Annual trip to see the Shorts - 2020

For the past four or five years my friend and I have gone to one of the theaters in Uptown (Lagoon or Uptown) to watch the Animated and Live Action Shorts. There's usually a lunch involved, some people watching and a few shorts that really stay with us. As soon as the nominations are out, we start planning our day. Here are some of my thoughts.

2/8/2020 Animated Shorts

Oh, where to begin? (slight spoiler alert)  Hair Love (USA) was one of my favorites of the nominated shorts; a little African-American girl is trying to do her hair for a special occasion, but we don't know what it is yet, and she is watching videos online for help. Her father is overwhelmed by the task and almost gives up, until he hears the end of the video and recognizes it as his wife. As he follows his wife's online guidance, the hair is a success. There's more, but you will have to see it for yourself. It's available online or currently in theaters. I liked this for a lot of reasons: it was a sweet story between and father and daughter; the animation had the feel of the cartoons I grew up with (there very well could have been computers involved, but it didn't feel like that); African-American hairstyles have been in the news a lot lately, and not in any good way, but often about punitive actions being taken against people, mostly kids/teenagers, for their hair. This is a positive story on so many levels; and even though it is about an African-American family, the story is universal: fathers and daughters, learning who you are and family. This is my choice to win.

Dcera (Daughter) (Czech Republic) had an interesting, yet creepy, animation style; kind of like papier mache. It's told in a flashback style, and like many of the animated shorts, there is no discernible dialog, so you have to pay attention to the nuances and little moments to figure out what is going on. It's another father-daughter short, and at the heart of it is about not hanging on to anger and resentments because by the time you realize it, it could be too late (full disclosure: I totally know about hanging on to resentments, bitter party of one). It's a sweet story, but really, the animation was a little distracting.
Memorable (France) is about a painter who has trouble remembering what certain objects are or what they do, and seems to be forgetting who is wife is. He begins making little drawings of objects and sticking them on the objects to remind him what they are. Even though he is losing his memory, he shares a very tender moment with his wife (but he doesn't realize it's his wife), telling this woman how much he love his wife. This theme was present in a couple of shorts last year (if I recall correctly), and as dementia and Alzheimer's continues to affect and impact more people, I think we'll see more shorts on the topic. I liked the film and I thought the animation was beautiful.

Sister (USA/China) I didn't really like this short. I didn't care for the animation style, and while I understand the inspiration behind the story (China's One Child Policy), it didn't move me.

Kitbull (USA) was cute and uplifting. It's about a stray kitten who meets a pit bull, they test each other and begin playing (from a distance). The owner of the pit bull is abusive and as the kitten and pit bull become friends, they escape over the fence.

The set also includes shorts that qualified to be nominated. We thought some of these were actually better or as good as the nominated films: Maestro is really short, but clever and fun to watch. The animals of the forest come together to perform (I think it was Bellini???). It was created by Disney animation interns. Henrietta Bulkowski is about a young woman who has a disfigured spine, which makes it impossible for her to stand up straight, and also disqualifies her from going to flight school, her dream. She doesn't take no for an answer and pursues her dream. What happens at the end shows us not to give up our dreams, but also to look inward for our potential and believe in ourselves. The Bird & The Whale used painted glass to create the animation, which creates such a beautiful visual the full length animation Loving Vincent also used this technique). A young whale who can't quite sing the way the adults in the pod can comes upon a caged bird who has survived a shipwreck. They bond and as they fight to stay alive during a horrible storm, the spirit of the bird flies into the whale. Hors piste (which means back country skiing) got the audience to laugh out loud. It was really funny with no deep meaning as far as I could tell. Two rescuers land their helicopter on the top of a mountain, and as they prepare to load their patient, terrible, but funny, things happen. It's ridiculous and impossible and fun. How was this not nominated?

Lunch time at Stella's Fish Cafe. I'm very lucky I did not fall into a food coma. The Bailey's and coffee could have gone horribly wrong.

The Live Action Shorts covered a variety of topics and prompted a variety of feelings. A Sister (Belgium) was probably my favorite; it was suspenseful and intense and had two main characters (both women), the emergency services operator and the female caller. The way the film was edited adds to the tension, with the viewer only seeing and hearing the caller's side, then it switches so we see and hear from the operator's viewpoint, and then it cuts together. I think I held my breath for the last ten minutes. It was so good. Brotherhood (Canada/Tunisia/Qatar/Sweden) provided a different point of view on ISIS and the war in Syria by taking it out of Syria and Iraq and Afghanistan, for that matter, and bringing it to Tunisia in Northern Africa and showing how a family was affected by the war. Mohamed and his family live in the countryside raising sheep and goats. We meet him and two of his sons (who are actually brothers) as they are bringing back the flocks while their mother is at home. When they arrive home, his eldest son, Malek, has returned from fighting with ISIS in Syria and brought a young bride with him. There is clear distance and hurt between Malek and Mohamed because Mohamed does not agree with the strict Islam that ISIS follows and forces on others. The resentment and anger that Mohamed feels manifests itself in a way that once done, cannot be undone. I liked it because of the different story it told with characters I have not encountered yet. I almost felt like I was watching a documentary; I don't know if the actors were actors before or this was their first film, but they were very believable. The Neighbors' Window (USA) (spoiler alert) covered a gamut of emotions, initially making the audience laugh at the protagonists' actions and reactions to what was happening in the apartment across the street. The neighbors have no blinds or curtains on their windows or they choose not to use them which allows Alli and Jacob to watch them having sex. This turns into a preoccupation that neither Alli nor Jacob want to fully admit; they are in part turned on but also regretful that their marriage isn't like that anymore. The voyeurism continues for several months when they notice that the husband from across the way doesn't look very well, and then one night, Alli is looking over and sees the husband being taken away by undertakers. Her curiosity gets the better of her and walks over to the other apartment and meets the wife. As it turns out, they could see into Alli and Jacob's apartment (it wasn't one way glass and yet Alli seemed shocked) and loved how silly the kids were or how one or the other parent would feed the baby. It makes you think about being jealous, but not really having the whole story. I liked it, but I don't think it's the winner. Apparently the film was based true events. Saria (USA) (spoiler alert) made me feel angry and sad and helpless. Saria is also based on a true story about a deadly fire at a home in Guatemala for orphaned and troubled kids in 2017. Saria is the main character, she has dreams of escaping with her sister Ximena to the United States. She has an independent streak which gets her into trouble with one of the 'teachers'. Many of the girls are raped and beaten by guards. Eventually the girls stage a protest as the guards menacingly bang their shields; the boys in the other part of the home jump in and give the girls a chance to escape. Unfortunately this doesn't have a happy ending, in fact, it's quite gruesome. Everyone is eventually caught and forced back to Virgen de la Asuncion Safe Home. The girls were locked up and weren't allowed out for any reason, including to use the bathroom. Some of the girls thought if they started a fire, the guard would have to open the door. That didn't happen and 41 girls died. According to some online reading I did, no legitimate investigations or punishments or changes have been made. The young actors were from another children's home and the lead actress who played Saria, Estefania Tellez, was terrific. I think this will probably win the Oscar. Lastly, Nefta Football Club (France/Tunisia) was a great way to end the collection (unlike last year when it ended with Skin, which won, but was awful and like a punch to the face). There are two story lines happening, one involves two men who are looking for their donkey who seems to have run off; the other involves two brothers, Abdullah and Mohammed, who are trying to get home when they stop along the road and discover a donkey with headphones and some white powder. The eldest realizes what the powder is, but he tells his little brother that it's laundry detergent. It turns out the donkey was trained to stay near its home/owners by listening to Adele, but one of the guys mistakenly puts on Hadele, which was a little rockier than Adele and drove the donkey away. I won't tell you what happens to the white powder, but it was pretty awesome.

Can you say depressing and disappointing? Live and animated shorts marathon.

It was our annual trek to see the Oscar-nominated Live Action and Animated Shorts in Uptown. You may have inferred from the title of this entry that it was a less than uplifting afternoon. You would be correct. The best part of the day was lunch at Stella's and the jalapeno cornbread. Mmmm.

