on and make more films. This is my way of suggesting that you try at least one of these films (which one, I leave up to you).

1/26/18 Strong Island (on Netflix streaming) - Director Yance Ford directs and features in this documentary about her brother,William Ford's, 1992 murder in Long Island, and which the grand jury declined to go forward with charges. Ford directs, but also features in the film as he recounts events in the family's history and the events surrounding the shooting, and the quest to understand what happened and why the all white grand jury seemed to turn its back on William, a young black man. Yance interviews his mother, sister and a few of William's friends. He conducts a phone interview with one of the investigators, but nobody else from the authorities will speak with him. As gut-wrenching as the film is, I fell in love with Yance's mother, Barbara Dunmore Ford, an educator who founded Rosewood, a school for women on Riker's Island; she had a dignity and strength, and a desire to find some kind of good in her son's death. Sadly, she died towards the end of the film. One thing I would liked to have seen, and maybe Ford tried and it just never happened, was to interview the man who shot William, or the other man who was a witness. Maybe that would have detracted from Ford's goals/objectives, but maybe there would have been remorse or something worth hearing. This is a multi-layered story: it's about the Ford family, and other African American families' quest for the American dream; it's about wanting justice or some kind of resolution for William's death; and it's about the American justice system in general. And on some level, it's about Yance Ford coming out (intentionally or accidentally, I wasn't totally clear) to William about being gay and transgender. Ford is the first transgender director to be nominated for an Oscar. Some may wave that off, but to a group that is marginalized, ignored, harassed and threatened, this is a big deal.

2/5/18 Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (Amazon Prime) - If you don't remember the financial collapse of 2008, then congratulations, you were probably not born or too young to have your 401K demolished by the greed of some very large banks; banks that were classified as "too big to fail", meaning, heaven forbid, the leaders/CEOs/COOs/presidents couldn't be put in jail or the world economy would go further in the toilet than it already was. On the other hand, Abacus, a community bank in Chinatown, New York City, that self-reported wrongdoing by one of their employees, this was a bank and leadership that COULD be charged. Thomas Sung is a Chinese immigrant who came to the United States when he was a young man, became a lawyer, and then founded Abacus, a bank that catered to the Chinese community in New York, and who understood the needs and fears that immigrants have about large institutions. It became a family run business, with two of Sung's daughters becoming executives in the bank. The film tells the story of the Sung family and Abacus Bank against the backdrop of the mortgage collapse in 2008; comparing Abacus to the larger (much larger) banks and what happened to those companies and executives. Director Steve James interviews the Sung family, the Sungs' attorneys, prosecutors, jurors, members of the media who specialized in financial news or reporting in the Chinese community. He also includes testimony from the trial, which was very enlightening. If financial films make your eyes cross, James (and his subjects) present their information in a clear and very understandable way. This is not just about a bank and its officers being accused of wrongdoing, it's about a family invested and committed to its community and neighborhoods, and it's about a family who poke, annoy, support and love each other. Thomas Sung was around 80 years old when the film was made, and he acted and looked like a 60 year old, still full of life and passion.

2/10/18 Icarus (streaming on Netflix) is probably my least favorite of the documentaries, although with the Winter Olympics happening right now, it's very apropos. The film starts out with director Bryan Fogel wanting to improve his race results in amateur cycling races, and it seems like a great idea to him to try doping, and to try and hide the results (right there he lost me and it felt like I was suffering through the next couple of hours). He reaches out to a doping expert in the US who at first says he would help, but then, he thinks, oh, this could ruin my reputation. However, he recommends Grigory Rodchenkov, who at the time was the director of the Russian anti-doping program. Rodchenkov gleefully agrees to help Fogel cheat the dope testing, telling him how to freeze his urine and get it to Russia, which interestingly involves a trip to the US by Rodchenkov. What comes to light in the film is the role that Rodchenkov and his superiors played in the doping scandal of the Sochi Olympics (which is why this year, Russian athletes are not competing under the Russian flag, and probably why they have not won any gold medals). What follows is something out of a John Le Carre novel as Rodchenkov admits to cheating, says it came all the way from the top, and then threats against Rodchenkov by the government, and him escaping to the US, leaving his family behind. He is now under witness protection because there are legitimate threats against his life. Rodchenkov is like your Uncle Vanya, he's jolly, laughs a lot, he's avuncular, endearing himself to Fogel and possibly to the viewers. Fogel never circles back to the original premise of the film, his cheating to do better in a race, and if it was worth it, or if there have been side effects from taking the different hormones. The timing couldn't be better for this nomination, the Oscars and the Olympics, and it is an interesting  topic, but I think the other documentaries are better.