2/9/19 Nominated animated shorts 2018

Bao - Pixar makes its annual stop on the list of nominees, and it's not bad; sometimes I find them cheesy, corny, sicky sweet. This was sweet, but also clever. An unnamed Chinese-Canadian mother is making dumplings for her and her husband, and as she is ready to eat the last one, it sprouts eyes and legs and develops human characteristics. He even brings home a girlfriend and wants to leave home. With his last act of rebelliousness, mother pops him in her mouth and eats him. I thought it was hilarious and awesome and quirky, but sadly it was just a metaphor for her grown up son who has left home. Sigh. I should have known.

Late Afternoon is an Irish entry and the animation style reminded me a little of The Book of Kells, flowy and like chalk drawings. It's about an elderly woman who is clearly dealing with ailments of age, although it becomes clear that it's a form of dementia. Someone is helping her clean and giving her tea and helping to pack. As the day goes on, the woman recalls moments from her youth and when her daughter was young. The woman helping her is her daughter. It was beautifully drawn/animated and was a gentle tribute to all of our parents (okay, to the cynics out there, maybe not all of our parents).

Animal Behaviour - Oh, Canada! I can always count on at least one Canadian entry in this category, and it's usually pretty good. This made me laugh out loud more than once (and seriously, considering how the rest of the day went, that means a lot). It's about a therapy group session featuring animals addressing some of their personal issues and hang ups. Dr. Clement, a dog, facilitates the session with Lorraine the leech, Cheryl the mantis, Todd the pig, Jeffrey the bird and Linda the cat; they all have their own baggage, but nothing compares to Victor the gorilla's anger management issues. Maybe it seems simplistic, but it was fun to watch human hang ups portrayed by animals and then made fun of by Victor. It was clever, and reminded me, content-wise, of Ardman Studio's Creature Comforts, one of my all time favorites. I would love it if this won, but something tells me it won't.

One Small Step is a Chinese-American production that features Luna, a young girl who has aspirations of space exploration. She is being raised by her father or grandfather who is also a shoemaker. He supports her dreams by making or adapting shoes with space symbolism. As so often happens with teenagers (I speak from experience), the gestures you show them when they are small often go unappreciated as they get older, and put away childish things. Luna applies to an astronaut type school and at first is rejected, and moves on from that dream until she is faced with the loss of her father-figure and left with memories. Thus inspired, she rededicates herself to her dreams and finds her success. I love the idea of girl power, especially in the sciences, so I don't want to pooh-pooh that notion, but it seemed a pretty obvious conclusion.

Weekends follows a young boy as he shares his time between his divorced parents; his mother, who is sometimes seen studying an accounting book; his father who seems to be a collector or dealer in antiques. The boy has a lot of fun at his dad's as they rock out in the car, watch fun movies, play with his dad's collection of Japanese swords and armor. At home with his mom, there's a new person in the mix in the form of a boyfriend, who doesn't seem thrilled to have a kid around the house. There's no dialog, but I think the story has universal appeal to adults who have lived through that experience (as adults or kids) and kids who are going through it now. The animation style was similar to Late Afternoon in that it was flowy and almost dreamlike. It wasn't my favorite, but I wouldn't be upset if it won.

Now, on to the live action shorts. Feel free to skip the reviews or the shorts themselves; we'll both be fine, and only one of us will still be scarred from the experience. I never thought I would tell people to stay away from the shorts, but this year, if you don't stay away, then be warned: they are intense.

Madre (Mother) is a Spanish entry; it opens with a woman and her mother coming into the daughter's apartment and being quizzed by her mother. The daughter is frustrated and annoyed at her mother's questions as she seems to be getting ready for a night out with friends, when her phone rings. It's her little boy, calling from somewhere in Spain or France, he's not quite sure. He is supposed to be with his father at the beach, but nobody is sure which beach, and the father is nowhere to be found. You can feel the tension and panic as the mom is trying to help her son keep calm as his cell phone battery is dying. The audience is left with a sense of dread and uncertainty. On its own, I liked the suspense, but among the collection of films, it just added to the sense of dread.

Fauve is a French Canadian film starring two boys, Benjamin and Tyler, out on their own, teasing and testing each other, you know, throwing rocks at each other, pushing one another, and like some adults I know would say, it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. They come across what seems like sand, but turns out to be more treacherous and lethal. I won't ruin the ending for you, but I will say after reading some comments from the writer/director, it just felt self-indulgent, and I didn't think end was 'peaceful'. It's available online if you're so inclined to look for it.

Marguerite is another Canadian entry, and I have to say it was by far my favorite and the most uplifting film of the whole afternoon. I think they put it in the middle to give us all a break from the heaviness, but I wish they would have ended the collection with this so we could have all benefitted from its restorative power. Marguerite is an elderly lady who receives regular home visits from a nurse, Rachel. Initially there isn't a lot of dialog, just film of the daily routine: bath, collecting vital signs, etc. Rachel receives a phone call, and based on the over heard conversation, Marguerite asks if it was Rachel's boyfriend. In fact, it was Rachel's girlfriend, which she tells Marguerite. Marguerite registers some surprise, but you can see her processing. Later, Marguerite goes through an old scrapbook, looking at pictures of her and friends from fifty years ago, including a particularly dear friend. It's clear (or it was to me) that Marguerite has feeling of sadness and loss, which she later tells Rachel. It was so different back then. But don't be sad, because what happens next is just beautiful and the best of humanity. Rachel kisses Marguerite and then climbs onto the other side of the bed and embraces her. It's not sexual, it's not gross or inappropriate, it's one human being showing kindness and love to another human being. I hope it wins. 

 

Detainment is based on the true story of the kidnapping and brutal murder of James Bulger, a three year old from Liverpool, by two ten year olds, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, in 1993. The film used police reports and interrogation tapes dialog and background, but it wasn't a documentary. The two young actors were very good, very compelling and believable. I may have been biased against the movie, but I had read prior to seeing the film that James Bulger's mother was circulating a petition to have the Academy remove the movie from consideration because writer/director, Vincent Lambe, didn't consult her or her former husband about creating the film, or inform them about the film at all, and even consider them at all. I read a response from him where he apologized (it hadn't occurred to him to reach out to them) and he felt the movie should be made to look at young offenders and how they are treated (and I may have imposed my own thoughts here, but I thought he wanted to look at how young people turn into murders or how society treats them if they are turned into society). Basically, I was looking for something good to come out of this. I have to say that I didn't find one redeeming quality in this movie at all (do you sense a theme?). We get zero insight into Jon and Robert's home life, except that their parents seem like caring and moral people (if not the case, it wasn't evident in the film). The movie ends with title cards saying they were the youngest ever convicted. This isn't a question of if they did it, but why, and can it be predicted or prevented. I feel like the movie was made on false pretenses.

Skin - Let me start this by saying that five people to the left of me in the theatre walked out about midway through the movie, and the woman directly in front of us was sobbing so hard her body was heaving. Also, somewhere along the way, a friend of mine thought the movie was about tattoo removal, the removal of Nazi tattoos. Um, NO. It definitely involves Nazi tattoos (hint: most things do not end well with people wearing Nazi skin art). The movie could also be called "Reap what you sow". Simply, a family of neo-Nazis goes out for a day of target shooting, and some of them attack a black man, with the only provocation being the guy was smiling at the young, white son of one of them. It goes downhill pretty quickly as the black man is jumped and beaten nearly to death. At first I thought it would end there (which would have been incomplete, but one could hope), but there is revenge to be gotten, or is it retribution? I don't want to spoil it in case you actually want to see it, but I will say a couple of things: I think it does show how hate begets hate, and if you raise your child to be a racist, you can't be surprised when your teachings come to fruition; I might even have 'appreciated' the movie, but the fact that it is set in the current day, and is not fiction in a lot of ways, I guess I didn't need that much reality.

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. 

Shorts - Papageno, Ersatz, The Bespoke Overcoat and The Stranger Left No Card

9/10/17 Shorts

The library is a wonderful thing. I was looking to see if they had a couple of the shorts on the Oscar list, and lo and behold, I found a VHS tape waiting for me on the hold shelf. It had a few unmemorable shorts, a couple Oscar winners, and two non-winners that I really enjoyed.

Papageno, 1935

Papageno is a character from Mozart's "The Magic Flute" and in this animated short, her is trying to find a mate. It wasn't the story that interested me so much as the animation technique, which was the use of cut-outs/silhouettes, but in a very sophisticated and beautiful manner. 

Ersatz, Best Short Subject, Cartoon, 1961

This ten minute short was about five minutes too long for me. A man goes to the beach and starts to inflate all of the objects he brings, whether it's a bed, a surfboard, or a woman. Perhaps this was amusing in 1961, but I was bored.

The Bespoke Overcoat, Best Short Subject, Two-Reel, 1956

Conversely, The Bespoke Overcoat tells a heartbreaking, but captivating, story in only seven minutes. The film opens with the funeral of an unknown person, whom we find out is Fender, a clerk at a clothing manufacturer, and all he wants is a nice coat to keep him warm. His miserly and unsympathetic boss refuses to give him one or even sell one at a cheaper price. Fender asks his friend, Morry, a tailor, to make one for less than cost. Morry tries, but he is unable to finish it in time, and Fender dies from the cold. In fact, we meet Fender as a Ghost or in flashbacks. The film was based on a short story by the Russian writer, Gogol, who I have not read, but I'm now curious to learn more about his stories. It was directed by Jack Clayton, who later directed The Great Gatsby and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne.

The Stranger Left No Card, 1952

The Stranger Left No Card is the longest of the shorts on the tape at 23 minutes, and struck me as a story worthy of Alfred Hitchcock or Rod Serling. A strange character comes to town, he's very flamboyant and colorful, a little odd, but very noticeable. He goes by the name 'Napoleon', and soon becomes a fixture, entertaining the kids and being humored by the adults. This is all an act of misdirection as he has a vendetta to resolve as he commits the perfect crime. I'm hoping that you will try to find this in your library online somewhere, because it is a wonderful suspense story, and I may have told you too much. It was directed by Wendy Toye, who was a director, actress and dancer; I don't know how many women were directing in 1952, but I don't think there were that many, so to me, this is an important film for that reason as well as being a very good film.

Beauty and the Beast, Toni Erdmann and The Red Turtle

4/30/17 Beauty and the Beast, not yet nominated 2017

I saw Beauty and the Beast on 4/30, a Sunday as I recall, and it's now Wednesday, May 10. I've been going over in my mind how to write this; I really don't think I need to recap the plot, it's the same one from the animated version of Beauty and the Beast. There are a few new songs, but nothing original or surprising. And, that's where I sit. I liked the movie, I thought it was well done, I'm fairly certain it will be nominated in the technical categories: production design, visual effects, costume and hair, and I really wanted to see it on the big screen. I wanted to see how Emma Watson (Belle) did in a lead role; I'm a fan, I think she's a great role model for young women, and young men, for that matter; she has a great sense of humor about herself; and it's fun to see young actors grow and take on new roles. The Beast, the Beast, oh right, Dan Stevens, late of Downton Abbey fame; to me it was pretty inconsequential, since for 95% of the movie, the Beast was, well, the Beast, and not in human form, and that is true for all the of the household items. Did it matter that Emma Thompson (whom I love) was Mrs. Potts? Not really. Or that Ian McKellen was Cogsworth? Meh. And I could go on through the cast. It's not like they were Ellen DeGeneres as Dory, or Billy Crystal as Mike (Monsters Inc). The 'human' cast was just as meh for me; Kevin Kline played Belle's father; Luke Evans was Gaston (Gaston is a character I thoroughly dislike, I know, he's a bad guy, but he's not even a fun bad guy; he's an ass). Josh Gad was LeFou, Gaston's sycophantic sidekick, who is portrayed, not subtly, as gay or effeminate (take your pick); I'd like to say who cares (I don't), except, it got very annoying during the movie, in your face - and it added NOTHING, if there was a point, I wouldn't care. There are a few new songs, one sung by Celine Dion at the end "How Does a Moment Last Forever" and "Evermore" by Josh Groban, which were fine, I don't recall being overly moved by either (wow, I sound like someone stole my heart and soul). I thought the cast, overall, did well performing the songs. I was disappointed, and a little surprised, that Audra McDonald, who has performed in a huge variety of singing roles, including on Broadway, and she sang only a little bit as a soloist. That seemed like a lost opportunity to me. I know this sounds whiny, and maybe that's why I waited so long, but I really did like and enjoy the movie, and it's good family entertainment, I just didn't love it.

5/7/17 Toni Erdmann, nominated Best Foreign Film, 2016

I don't mean to sound unprofessional, but UGH. This movie was two hours and forty-two minutes long, and it was really not as great as it was hyped up to be. I didn't think it was great at all. It seemed like one of my weaker reviews: full of half thoughts that don't get fully executed, and full thoughts that should have been stopped before they were started. I had really high expectations since it had been nominated for, and won, many international film festival awards. I tried, for 162 minutes I tried, to find something to like. There wasn't enough. Winfried Conradi is a music teacher with an unusual sense of humor (he would get on my nerves quickly, and I like to think I have a good sense of humor), who randomly decides to visit his estranged daughter, Ines, in Bucharest where she is working as a consultant for an oil company. As silly as Winfried (or his alter ego, Toni Erdmann) is, Ines is serious, determined and aloof. Winfried is clearly missing his daughter and just wants to spend time with her, maybe have fun; the problem is, they disagree on what 'fun' is. He uses the Toni Erdmann persona to insinuate himself into Ines' work life; eventually, he wears her down, and they tag team with each other in a meeting with Ines' client. I get that parent/adult child relationships can be difficult and challenging, been there, done that; and I understand that women have to work harder in male-dominated fields, so Ines has to stay focused and wants to be taken seriously. But, this point was beaten into the ground, and any empathy I may have had just shriveled up. As I was watching, I was making comparisons to Isabelle Huppert in Elle (she was nominated for Best Actress), in that both women were driven professionals, neither was very likable, and both had difficult relationships with their fathers, although I think it's fair to say that Ines' was a walk in the park compared to Michele. I'm not really sure where that comparison gets us, except that I liked Elle even though it was hard to watch and Michele was a bitch; and I didn't like Toni Erdmann. The movie was described as a comedy, and it is not that at all; they are a few funny moments, but overall, I would say that it is a drama. I think so much more could have been done with the idea of this father/daughter relationship. Disappointed.

5/9/17 The Red Turtle, nominated Best Animated Feature, 2016

I don't even know what to say. I'm sure there were some beautiful metaphors in this film, but I was so utterly bored out of my mind, I must have missed them. It was made by the Ghibli Studio, which has made other Oscar nominated animated films, like The Wind Rises, The Tale of Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There (which did not do much for me). There was no dialogue, which I'm fine with, but I don't know, maybe I would have liked it better if it was a short instead of a feature (it wasn't too long at 80 minutes, but long enough). Anyway, I can't even give you a synopsis. I'm waiting for My Life as a Zucchini, but so far, out of the nominees, you can't go wrong with Kubo and the Two Strings, Moana or the winner, Zootopia.


A friend of mine, who has seen all the other movies in the franchise and loved them, saw Fate of the Furious, last week, in the big IMAX theater, and was very disappointed. I asked him to do a guest review, and all he could do was show me two thumbs down. Since I have been exempt from having to see any of the other movies, and have no plans to see this one, this is the only review you'll see here.

Annual day out: animated and live action shorts at the Uptown Theatre

Once the Oscars are announced, I look forward to seeing the shorts collections. This past weekend my friend and I went to Uptown to take in the animated and live action shorts. You never can tell how the day is going to go; we are always surprised. We look forward to little nuggets, an unexpected gem. On this particular day, we started with the animated shorts (I think this is pretty standard). The theater wasn't very crowded, which is fine by me. I think I have mentioned this before, but just because the films are animated, does not mean that they are suitable for children.

2/12/17 Animated Shorts, 2016

Borrowed Time - The short is set in the Wild West, with the two protagonists, a father and son sheriff team, driving a wagon way too fast (I honestly don't recall if they were being chased); anyway, the wagon hits a rock, and the horses go one way, the wagon another and the father a third - over a cliff. He's hanging on by his fingertips and relies on his son to pull him up. They use the rifle as a means to lift up the father, but unfortunately, the gun is loaded and someone's finger is on the trigger. Yeah, this is where I'm thinking a warning to parents might have been helpful. Anyway, the son spends his life trying to overcome his guilt. Pretty heavy and deep, but neither of us liked this one.