2/14/18 Last Men in Aleppo (streaming on Netflix) is a film about the White Helmets, civilian volunteers in Syria who have been rescuing and helping their fellow Syrians, often at extreme risk to themselves. It features Khaled, who is like a big teddy bear who loves playing with his children and worries about their future; and Mahmoud, a very serious young man, who worries about his younger brother, who is also a White Helmet. It is unreal what is happening in Syria, the Assad regime and his Russian allies bombing civilians, children, old people, without any hesitation or qualm. It is unfathomable to those of us who have never lived through anything like that, to think that people do live under those conditions, with a severe lack of food, medicine, and yet, there is a spirit that is indomitable, as the besieged residents of Aleppo hold protests against Assad. The White Helmets willingly put themselves at risk, because they love their country and their countrymen. It's beyond bravery, but I don't know what the right word would be. It's impossible to watch this movie without being moved. Some day, Hollywood is going to make a movie about the White Helmets, and it will not even match what really happened. As a post script, director Feras Fayyad and his team will not be attending the Oscar ceremonies because their visas were denied. Thank god we're being protected from a filmmaker (sarcasm font).

An endurance test Visual Effects nominees - Blade Runner 2049 and Star Wars: The Last Jedi

2/16/18 Blade Runner 2049, nominated Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, 2017

I thought about taking one of my dumbbells and dropping it on my foot. Just to make something hurt more than my head from watching this pretentious piece of shit. The best thing I can say is that at least it's not nominated for best screenplay or best acting. This is so pretentious. I actually stopped paying attention after an hour (that may be generous); lucky for me, there was another hour and forty-five minutes to go, because director Denis Villeneuve does not believe in editing. I thought the same thing about Sicario and Arrival. If these weren't 'on the list', then I never would have watched any of them, and sadly, they weren't the little surprises I sometimes get when watching an unexpected film. Anyway, I have no desire to try and give you a synopsis of the film, because I don't care and it's so ridiculous, I couldn't if I wanted to. All I can say is, thank goodness for my free rental from Redbox.

2/18/18 Star Wars: The Last Jedi, nominated Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, 2017

First: this movie has been out since December 15, and it was pretty much sold out at a major, first run theater. That's over two months. I was hoping the theatre would be empty, but alas, not only was it not empty, I sat next to a woman who was pretty much ready to set up camp in her seat, and then used her GD phone with about 30 minutes left in the movie. I finally said, "Seriously, can you turn it off?" "In a minute." WTF? Human beings survived without mobile phones, hell, regular phones, for millennia, you honestly can't wait? And, I'm pretty sure she wasn't a brain surgeon or any other kind of life saving career person. Just a guess. Okay, I'm good now.

Second: I may have mentioned this before, I have seen all of the Star Wars movies, some even multiple times, but by no stretch of George Lucas' imagination, am I a Star Wars expert. The things that send rabid fans into a frenzy general escape me, and I still sleep really well at night. So, whatever it was that set off fans two months ago, I don't have a clue; what I do know is the movie was really long, too long.

Here in this installment of what Wikipedia describes as an "epic space opera", Rey (Daisy Ridley) meets Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) on an isolated island where Luke used to train Jedis. Meanwhile, the rebellion is under a lot of stress and not doing very well, as hotheaded Poe (Oscar Isaac) leads rebel forces to destroy a dreadnought, but ultimately loses a significant number of fighters. General Leia (Carrie Fisher) is trying to lead the Resistance fighters to safety, but the lead ship (which she is on) suffers a devastating hit, that puts her in sick bay. On the First Order side (the baddies) Kylo Ren/Ben Solo (Adam Driver) is wrestling with the angel and devil on his shoulder as he is still under the control of Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). Back with the Resistance, Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (a new character, played by Kelly Marie Tran), are off on a mission to find a code to do something that will save the universe, but in an effort to make the movie longer, it doesn't work. I don't know, trying to give you a synopsis of this is crazy. What I did enjoy, and wish director/writer Rian Johnson would have spent more time on, was Luke's relationship with Rey, more Jedi training. I have heard so many mixed things about the movie, which clearly has not deterred anyone from seeing it, that I kept waiting for something that was going to really annoy me, and it didn't happen. My expectation for any Star Wars movie is good action, great effects, a little bit of comedy, a diverse cast: black, white, Asian, alien, male, female, and a stirring score by John Williams. Notice, I didn't mention a great, deep story line. I certainly enjoyed this a lot more than Blade Runner 2049. It was a little sad to know that Carrie Fisher wouldn't be in anymore films (unless it's from repurposed footage). Sorry for the less than detailed review, but if you're a fan, you've already seen it and would probably tell me all of the things I got wrong or missed, and if you're not, then you most likely don't care, and have already stopped reading.

Annual Trek to The Riverview Theater to see the Documentary Shorts - never disappointed

On the way to The Riverview (in the background)

I look forward to this day every year: going to see the documentary shorts at The Riverview Theater. The caliber of films is so high, I often tout these as my favorite films, over the big budget blockbuster films. To do a short film well (in my opinion) you have to tell your story, move your audience in some way, in less than an hour. When you think that many of the 'big' movies this year are well over two hours, you may not think it's possible. This films prove it can be done, and often left me thirsting for more (as opposed to looking at my watch, going, WTH!). So, here we go.

Traffic Stop was the first film in this collection, and I found it the most problematic, and I am really not sure how to convey my thoughts and feelings in a short review. Breaion King, an African American woman, was stopped and arrested by police in Austin, Texas, originally for speeding. The film includes dashcam footage from the police cars as well as an interview with King and footage of her teaching and dancing. The film was made with the deaths of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Tamir Rice in the recent past; and the fear that many African Americans feel when in the presence of police. When King is approached by the police (she did not pull over when the car was behind her on the road, perhaps she didn't hear the sirens or see the lights), she had pulled into a strip mall and was appearing to go into a fast food restaurant, when the officer asked for her license and told her he was stopping her for speeding. She seemed very edgy, and was challenging him (can you stop me if I'm already stopped? and not putting her feet in the car and closing the door when asked), and it went all down hill from there. It got physical, and she was eventually put in handcuffs. These scenes are juxtaposed with footage of her working with her students, explaining her drive to become a teacher and get her PhD, and her love of dance. There was a scene, maybe five minutes long, that I thought was interesting and totally unscripted since it was filmed from within the police car as an officer (different from the one who pulled her over) is driving her to the station, and King asks the officer if this type of thing happens a lot, and do you think racists are in the police (I'm paraphrasing), and why do you think that is. The dialog is held in a respectful manner, and the police officer responds and asks her questions, and poses some thoughts back to her (you don't have to agree, but I appreciated that both seemed to be listening to each other). Something bothered me about this film, and I don't think it was the topic, but the way the director handled it cinematically. I felt like something was missing.