Pearl gets a little more of a thumbs up; another parent/child theme, this time set in the late 20th century with a father and his young daughter. Dad is a traveling musician, mainly playing for change, later playing with his little girl. They have a great time, traveling and singing together, but it's a hard, nomadic life, and eventually dad gives up his dream and settles down to give his daughter some stability. They experience the highs and lows of most parental relationships: rule breaking, silent treatments, letting go. The daughter goes on to have her own musical career, with more success than her dad, but she does get the chance to share it with him. It was a little melancholy, but ultimately uplifting.

Piper is another Pixar entry; you may have seen this if you saw Finding Dory. I don't think there was anything groundbreaking about the animation (high quality as always from Pixar). The story was about sandpipers, a baby one especially, who had to learn to get her own food. It was the piper versus the oncoming waves, and that was pretty funny and cute, watching the piper overcome her fear of the wave and what lies beneath. Normally, this would not have been my favorite, but given the others in the field, my friend and I decided this may have been the best one.

Blind Vaysha - There is no doubt that the more we dislike a film, the more we discuss it; we discussed this one a lot. Within just a few seconds, I picked up on the Russian vibe; the drawings definitely had the feeling of Russian folk art; it turns out it was based on a Russian story. Vaysha technically isn't blind; she can see, but out of her left eye she can only see the past and out of her right eye she can only see the future. This leads to all kinds of philosophical questions and issues; like sometimes she can see way in the past, like the time of dinosaurs, and then way into the future, like the apocalypse. She has several suitors as she gets older; but she can only see them as little boys and old men, which makes her choose nobody. My astute observation (if I do say so), was that even though she couldn't see them for who they were, she could listen to them, get to know and possibly love them, but she didn't. She really was blind in that regard. The narrator then asks us to close one eye, then the other and imagine what it would be like. Bleh.

Pear Cider and Cigarettes - The theater gave a couple of warnings to parents that this film had adult themes: nudity, drugs, swearing, sexual references, and yet there were still a couple parents who waited until fifteen minutes in (it was a mind numbing 35 minutes) to get up and leave? Really? After the second or third "F*ck" and half-naked women. I wasn't so much bothered by the animation style, I actually kind of liked it. What I didn't like, or stopped caring about was the main character, Techno Stypes, childhood friend of the narrator (writer and director), Robert Valley. Techno loves to live life, to the point where he takes risks and is reckless with money and ultimately, his health. The thing is, the story seemed to spend about 20 minutes telling and showing us how reckless and self-destructive he was. As my friend and I were discussing this, we didn't need to be beat over the head, we got it. It was just this repetitive, groundhog day feeling. He drinks, he's told not to drink, he drinks, he gets sick, etc., etc. I'm sorry if it sounds heartless, but I didn't care. I just wanted it to be over.

My pick is that Piper will win, because, well, Pixar.

I have to say that after that collection of mostly downers, I was ready to go home. I was exhausted and couldn't handle two more hours of depressing films. But, my friend was quite optimistic and I felt better after a little lunch and a brisk walk around Uptown, and we were ready to go. There were a bit more people and very few, if any, kids under 15.

2/12/17 Live Action Shorts

Sing (Hungary) - I'm not sure they could have started off with a better film. Sing is about a young girl, Zsofi, going to her new school, and joining the very successful chorus. Zsofi is quickly befriended by Liza, one of the popular kids at school (I am not going to lie; based on the films from earlier in the day, I thought Liza was going to beat up or tease Zsofi; I know, negative Nelly). After her first session with the choir, the teacher, Miss Erika, asks Zsofi to stay after; she tells Zsofi not to sing, just mime the words, and not to tell anyone. Eventually Liza figures out that Zsofi isn't singing, and Zsofi breaks down telling her why. Liza also discovers that several of the children aren't singing, and being rightfully indignant and protective of her friends, she tries to quit the choir if the other children aren't allowed to sing. I hope you excuse me for giving the rest away, but most of you probably won't see this, and if you do, hopefully you still enjoy the moment. Liza and Zsofi come up with a plan and get all of the choir members to agree. The day of the big contest, Miss Erika's big day, the choir steps up on the risers, looking sharp in their uniforms, and...they all mime the words to the song. It was beautiful. I loved that the 'popular' kids stood by their friends, that the students became the teachers, and that it was a peaceful overthrow of the regime. If this was the only 'good' film we saw in the collection, it was a great one.

Silent Nights (Denmark) is set in Denmark and Ghana, and is a story that is familiar in Europe and North America: refugees and immigrant workers leaving Africa and Asia to find a better life. Inger begins volunteering at the local Salvation Army over the Christmas holidays, providing shelter and meals to homeless immigrants when she meets Kwame, who is from Ghana. They get off to a rough start, but eventually become friends, and a little more. Inger's mother is a drunk and doesn't have many kind things to say about the immigrants or Inger's choice to volunteer; Kwame has a family back in Ghana who count on him to send money back home to care for his three children. The film does not shy away from the racism that exists, even in Denmark which is often held up as a shining example of tolerance and social welfare (Denmark is one of my favorite places to visit). If anything, I think the film shows that some things are not as straightforward was we would like them to be; complexities arise that make casting judgement a difficult, if not a very unfair thing to do. I think it also challenges our prejudices, because, in another moment of honesty, I thought Kwame was going to assault Inger. As it turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong, and I'm glad of that.

Timecode (Spain) - This one took a little bit of time to figure out what was happening, and even after it was over, we could only surmise what the end really was. Luna and Diego are security guards in a parking ramp; Luna works during the day and Diego works at night. They don't really seem to interact with each other as they pass each other in their booth. One day the manager calls Luna and asks her to check something on the security camera video, and she notices Diego dancing in front of the camera; she looks through other footage and finds him dancing throughout the parking garage. She records her own moves and leaves him a sticky note with a timecode and camera to check. These exchanges continue for several days. It is fun and funny to watch (and a not too subtle reminder to check where the cameras are). Then one day, Diego doesn't leave a note, and a short time later, there are new guards. The audience was laughing and clapping when it was over.

Ennemis Interieurs (France) - Sadly, this movie is reflective of what is happening around the world regarding Muslims in non-Muslim countries. Ennemis Interieurs translates to "Enemies within" and in this case refers to Muslims who are living in France, but are under suspicion of committing acts of terrorism; specifically, the men being investigated are from former French colonies like Algeria. The man being interrogated was born in Algeria, but he considers himself more French than anything, but his interrogator challenges his loyalty and his father's loyalty: did they support Algeria during the war in 1954? Did he attend a mosque? Did he visit Algeria? Le Demandeur (as he is referred to) tries to maintain his composure, tries to explain his desire to meet people to talk and visit, to be a part of a community, and also that he isn't that religious at all, but he goes to the mosque for that sense of community. The interrogator doesn't believe him, and threatens him with being denied his application for citizenship, and possibly prison again. As in Silent Nights, the situation and the ultimate resolution are not necessarily clear cut or simple. The film is set in the 1990s, but obviously it could be applicable to today. We look at our neighbors with suspicion and don't trust those who are different from us, even if they have lived beside us for years. This is not an easy film to watch, and it shouldn't be. It should generate discussion.

Le Femme et Le TGV (Switzerland) was the perfect way to end the afternoon. Elise (Jane Birkin) is an elderly woman who lives alone right next to the train tracks and every day, like clockwork, she gets out her Swiss flag and waves at the TGV as it races by. One day she finds a note from the train driver who thanks her for waving and giving him something to look forward to on his daily travels. They begin corresponding; she using the post and he, Bruno, throwing letters and cheese out of the train. Meanwhile, Elise's very busy son is trying to convince his mother to move into an old age home, on her birthday no less. Sadly, the TGV is getting rerouted and Bruno will move on, but her relationship with Bruno gets Elise back into life, instead of holding onto the past. This one I am not going to reveal to you. The scenery is breathtaking; I have never been to Switzerland, and they picked a gorgeous village, with mountains and rivers and a beautiful bridge. The movie is poignant, but tender and funny, and most of all, life affirming. According to the notes at the end, this was based on a true story. I think this could be expanded and made into a feature, only if Jane Birkin plays Elise.

My friend and I tried to figure out which one would win; I think it depends on what 'message' the Academy voters want to send. I enjoyed them all and think any of them deserve the win. If I had to pick, I am going to say Silent Nights, but if you ask me tomorrow, I could change my mind.

Animated and Live Action Shorts - A Day at the Uptown Theater

It has become an annual event for a friend and me to see the live action and animated shorts in Uptown in Minneapolis. It's a day out, we have lunch, and today we had an adult beverage. It's fun to chat about the movies immediately with another human instead of this one-way mirror known as a blog. Don't get me wrong, I love the blog, but sometimes a real time debrief is very fulfilling. I have the best of both worlds, because now I get to post my musings.

Animated Shorts

Sanjay's Super Team from Pixar is unique in that it has a young Indian boy and his father as the characters, not including the Indian gods that engage in a super hero type battle against evil. It's a story about generational gaps and the clash of cultures that many families of different backgrounds experience. It was fun and touching, very typical Pixar. We both agreed it was good, but not great, and we didn't think it's the winner.

World of Tomorrow left us both scratching our heads, thinking what's the point. It's a 'the future meets the present' with a little girl meeting her future self. It was seventeen minutes and it seemed like it was forever. This was our least favorite.

Historia de un Oso (Bear Story) was our favorite and my choice to win. The animation was really good, I think it was stop action, and it kind of reminded me of the style used in The Box Trolls. A bear has a musical diorama that he plays for money; the diorama and the story it tells are obviously more complex than could actually be shown in a diorama (but if we question that, then we should we question the ability of a bear to make said diorama in the first place). There is a family of bears, but then the father bear is taken away and made to perform in a circus. He finally gets out and is reunited with his family. There are some parts that might be a little intense or serious for a child, but something about it captivated me more than the other nominated films.

We Can't Live without Cosmos is an entry from Russia, and my first thought as it started was that this was an unusually joyful movie for Russia. Of course, that didn't necessarily last the whole time. We see a group of cosmonauts going through exercises and one pair in particular is at the center. They don't have names, and they don't speak, but we get the impression they are great friends, competing against one another, but also pushing each other to the limits. In a lot of ways, they seem like two big kids, goofing around behind the backs of their more severe trainers. When it comes time to send the rocket up, only one of the men goes, the other is the alternate. Disaster strikes, and something happens to the rocket soon after it is in space. The astronaut left behind is distraught and inconsolable, clutching the last picture the two of them took together. The two friends are eventually reunited in a very sci-fi way, that was very sweet. This was one of our favorites as well.

Prologue was the last entry and our least favorite. And once the penises were out, my friend was convinced I planned it (same friend who witnessed the animated sex last weekend). The animation style was pretty cool, but the story was meh. It appeared to be set in Viking/Celtic times, with naked and semi-naked men killing each other. This left the women and children behind. War is bad.

There were a few other shorts included, some were okay, one we really liked was called Catch It and it featured a family of meerkats competing with a vulture for a piece of fruit. It was almost like a Roadrunner/Wiley Coyote or Tom and Jerry cartoon (I mean that in a good way). It was fun, the animation was bright and colorful and the ending was hilarious. This would have been our pick for the winner if it would have been nominated.

Then we went to lunch.

Live Action Shorts

I have to say people are idiots. We were lucky enough to sit next to a guy who could not stop sighing and clucking (well, my friend got to sit next to him); then there was 'Squeaky Shoes', squeak squeak as he walked or sat or whatever. Just sit and be quiet. This is not the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Okay, I'm better now. We really liked all of the shorts in this category; our one quibble would have been to put the first one last, and you'll see why in a moment.

Ave Maria is set in Israel, in the West Bank. At first I thought this might be very serious and heavy, but it wasn't and it was the lightest and funniest movie in the group. A Jewish family is driving when their car inexplicably crashes into a convent of nun who have taken a vow of silence. The crash is blamed on the mother-in-law or the wife, depending on whom you ask. The nuns, being disturbed in their afternoon meal, send the young novice out to see what's going on; the Jewish family is in a hurry to get home before the Sabbath, but nobody will come and get them, so they turn to the nuns for help. There were some laugh out loud moments, and I think what I liked so much was that these two groups of people both had to step beyond the confines of their culture and religious beliefs: the nuns broke their vow of silence and the Jewish family had to work on the Sabbath in order to get home. It was positive and a feel good movie.

It's emotionally downhill from here.

Shok is an Albanian film based on true events during the Kosovo War. Oki and Petrit are childhood friends and Oki just got a new bicycle. His friend Petrit has been selling cigarette papers to Serbian soldiers, which is a very dangerous things because they are ethnic Albanians. One of the Serbs takes Oki's bicycle and he blames Petrit for getting them into that situation. The Serbs expel the Albanians from the village and it doesn't end well. The narrative was set up so that you kind of knew something was going to happen, but when it did, it was still like a punch in the stomach. This was very powerful and beautifully filmed. I'm not sure exactly where it was filmed, but it was stunning.

Alles wird gut (Everything will be okay) was probably my least favorite film of this group. Michael Baumgartner picks up his young daughter, Lea, from his ex-wife's house. He is clearly very agitated as he waits for Lea to come out, and it doesn't get better when her step-father comes out to say goodbye. Michael and Lea go shopping to buy Lea a present (who knew they had Toys 'R Us in Germany?), and then off to an official looking building for an emergency passport. The foreshadowing is not very subtle. Then they go to an amusement park and then Michael sells his car, and they rush off to the airport. Their flight to Manila is delayed which causes Michael to get more distressed and by this time Lea is ready to go home and begins questioning her father. He, in turn, gets very angry and aggressive with her. Michael tells Lea he is doing this because he can't lose her, and fears her mother will not let them see each other anymore. Lea actually takes on the role of the grown up, trying to calm him and tell him it will be okay. I didn't hate it, but I thought the ending dragged out for what seemed like an eternity. The little girl was very good, but I don't expect this to win.

Stutterer is about a man who stutters when he speaks out loud, but when he has conversations in his head (as we all do) or online, he speaks flawlessly. He has been having an online relationship with a woman, but they have never met or spoken. He panics when she tells him she will be down in London for a few days and asks if they can meet. He hesitates, but eventually, agrees and it turns out she is deaf, so they don't have to speak; coincidentally, he is learning sign language. Eh, it was okay.

Day One presents the viewer with conflicting emotions and the potential for disaster. My heart was in my throat for a few seconds. Feda is the new interpreter on a US Army base in Afghanistan/Iraq (it's not really clear), and it's induction by fire. Almost as soon as she arrives, she must accompany her unit to look for an enemy bomb maker. Unfortunately, nothing goes as planned when the man's pregnant wife gets knocked down or falls down and goes into labor. It's a difficult process (thankfully it did not go the way I thought, which would have been horrific) and Feda has to assist because it would be inappropriate for the doctor on scene to be alone with the woman without her husband's permission. Early in the film, Feda makes it clear that she was not interested in having children, but she is obviously moved by the power of childbirth and the beauty of the newborn baby. The juxtaposition of the bomb maker and what he does with the love for his wife is touching; it humanizes people in something that has become very dehumanized. This is based on the director's experience as a platoon leader and his interpreter. This was very intense, and that's why I said, and my friend agreed, Ave Maria should have ended the evening, just a little light note to head into the evening.

I have started a channel on YouTube.com where I have begun compiling Oscar winning/nominated shorts. Still a lot of work to do, but you can check it out here: Oscar Shorts Play list

All in all, the films were outstanding, and even the ones we didn't like so much were still okay. The Revenant is tomorrow, and the remaining documentaries should follow this week. Twenty-eight days to go.


 

Ant-Man, Cake, Do the Right Thing and more

A quick note: the BBC recently published their list of the best 100 American films and for kicks, I decided to incorporate it into the list for Academy Award winners, the American Film Institute's best 100 films over the past 100 years and the National Film Registry.

7/13/15 Cake, 2014

When I tell people I've seen Cake, I get 'really?' and then 'was it really depressing?' Yes, really, and no, it wasn't depressing. Jennifer Aniston deserved the great reviews she received for playing Claire Bennett, an attorney suffering from chronic pain, who also can be a raving bitch. Claire takes out her pain and anger on anyone within reach including her housekeeper, Silvana (Adriana Barraza who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress in Babel, and she was amazing), people in her support group, her physical therapist, and her estranged husband. I got the feeling that as bad as her physical pain was, her emotional pain was just as bad. Nina Collins (Anna Kendrick) was a member of Claire's pain support group who committed suicide, but she visits Claire in dreams, trying to convince Claire to commit suicide. Sounds really depressing, doesn't it? It is serious and occasionally sad, but I never thought it was depressing. Claire fights people and her pain with a wicked sense of humor, some might call it gallows humor, but I understood it. I liked watching the relationship between Silvana and Claire; Silvana's daughter doesn't like how Claire treats her and wants her to quit, but Silvana has an understanding of Claire, and seems to realize that Claire needs to lash out at someone, and she's okay if it's her, within reason. Barraza can totally mix it up with Aniston, they are a great match; I was actually thinking this could be re-worked to be a play with the focus on Silvana and Claire. I don't want to give out too many details since it's still fairly new in the home video market. But, if you're wondering if you should see it, I would say yes. Aniston should have received an Oscar nomination, in my opinion.