Edith + Eddie could have been a beautiful story about a couple, Edith and Eddie, 96 and 95 years old, who find love again in their ninth decade, and ride off into the sunset together. That would have been a great love story and one of the uplifting documentaries. Unfortunately, circumstances, perhaps greed, turned this into an heartbreaking kick in the gut. Edith and Eddie met one night, and fell in love and live in Edith's house in Baltimore (pretty sure, but I can't find confirmation). Eddie does most of the talking, but Edith chimes in, clearly sharing his affection. They are both so happy that they have found each other, and one of Edith's daughters, and their church, support them and can see how they feel about each other. However, another daughter, Patricia, lives in Florida, and wants to bring Edith down there, and ultimately, sell the house. Edith doesn't want to go, and Eddie doesn't want her to go, but the way the system works, because the daughters couldn't agree on a course of action, the court appoints a conservator to make these decisions. The conservator has not met Edith, and does not meet her until the day that Edith has to leave the house. How is this possible? How can she make decisions without meeting Edith? Edith is starting to have issues with her memory, but it seems counterintuitive to remove her from a loving relationship and force her to move hundreds of miles away. There is some suggestion that the move is in part racially motivated: Eddie is white and Edith is black, which is beyond sad, as neither one of them care about color. Edith is taken away, and Eddie is promised by the conservator/attorney that he can call Edith every day, but it doesn't happen. Ultimately, Eddie dies of a broken heart when Edith doesn't return as the attorney promised. This movie made me sad and angry that these two people were deprived of whatever time they had left together because of greed. However, seeing them hold hands and talk about their feelings for one another made me smile. A lot.

Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405 is about Los Angeles artist, Mindy Alper, who suffers from depression and anxiety that have been (and can still be) so debilitating that she can't talk or function. Mindy tells us about her life, her battles with her illnesses, how she uses art to express herself. Her depression was so bad at one point that when electroshock treatment was proposed, and the possible bad effects of it were discussed, she opted for it because she felt it was the only solution, even though she believes she experienced some brain damage due to it. Mindy has a good understanding of herself and why she does things or feels certain things; it was interesting to hear her perspective and then listen to her mother recall the circumstances or events. I really liked her style of art, especially her drawings, which reminded me of Shel Silverstein and his poems that captured how kids' feel and think, and I thought Mindy did the same. She also works in paper mache, and it is mind blowing the depth and detail she could attain; this is not your 5th grade paper mache volcano. There are some serious topics covered here, and it would be great to stimulate conversations about mental illness and the possibilities of art therapy. But even with the heaviness, I still smiled because of Mindy's outlook and art.

Heroin(e) is a case study of the opioid epidemic in America, and what the Huntington, West Virginia, authorities and citizens are trying to do to beat it. The dual spelling refers to the drug, but also the three females featured in the film. Assistant Fire Chief Jan Rader is on the scene when there is an overdose called in; sometimes she is first on the scene, sometimes she is there as its wrapping up. She works with public health officials to get naloxone to first responders; she appears at the drug court where Judge Patricia Keller presides. Judge Keller presides over the drug court and talks to the participants like they are adults and has adult expectations for them, pushing them to succeed and stay clean; she'll give a second chance, but don't push her or think she's being soft. That would be a mistake. Necia Freeman drives the streets of Huntington, offering brown bag meals to prostitutes and tries to talk to them about getting into treatment, or at least temporarily off of the streets. It seems like such a hopeless situation; Rader estimates that Huntington has lost at least two generations to opioid addiction. Yet, they don't give up, and every success story, gives them the fuel to keep trying. 

Knife Skills made me want to hoot and holler and give a big shout out to my hometown of Cleveland. Edwin's is a restaurant/culinary school/program founded by Brandon Chrostowski in Cleveland's Shaker Square that takes its cooks and front of house staff from formerly incarcerated inmates. It's about second chances and opportunity, and what can happen when you take them, or are given them. It is crazy to think that from when the film starts, there are only six weeks until the restaurant opens, and the staff hasn't even been hired yet, much less trained. The movie focuses on three or four of the staff, and the story does not shy away from the fact that not everyone is going to make it. I enjoyed hearing from the trainees, and their connection to cooking, why they wanted to do this, how good it made them feel to have a purpose and focus and contribute to the community. Chrostowski has high standards, and has set a high bar by deciding to prepare French cuisine, and I don't mean French fries or French toast; duck confit, rabbit, you know, the usual; and expectations for that kind of cuisine and the associated costs are very high. It seems the restaurant delivered; it's still open and continues to get high praise. Edwin's shows that this kind of business model, while not without challenges (the restaurant business is inherently risky), can thrive and bring value to the community and improve the lives of those who want another chance. Maybe I'll stop in for the quiche. 