7/15/15 Do the Right Thing, 1989 #96 AFI,  National Film Registry, #25 BBC

I sort of remember when Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing came out, it caused a lot of controversy.  For whatever reason, I didn't go see it. The movie is set in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, which is as much of a character as the actors. Lee wrote, directed and starred in Do the Right Thing. Mookie (Spike Lee) is the main character and he works at Sal's Pizzeria (Sal is Danny Aiello). The story is kind of a day in the life of the neighborhood characters in a sweltering summer: Sal's sons, Vito and Pino; Da Mayor (Ossie Davis), Mother Sister (Ruby Dee), Tina, Mookie's girlfriend and mother of his son (Rosie Perez) and more (the cast list is really a who's who of great actors).  We see the movie through Mookie's eyes; he's really just trying to make a couple of dollars to take care of his son, hang out with his friends. He hears Sal's brusque, abrasive comments, but seems to know Sal's being a curmudgeon, occasionally pointing out some of the prejudices coming out of his mouth. Mookie's not as understanding with Sal's eldest son, Pino (John Turturro), who openly despises his father's customers, who are mostly African-American. I wanted to punch Pino in the mouth. Lee conveys the heat of the summer and as the temperature rises, so do the tempers. The set design pops with color, and draws your eye. There is a flavor of comedy which builds into a dramatic peak with a race riot and an unanticipated death that pack a punch. Lee is a provocateur, presenting images that are upsetting and troubling, and ending the movie with two quotes, one from Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, two men with the same ultimate goal, but with different ideas on attaining it. The way events transpire at the end reminded me of the recent events in Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, Maryland, and not in a good way. Sadly, it shows how little has changed in twenty-five years. It's a movie worth seeing, not only for the film-making, essentially unknown actors making their mark, but because the issues of generational and race conflict still exist.

7/25/15 Wild Tales, nominated, Best Foreign Film, 2014

I'm beginning to think that when a write up says "black comedy" it's code for 'this really isn't funny, but we're too pretentious for our own good', because this movie was pretentious and not funny. Wild Tales is a Spanish/Argentine production; it's a collection of short films linked together by the theme of revenge. Save the two hours to do something fun, like having your cuticles yanked out.

7/25/15 Bringing Up Baby, 1938 #88 AFI, National Film Registry, #83 BBC

Bringing Up Baby stars Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant as Susan Vance and David Huxley, an odd couple if there ever was one. Huxley is a paleontologist who is going to be married the next day, but he is preoccupied with getting a million dollar grant from the wealthy Mrs. Random (to be fair, his fiancee is also preoccupied with him getting the grant and building his career, more than he is). In his quest to meet with Mrs. Random, David keeps meeting up with a young woman, who we would call 'spacey'; she takes his golf ball, thinking it's hers, she practically destroys his car, and then she thinks he is a zoologist. This woman is Susan Vance, and she happens to be Mrs. Random's niece, but she doesn't exactly share that information. Susan's brother has sent a young leopard, Baby, to their aunt, and Susan invites David to help bring up Baby. I hate to be a wet blanket, but while I enjoyed Bringing up Baby, I didn't love it. It was fun to watch Hepburn and Grant;  enjoyed them both more in The Philadelphia Story.

7/26/15 Ant-Man, not yet nominated, 2015

For some of us, this is odd timing for an Ant-Man film, considering Hank Pym (as Ant-Man) was an original Avenger, but I thought the movie linked the past, the present and the future with any new Marvel films, kind of the link that Iron Man provided previously. This movie is still in theaters, so I'll be sparing with the details. The new Ant-Man is Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), mentored by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). This movie, like Guardians of the Galaxy sneaks up on you and mixes action with the comic book humor that I love (Douglas seemed to really enjoy his role and I hope he sticks around for other movies). The special effects are fabulous; I was curious to see how the tiny world of ants would translate to the screen, and honestly, it's awesome. The photography is fabulous. Normally I skip on 3D films because most of them are scams to get your money, but if I was to see this again, I would go 3D. If you want to see this, don't wait for DVD, see it on the big screen.

7/26/15 Sullivan's Travels, 1941, #61 AFI

Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake star in Preston Sturges' Sullivan's Travels, a movie about a movie director, John L. Sullivan (McCrea) who is tired of making the same kind of comedy films and wants to make a serious movie about poverty and the harsh realities of life. His big studio bosses think that's a very bad idea, and they think his other idea of pretending to be a hobo and traveling across the country is even worse. They agree if they can send a crew with him; he consents, but tries to lose them at every opportunity. On one of his stops, Sullivan meets a young woman, identified in the film as The Girl, played by Veronica Lake, who is a struggling actress and ready to go back home. The Girl goes on the road with Sullivan, dressed as a young boy. The movie has two divisions, the first one is the voluntary journey that the Girl and Sullivan take together, learning about life on the road, meeting some good people, and ending the journey on their terms. The second is a little darker, with Sullivan being attacked, losing his memory, and then being bullied by a railroad guard and attacking him, and Sullivan being thrown into a labor camp (kind of like the one Burt Reynolds was in in The Longest Yard) (I will say that was the speediest trial in history). In the meantime, another body is found and identified Sullivan, but as a favor to their friend, they give the Girl an acting role. Things eventually work out, and I don't want to ruin the ending, so I'll stop here. This was the first Veronica Lake movie I have seen, but she is referenced all the time, not necessarily because she was a great actress, but because of her hair style, very long blond hair, covering part of her face. I thought she was very good and funny. The movie isn't a 'screwball comedy' like Bringing up Baby, but it balances comedy with the heavy topic of post-Depression and the early war years, and sadly, it's probably still relevant today. Most people have probably not heard of Sullivan's Travels, but it is #61 on the AFI list and very much worth seeing.

Avengers, Billy Joel Live, Woman in Gold and more

The first two weeks of May have been filled with variety of the cinematic, television and musical kind. I am happy to present to you, May.

Turn Left at the End of the World, 2004

I don't remember how this movie ended up in my Netflix queue. I'm sure I randomly clicked it or read the synopsis and thought it would be interesting. And it was. Turn Left at the End of the World is set in the Negev desert in Israel in the 1960s and it focuses on the newer immigrants from Morocco and India. I did not know there were immigrants from India; I was aware of Moroccan Jews, but not really of their lives in Israel. Two girls, one from an Indian family and one from a Moroccan family, become friends despite their families' differences and disagreements. Both groups are wary and judgmental of the other. The movie is mostly in Hebrew but also in English and French. I think if you're looking for something a little different in terms of topic and locale, this might be of interest.

5/1/2015 Woman in Gold, 2015, not yet nominated

Woman in Gold is based on the true story of Maria Altmann and her fight to get back several family paintings taken by the Nazis during the Second World War. I mentioned this story about a year after I read the book The Lady in Gold, the Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer by Anne-Marie O'Connor. Helen Mirren stars as Marie Altmann and Ryan Reynolds is Randy Schoenberg, her reluctant attorney who takes up her cause and int he process, learns a little more about his own history. The movie uses flashbacks to help tell the story of Maria and her family's life, including her beloved aunt, Adele Bloch Bauer, who was at the center of many social gatherings in Vienna and the subject of an historic painting by Gustav Klimt. Mirren is wonderful as always, avoiding sentimentality but dealing with things in a determined, matter-of-fact way, occasionally with stubbornness, a little humor and a hint of satisfaction at the end result of her case (not smugness, though); Reynolds is up to the task, showing a bit of reluctance at even taking on this case, but eventually getting drawn into the enormity of the issue at hand and the connection to his own family (his grandfathers were Austrian composers Arnold Schoenberg and Eric Zeisl; Schoenberg is specifically mentioned as a friend of the Bloch Bauers), as well as matching wits with the very sharp Altmann/Mirren. There are very definite good guys and bad guys here, without guns or weapons, just a history of anti-Semitism and a desire to bury the past. Schoenberg and Altmann are met at every turn with roadblocks from the Austrian government, but Schoenberg finds loopholes in international and US law that allow them to pursue their case. There was something about Toman, the official from the Belvedere Museum that made me want to hiss and boo. Schoenberg and Altmann are assisted by Hubertus Czernin,(Daniel Bruhl) a Hungarian journalist who believes that in order to heal and move forward, Austria must acknowledge and make amends for its role during the Holocaust. I enjoyed the movie and am so glad this story has made it to film, but I was glad I read the book first because even though I struggled to get through the first hundred pages or so, O'Connor provided a rich background of life in Vienna in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and especially culturally; she also included information about the wider Bloch Bauer clan and what happened to the different members of the family. Obviously, that couldn't all be put into a ninety minute movie. I liked the movie, but if you haven't seen it on the big screen, I think it's a great film for your DVD or streaming pleasure, but you should see it.