I hate picking a favorite out of these powerful films, but I would not be sad if Knife Skills wins.

Artwork on the way to the lightrail station, Minneapolis

Get Out and Call Me By Your Name - Best Picture, Best Actor nominations

2/2/18 Get Out, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, 2017

I was pretty leery of seeing Get Out, mainly because it was hyped as a horror film, and in my mind, no good can come of that. Maybe because I was watching it with the lights on, in the comfort of my own home, that I didn't get freaked out or hide my eyes. It was suspenseful and pretty violent at the end, but I wouldn't call it a horror movie (by my above definition). Anyway, enough about me. Get Out broke a lot traditions (if I can call them that) in scary movies (and just plain old movies), but also poked fun at some of society's stereotypes. This was done by comedian (and writer and director of the film) Jordan Peele, an African-American who seems to delight in skewering the white characters in his film. Chris, a young black man (Daniel Kaluuya) is getting ready to visit his white girlfriend's (Allison Williams) parents' house in the country. He's not thrilled about it, but Rose is determined, and tells him it will be fine. Chris's friend, Rod (Lil Rey Howery), is a TSA Agent, and provides humorous insight into Chris's circumstances and life. It's kind of hard to give you a synopsis without ruining the story, and that is part of what makes the movie fun. Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener are Rose's parents; I like Whitford, but there was something annoying about Keener. Speaking of annoying, Caleb Landry Jones as Jeremy, Rose's brother, brings the most out of place accent to the role, and I wanted him to shut up. You'd think that was not a big deal, but it seemed so dissonant compared to the others. I did like the movie, and I thought it pretty fresh, with a combination of drama, suspense, creepiness and timely observations and humor. I think it's got some pretty tough competition for its awards, but I would like to see it win for Best Original Screenplay. I have told you very little about the movie, so you'll have to see it for yourself, and it's not as scary as you might think. If I can watch it, you'll be fine.

2/4/18 Call Me By Your Name, nominated Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song, 2017

I realize that I am serious danger of entering a permanent state of curmudgeon, and I'm kind of sorry, it could also be that I just don't think some movies are up to the hype of 'this is the best movie ever'. It's not that I hated Call Me By Your Name, I didn't, I liked it, but I didn't love it. Call Me By Your Name is set in the 1980s in Italy, and Armee Hammer is Oliver a visiting graduate student. He is staying with Professor Perlman (the ubiquitous Michael Stuhlbarg) and his family, including his teenaged son, Elio (Oscar nominated Timothee Chalamet). There is some weird tension between Elio and Oliver, partly because Oliver is very popular with the locals, especially the woman, partly because Oliver seems aloof from Elio; it's a version of cat and mouse. It's not secret if you've seen some of the trailers that this is a love story; the secret is a little better kept in the film, because it has to be. The Italian countryside is beautiful, and the fruit trees and other food made me think of Babette's Feast; theaters could have made a lot of money selling apricot juice. Chalamet and Hammer seemed very comfortable in this story of young love, and were very respectful; Stuhlbarg, in my snarky opinion, was like a manila folder: serviceable, but nothing special (which is so rare for him). Just blah, and his speech to Elio towards the very end of the film seemed contrived and something I just couldn't believe. I don't have a better way to express it, it just rang false to me. I think part of what made it false was he talks about all this time that they spent together, and goes on and on about that, when to my mind, they didn't spend ALL THAT TIME together. They did have some intense moments at the end of Oliver's stay. Maybe that's hair-splitting, but it just bugged me. Maybe what really bothered me was the Oscar-nominated screenplay by James Ivory, which seemed full of holes: Oliver and the Perlmans are Jewish, a fact which is pointed out in a very obvious way, and I kept waiting for some more on that topic, and it was just some cursory thing. So to me, why bother? There is barely any mention made of Oliver's studies or work with the professor, some, yes, but, the movie was 8 hours long, so there was time to be more than casual about somethings. Oh yeah, a gay couple is introduced, friends of the family, but Elio has some unkind comments about them. So, is he showing his internalized homophobia? Probably, and that's actually not unusual. The couple are on screen for maybe 5 minutes. Maybe with a different screenplay, I could have really loved this movie. Oh, and when characters were smoking, it looked like they were goldfish eating those food flakes. We will probably see a lot more of Chalamet (who also appears in Lady Bird) who is very charismatic, but sensitive, funny, and (it appears) very musical.

Nominated films: The Shape of Water, Wonder, Loving Vincent

I am so behind. Ahhhhhhh!

1/27/18 The Shape of Water, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Costumer Design, Best Film Editing, 2017

I got a hand cramp from typing out the list of nominations for The Shape of Water, and I'll probably be typing a lot on Oscar night. Guillermo del Toro directed this unlikely love story set in Baltimore in the early 1960s at the height of the Cold War. Sally Hawkins stars as Elisa, a mute janitor at a government facility; her best friend and co-worker, Zelda (Octavia Spencer) interprets for her at work. Elisa lives in a small apartment above a movie theater, and her neighbor, Giles (Richard Jenkins) is an ad agency artist who seems to have had some troubles at work, so he is home a lot, and watches a lot of old movies. He also has an unrequited crush on the guy at the pie shop. Anyway, back to the secret laboratory, Colonel Strickland (Michael Shannon) brings in a mysterious creature under tight security, and places the creature under the observation of Dr. Hoffstettler (Michael Stuhlbarg); the two men have competing interests (seemingly), Hoffstettler for scientific purposes, and Strickland for intelligence or secret weapon purposes. Elisa and Zelda happen to witness some odd things, and this brings them closer to Strickland than any normal human would want to be, but it brings Elisa closer to the creature as well. The creature reminded me of Abe from Hellboy (also a del Toro film) and was played by the same actor that played Abe, Doug Jones. Elisa forms a bond with the creature, using sign language to communicate, and eventually hatches a plan to free him from the sadistic Strickland, which involves a Zelda and Giles, and begins a cautious alliance with Hoffstettler. Elisa keeps the creature in her apartment, in the tub, but that's really not where it should be, so she plans a time to release it back into the water. Unfortunately, it's not that easy as Strickland is hot on their heels. Hoffstettler has some secrets of his own, like his Soviet identity and spy activity (this isn't a spoiler). The rest I will leave up to you to see for yourself. I hope you do; I know del Toro isn't for everyone, and fantasy/science fiction is not everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed The Shape of Water on so many levels: the cast is terrific - Hawkins conveys emotions without a word (except for a brief sound/utterance), using her hands and her facial expressions, I have seen her in a few movies and really enjoy her work; Spencer is, well, Octavia Spencer, she delivers wisdom, smart assery and toughness, and acts with Hawkins, which I would imagine can be difficult without lines to react to; you've seen Richard Jenkins, and you're scratching your head to remember where, but he is wonderful as a frustrated artist and gay man in the 1960s before it was accepted, as well as acting with Hawkins in the same way that Spencer does, basically talking to himself. Stuhlbarg and Shannon are two of the busiest guys in film, you can find them in at least three or four movies a year (maybe more, this isn't very scientific); playing all different kinds of characters. It's gorgeously filmed, the sets are fabulous. I do expect it to win several awards. I will say, as a warning, that there are parts that seem gratuitously gory, but it's done in a funny way (if that makes sense). It wasn't necessary, and I did cringe, but I got over it. 