5/2/15 Avengers: Age of Ultron, 5/2/15, not yet nominated

Followers of this blog will recall that I love my superhero movies, and as you can imagine, I have been waiting for this movie and the others promised by Marvel over the next few years. Age of Ultron reunites our heroes from the first Avengers movie and adds War Machine, Falcon, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch and my favorite, The Vision, plus a new villain, Ultron. The movie opens right away with an action/fight sequence with the team fighting a Hydra outpost; this is where Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are introduced (if you saw the last X-Men movie, you may recall that Quicksilver made a key appearance there as well). There is some awesome action sequences, especially towards the end, but to be honest, there was too much talking for me. I just want flying and fighting and stuff like that, I was not thrilled with the subplot with Hawkeye (I have to agree with a column I read that Hawkeye should have been knocked off instead of the character who was); and I thought the subplot with Black Widow and The Hulk was ridiculous. I could use more Black Widow and other female heroes, so I am happy they added the Scarlet Witch to the mix (although it took a very long time for Elizabeth Olsen to grow on me, and I'm still not 100% there). On a side note, a friend of mine and I, who often discuss the merits of superhero movies, talked about how there are so many good female characters, enough to create their own movie. Oh well, maybe another time. I love The Vision and can't wait for more of him (played by Paul Bettany). I also LOVED how James Spader brought Ultron to life with his voice dripping with sarcasm, irony and  and all the characteristics that make his Raymond Reddington character so enjoyable (and the best thing about The Blacklist). Without disclosing too much of the plot, what I will say is this not my favorite Marvel movie (although I still liked it) and it seemed more like a bridge to the upcoming Captain America: Civil War and other movies like The Black Panther and the next Avengers. My guess is that it will get nominated for one or more of the effects categories. 

5/9/15 Father Goose, Best Writing, Story and Screenplay, 1964

I love Cary Grant, not in that way, because I would have a lot of explaining to do, but I love his movies. Father Goose features a less than dapper Cary Grant as Walter Ecklund a drunken, ne'er do well, who finds himself in the South Pacific as the Japanese are threatening invasion to the islands. He is coerced/bribed into becoming a coast watcher for the Australian Navy. Ecklund is not really interested, but he really doesn't have a choice. He is sent on an unexpected mission to another island where he meets Catherine Freneau (Leslie Caron) who is in charge of seven young girls. Walter and Catherine are very different and exchange barbs and witticisms, with the girls often taking Catherine's side, until one of the girls, who has not spoken a word, forms a bond with Ecklund and they begin working on his boat that was damaged by the Australian Navy, essentially to strand him on the island. Relations improve between Catherine and Walter after they mistakenly believe she has been bitten by a poisonous snake; the audience is in on the misunderstanding and it's pretty funny. The group soon finds itself under attack from Japanese planes and tries to get off of the island. I certainly do not think this is the best movie ever, or the best Cary Grant movie ever, but it was fun to watch; one might even say 'cute'. There is a lot of drinking, it's pretty much Walter's raison d'etre, so it's hard to say this is a 'family movie', but there's practically no real violence (the gunshots don't really hit anyone), there's no swearing (I don't think, nothing sticks out, maybe a 'hell' or 'damn'), the kids are cute in the precocious 1960s way. This movie came towards the end of Grant's film career, in fact it was the next to lat movie that he did. Watch The Bishop's Wife or The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer for a glimpse of him in his prime.

Billy Joel, The Target Center, Minneapolis, 5/16/15

I've been to a lot of concerts over the past two years, and I have to say, that I feel very fortunate that every one of them has been a great experience; I've seen solo acts with just their guitars, I've seen bands with great stage shows and I've had fabulous seats, I've gotten signed CDs, etc., overall, I have not regretted a single event. Last night with Billy Joel was no exception. I've had the chance to see Billy Joel in the past, thirty years ago, in fact, and I just never wanted to. I must be getting old and nostalgic, but I really wanted to see him this time around, even if it was going to be at the Target Center, my least favorite venue. Gavin DeGraw opened up the show and he was full of energy and excitement and the crowd was very receptive. I appreciated his stage presence and performance, but I have to say, after twenty minutes, his stuff sounded the same. That may be because I am not as familiar with his material or because it really did sound the same. After realizing I was in the wrong section (it was not my only 'duh' moment of the evening), I scooted over one section to the left and waited for Mr. Joel to take the stage. Thank goodness for the screens, otherwise, I would have to take it on faith that he was on stage because I was pretty close to the roof (did I mention I hate this venue?). Billy opened with "My Life" and then played most of his well-known songs and a few gems that the hard-core fans really enjoyed. He played with a great energy and the band seemed to be really having a good time. There wasn't any of the 'arena rock' planned banter, it came off as being a conversation between a guy and 20,000 of his friends, it was easy, self-deprecating (he looked up at his image on the screen and said he thought he saw his dad; joked about the tiff between him and Elton John and songs about his former wife, Christie Brinkley) and appreciative. He gave the audience the chance to pick a couple of songs early on in the set. Songs included "Pressure", "Allentown", "Uptown Girl", "Vienna" (a song I had never heard before), "The Downeaster Alexa", "She's Always a Woman" (a favorite of mine), as well as a bit of "Like a Rolling Stone" just before he started "Piano Man". The encore had to be about 20 minutes or more and included another favorite "Big Shot", as well as  "You May Be Right" and "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me". His band would have been fun to watch if I had not been blinded by the landing lights that totally obscured them. That is probably my only issue with the concert, is the lights were so overwhelming and you couldn't watch the band rock out; if the camera wasn't on them, they weren't on the big screens. I love a band/performer that uses a horn section, and he had a trumpet, saxophones, slide trombone, with only three people. They were great and all multi-instrumentalists. My other issue is the woman behind me; look, I love rocking out to my favorite bands and singing with them (just wait until the Indigo Girls in July), but she was so high pitched and behind the count, that it was a little distracting. Love her passion, just wished it was quieter. I definitely got my money's worth that night, and I so enjoyed myself I didn't even care I went to the wrong parking garage to get my car.

2015 nominees - The Imitation Game, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Judge and more

A little less than two weeks to go and I have 21 movies to watch. I'm hoping to get a few more done in the next week. Wish me luck.

1/31/15 The Imitation Game, nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, 2014

If you're counting, The Imitation Game is nominated for 8 awards this year, right up there with Birdman. I was reading a little bit about the movie as I do after I watch it and there is some criticism about different historical aspects of the film. I will say the same thing here that I said about Selma, sometimes things are done in a film to make the narrative flow better or film better or able to fit into a 2 to 2 1/2 hour time frame. I am just going to review the movie and let you make up your own mind (I will probably be doing the same thing when I see American Sniper this weekend).