1/30/18 Wonder, nominated Best Makeup and Hairstyling, 2017

I have not been impressed by most of the nominated films this year. I'm not sure why that is, per haps the Grinch has taken up residence in my dark soul (that is probably a bit melodramatic, but it's how I feel). So when I come across a movie that either I had no expectations (as in I wasn't too pressed to see it) or had lower expectations and then I'm blown away, I love it. That's how I felt about The Greatest Showman, and how I feel about Wonder starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay (who stole my heart in Room). I thought it would be cute, a feel good movie, you know, okay. But something hit me as I watched it, on a Tuesday night for gosh sakes, and I couldn't wait to tell people about it the next day. Tremblay is Auggie Pullman, a young middle schooler who was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome a genetic disorder that presents in facial deformities, possible seeing and hearing problems, but it does not necessarily mean intellectual limitations, as Auggie shows everyone. He's been homeschooled by his mom (Julia Roberts), but she and his father (Owen Wilson) think it would be best for Auggie to attend Beecher Prep. Going to a new school, under almost any circumstances, can be stressful and scary, so the principal, Mr. Tushman (Mandy Patinkin) arranges for three students to meet with Auggie and take him around the school. This has mixed results as we shall see. Auggie has an older sister, Via, who acknowledges that she is second fiddle to Auggie's needs, and sometimes she understands, and other times, she gets resentful. In fact, one thing that I liked about the movie is that showed both sides to a couple of the different relationships, which I thought was a nice reminder that even though we know what's going on in our mind/world, we don't always know what the other person is thinking or feeling, and perhaps we should be a little more understanding. This is a great movie for parents to bring their kids, especially in this day of heightened awareness of bullying and recognizing our differences, but also our similarities. Someone asked me if the movie was sad, and I said there are moments where you might feel sad, but overall, it's incredibly uplifting, but also pretty realistic, and not in a corny way. I don't think there are enough family movies, but this is one for you. Tremblay is buried under the makeup (which is very good), but he makes Auggie's personality, with all of his early adolescent flaws, come through. The rest of the cast is also terrific. So glad this was on the list.

2/3/18 Loving Vincent, nominated Best Animated Feature, 2017

Van Gogh, Rijksmuseum

If you like animated films and different styles of animation, this film is definitely for you. Loving Vincent is nominated for Best Animated Feature, and I'm afraid it will get overlooked by Coco (which I have yet to see). It is the first fully hand painted feature film, not computer generated or hand drawn, but hand painted, and if there was no dialog, just the beautiful scenes interpreting or presenting Vincent Van Gogh's paintings, it would still be amazing. There is a story, and it is about Joseph Roulin, a friend of Van Gogh's and a postman, trying to get one last letter of Vincent's to his brother, Theo. Roulin hands the task to his seemingly rudderless son, Armand, who really doesn't want to do it. Armand takes the letter and retraces Van Gogh's last days, meeting with people from Vincent's life (and who feature in his paintings). Armand starts his journey reluctantly, but he slowly becomes more and more interested in Vincent and the circumstances surrounding his death. This is a category that I usually disagree with the nominees and the ultimate winner; to me, the animation (quality, technique) is as important as the subject/narrative, etc., and in my opinion, that's not always the case. If you're an art lover, you should check out this film.

A little underwhelmed with these nominees: War for the Planet of the Apes, Kong, I, Tonya, Molly's Game

1/27/18 War for the Planet of the Apes and
Kong: Skull Island, nominated Best Visual Effects, 2017