Anyway, The Imitation Game focuses on the British efforts during the Second World War to decrypt "Enigma" the code used by the Germans. There were many people who worked on code-breaking during the war, but Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) may be the most well-known. The movie uses a two-fold flashback format (I just invented that term), starting in the 1950s, after the war, going back to the Second World War and then back to when Alan was in school. I think it's effective, giving a good framework for the narrative. Turing was a mathematical genius, portrayed as socially awkward as a child and adult; he was also homosexual, which in England was a crime. One criticism about the movie was that Turing's homosexuality was hidden or perhaps close to being written out of the story. I appreciated the way Turing's homosexuality was at the edges of the plot, I thought it added to the tension of the coding process as well as the mystery I felt the director was trying to add. If people watch the movie, and don't know he was gay, it gets revealed slowly; if you watch the movie and do know he's gay, then I think it's still taut because you wait to see how others find out. It also lets the code-breaking be part of the story. The film opens in 1950s Manchester where Turing is living and that is where he has an encounter with the police and we begin to learn about Turing and his time at public school (private school in America) which was torturous. His one lifeline was a friendship he formed with a classmate. Turing applies to join the team of code-breakers, but isn't very impressed with the team he has, so he asks to bring on some new blood via a crossword puzzle. One of the new recruits is Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley in an Oscar-nominated role), who by virtue of being a woman is also a bit of an outcast because she is not able to work with the men directly (it would be unseemly; I think this was mainly due to her parents' conservatism). Joan and Alan become friends and she tries to help translate for him when he has difficulties with his co-workers. The team is under a lot of pressure to crack Engima because Germany was winning the war. Cumberbatch is tremendous; he is a chameleon, last year he was in 12 Years a Slave and The Fifth Estate (as Julian Assange), two very different characters, and now a third (many more really, but math isn't my strong suit). He really humanizes this man who was a mathematical genius, social outcast by virtue of being gay and more than a little awkward, but also passionate about breaking the code. Hopefully, like Selma, The Theory of Everything and American Sniper, people will watch The Imitation Game and learn more about the subject at hand: World War II, code-breaking, mathematics and Alan Turing (in this case). It's been tough to pick my favorite movie; I think I either loved them or loathed them, but this is definitely at the top of the list.

1/31/15 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, nominated Best Visual Effects, 2014

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is set years in the future after Rise of the Planet of the Apes with the only recurring characters being some of the apes, including Caesar (played by Andy Serkis). Humans have been killed off by a deadly virus and are in quarantined off areas. A group of humans goes into an area dominated by apes in order to get the power going again. Malcolm (Jason Clarke) is the leader of this small group, but Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) is the leader of the humans back at the compound. Malcolm is not interested in any confrontation with the apes and tries to form a relationship with Caesar. Caesar is a very knowing leader, understanding the real politick of letting the humans accomplish their task or face all out war. Unfortunately, some of his cadre do not agree with his thinking, including Koba, who leads a treasonous attack on Caesar and those loyal to whom and blames it on the humans. I grew up on the original Planet of the Ape film series and the television series, and I think I like how the newer films have not tried to redo the originals, but have used them as a trellis to build their stories. I think I wrote in my review of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, if I even wrote one, that I would prefer the apes over the people. I enjoyed the movie, it had good action and a good story (the ape-centric story, not human). It's nominated in the Visual Effects category and it's up against Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America 2, X-Men and Interstellar, and those are pretty heavy duty effects movies. Several people over the years have tried to make the argument that actors like Andy Serkis, who wear the body sensors and then their features are computer enhanced, but the actors actually act, should be eligible for Oscar nominations. Serkis was also Golum from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. It hasn't happened, but it should and at some point Serkis is going to have to be recognized for his contributions to this performance style.

1/31/15 The Judge, nominated Best Supporting Actor 2014

I wanted to see The Judge when it came out in the theaters, but at almost two and a half hours, I just couldn't do it. But, I was going to see it even if it wasn't nominated for an Oscar, however, Robert Duvall snagged a nomination for his role as Judge Joseph Palmer, a tough judge and a tougher father. His strict hand pushed his middle son away, Hank Palmer (Robert Downey, Jr.), a brash defense attorney, who hasn't been home in years. Hank only returns for the funeral of his mother, but is unexpectedly detained when his father is accused of murder. The story is as much about the relationship between the Palmer family (older brother Glen is played by Vincent D'Onofrio and youngest brother Dale is played by Jeremy Strong) as it is about the trial of Judge Palmer. There's a subplot involving Samantha Powell (Vera Farmiga), Hank's ex-girlfriend, that was annoying to me. I think it was the corn pone accent that Farmiga used (the movie is set in a small Indiana town); I don't know if it was an authentic accent, but it did not fit, or maybe it was the blonde hair or the tattoo, something didn't work for me. Duvall was great as the hard-ass judge, still trying to control his adult sons and himself as he undergoes chemo treatment for cancer. As I was writing, I started thinking of another Duvall role where he played the martinet father and Marine as the titled role in The Great Santini. I think Duvall has a chance at the Oscar (certainly over Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke). Overall, I liked the movie, it was nice to see Robert Downey, Jr. do something besides Iron Man (I love Iron Man, but still, it's good to change it up), and he and Duvall go toe to toe. I would love to see D'Onofrio in more roles, he is so great.

2/1/15 How to Train Your Dragon 2, nominated Best Animated Feature, 2014

I remember watching the first How to Train Your Dragon and thinking it was okay, I guess it didn't move my needle the way it did for some people, so I wasn't all that rushed to see the sequel. Curse my list! It wasn't bad, and there were parts where I enjoyed it, but eh, not necessary. Hiccup is back and quite the dragon master. He meets his mother, who left him and his father when he was a baby. I don't know, honestly, I really didn't care enough to pay too much attention. The thing that I kept focusing on was that both Hiccup's parents have Scottish accents and yet Hiccup has none. That bothered me. I'm not sure why this made it and The Lego Movie did not; I thought the The Lego Movie was more creative in its universe and mixing in the human element as well as the story and dialog. I didn't think HTTYD was that inventive. Go see Boxtrolls.

2/1/15 Begin Again, nominated Best Original Song, 2014

Begin Again is a light, no-brainer romantic comedy with a pop music soundtrack. There is nothing wrong with that; I know some people think I'm a snob, and I suppose I am sometimes, but this was a great break after some of the heavy movies I had been watching. Keira Knightley (as Gretta James) and Mark Ruffalo (as Dan Mulligan) star as a songwriter and music producer, respectively. Adam Levine plays Dave Kohl, Gretta's ex-boyfriend. Dave and Gretta go to New York for Dave's burgeoning music career where they become estranged (probably not unpredictably) and Gretta feels homesick. At an open mic night, Gretta is invited by her friend, Steve (James Corden) to sing a song, which she does. This catches Dan's attention and they begin a collaboration. The set up in the movie is a little less direct than that recap just was. The two decide to collaborate on a record using the sounds of the city as well as some non-traditional musicians, or perhaps unexpected is a better word (?). Honestly, those were my favorite parts of the movie; it reminded me of music videos from the 1980s (oh my god, I can't believe I just went down that road; what's next AARP membership?). Gretta has her relationship with Dave and Dan has his complex relationship with his daughter (Hailee Steinfeld) and ex-wife (Catherine Keener). I thought Keira Knightley was pretty good as a singer, I guess she had not sung on stage before. Begin Again was directed by John Carney who also directed Once (a movie about which I am ambivalent at best). "Lost Stars" is nominated for Best Original Song (I wonder if Adam Levine will sing on the Oscars).

 2/7/15 Boyhood nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, 2014

WHY??????? Why did this have to be nominated? If you have read the blog, you may recall that I was not a big fan of Linklater's trilogy Before the End of Time cannot come soon enough, or something like that. Well, I'll be danged, he came up with another movie that everyone loves, except me. If you have not read or heard anything about the movie, the big draw is the fact that it was filmed over twelve years, so we see the characters age as the actors age. Yep. People getting older - they made a movie. The movie starts with Mason (Eller Coltrane) aged 6, lying on the grass waiting for his mother, Olivia (Patricia Arquette). At home, we also meet Mason's older sister, Samantha (Lorelei Linklater) and learn that Olivia is divorced from the kids' father, Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke). We follow the family through Olivia's bad marriage decisions (she's three for three), Olivia going back to school to eventually become a college instructor (or professor, I'm not sure) and Mason and Samantha's journeys as the family gets uprooted several times (I will say, having moved once when I was younger, I think I'm still scarred) and Mason's first loves and difficulties with authority. I did not care, I didn't think any of the characters were likable or admirable, and having been a petulant teenager (some would say petulant adult), I know kids aren't cute and precocious all the time and life isn't a bowl of cherries. I did not need an almost three hour movie to tell me that. I don't mind real life being reflected back at me, and I don't mind high-minded art, but I abhor pretentiousness. My pick for Best Supporting Actress is Laura Dern (Wild)and Best Supporting Actor as I mentioned above is Robert Duvall in The Judge, although Birdman may be the night's big winner.