There's really not a whole lot of reviewing that is needed here, in my opinion. I barely watched Kong: Skull Island, it's not like there was a complicated plot. It's probably more notable for the cast which included Tom Hiddleston, a special services kind, with tracking skills (I didn't buy it); Brie Larson as a photographer; Samuel L. Jackson as a Lieutenant Colonel; John Goodman and John C. Reilly. They're rebooting the "Monster Franchise", and that's fine, but get rid of the humans and let the monsters play. War for the Planet of the Apes has a little more substance, a stronger story, and neatly ties up this most recent trilogy of the world of apes. The apes are battling a group of humans, some of the apes have gone to the human side. Caesar (Andy Serkis) is trying to lead his clan of apes to safety, but of course, it's not that straightforward. One of his confidantes betrays them and goes to the humans, and the apes are ambushed. Woody Harrelson is the primary human in the movie as the Colonel. He's ruthless in his desire to wipe out the apes. There's a bit of a twist when Caesar's adviser, Maurice, finds a mute human child and takes her so he can care for her and protect her, much against Caesar's wishes. My favorite character (well, I liked him a lot) is Steve Zahn's "Bad Ape"; Bad Ape was in a lab where humans did experiments; he can speak and he brings a little light heartedness to a pretty dark film (which could go either way, but I appreciated it). If you have to pick, I would go for War for the Planet of the Apes; if you have a free Redbox night, maybe go for Kong: Skull Island, if you've seen everything else.

1/28/18 I, Tonya, nominated for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Editing, 2017 

As I sat watching I, Tonya on Sunday, one repeating thought was "did this movie need to be made?" and the answer that kept coming back was, no, not really. Strangely (it may seem), that didn't take away from the fabulous performances by Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding or Allison Janney as her abusive mother, LaVona Golding, but my life would have been fine without seeing this "based on real life and events, but maybe not totally" film. If you don't know or don't remember, Tonya Harding gained her infamy after her chief skating rival, Nancy Kerrigan, was attacked prior to the 1994 Olympics. Harding wasn't part of the actual attack, but her husband, Jeff Gillooly (or was he her ex-husband, I lost track) and her 'bodyguard' conspired to hire two knuckle draggers to do it; the movie indicates that Harding and husband only meant for threatening letters to be sent to Kerrigan. Let me back up a bit; the movie starts out with Tonya, at 4 years old, getting figure skating lessons, and winning competitions at an early age. This is in spite of (her mother would claim because of) her mother's habit of berating, humiliating and hitting Tonya. There is a bit of humor as Janney delivers her lines with a straight face, even as the audience knows she's twisted and as her bird bites at her ear. Both Janney and Robbie are transformed by make up and hair, making them almost unrecognizable. Gillooly is played by Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), and he is also unrecognizable. He plays Gillooly as an idiot and a brute, and there's little sympathy, or empathy, coming his way. There is no doubt that Tonya Harding had a helluva life, and overcame incredible odds, and lost it all because of the people around her, and probably decisions she made, but Robbie/Harding says frequently to the camera "it's not my fault", and that seems Harding's way of absolving herself of any responsibility. Janney could pull of a win, I think Robbie is going to have a tougher go of it going up against Frances McDormand, Saorise Ronan and Sally Hawkins. I don't think you're missing anything if you wait for home video or skip it.

1/28/18 Molly's Game, nominated Best Adapted Screenplay, 2017

I might have ruined this for myself by reading Molly Bloom's book before seeing the movie. It's not that there's a ton of suspense, but I kept comparing what I read to what was appearing on the screen, and some of the movie came after the book ends. It is based on a true story; Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) finds herself running what runs into one of the biggest underground poker games in Los Angeles, and then in New York City. All seems to be going well until certain events trigger interest from the federal authorities. Molly hires Charlie Jaffrey (Idris Elba) to be her lawyer, even though she doesn't have any money, and she's reluctant to part with certain information. Aaron Sorkin (Newsroom, The West Wing) wrote the screenplay and directed, and as much as I loved some of his other work, I was sadly underwhelmed. Perhaps I shouldn't have had such high expectations. Not only was I comparing Molly's Games to the book, I was also comparing it to Miss Sloane, which also starred Jessica Chastaine as a woman who frequently outsmarts the people around her, and which I loved so much more than this. It's good, not necessary to see on the big screen, but it's worth the Redbox rental.