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.

2019 Documentary Shorts

Regular readers know that I love documentaries, and I have special place in my heart for the documentary shorts. I usually go to the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis and make an afternoon of it. However, time constraints this year have forced me to Plan B. Almost all of them were available online, except for St. Louis Superman.

1/26/20 Life Overtakes Me - As refugees flee their home countries and the familiar surroundings and resettle (or try to) in new countries, there is all kinds of adjustments that have to be made, new languages to learn, and the fight to stay in the desired country after seeking asylum. This short film was made in Sweden and followed families seeking asylum, but also coping with their children who are suffering from is being called "Resignation Syndrome". It's almost as if the children quit wanting to live; they stop eating, stop responding to their parents or any stimulation. Some of the children have been in this condition for 6-12 months. It's heartbreaking watching the parents massage the children, talk to them and try to include them in family activities and hope for them to wake up. It is possible, and one of the doctors suggests (and the example in the film seems to bear her out) that once the family's situation becomes stable, like asylum is granted, and the parents become more calm and less stressed the children start to come out of the suspended animation state. Cases of Resignation Syndrome have increased in Sweden in the last ten years, and new cases are appearing in Australia among refugees. It made me wonder if children being held or coming to the United States under uncertain conditions are experiencing this syndrome and it's not being reported. Life Overtakes Me is available on Netflix.

1/26/20 Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you're a girl) - So far this is my favorite of the four shorts I have watched. The title says it all, girls in Kabul, Afghanistan are learning to skateboard and they are definitely still in a warzone. This could have been a depressing story, focusing on the war and the poor treatment of women and girls, but I found myself crying tears of happiness and joy at the spirit of the schoolgirls, but also their mothers and their teachers (I often cry watching documentaries). Muslim extremists frown on girls going to school or having any kind of education or freedom, which makes going to school a very dangerous proposition. The girls go to school and then learn to skateboard; skateboarding outdoors is also dangerous, so there is an indoor 'skate park' where they learn all the basics. The teachers are women as are the skateboarding instructors. Listening to all of the women talk about the importance of the school and the skateboarding is so uplifting; mothers talking about how they were prohibited from going to school and were forced to marry when they were very young and they want something better for their daughters. There is a school administrator who inspired me to a few fist pumps as she seemed fearless in the face of men who opposed the school. The skateboard instructor who was once a student who aspired to participate in international competitions. The energy and joy of the girls, the giggling and teasing, but also incredible support they have for one another is awesome and uplifting. I have been recommending it to everyone. It's available online through A&E. The organization that supports this endeavor is Skateistan.org. You will thank me later.

1/30/20 Walk Run Cha-Cha - Paul and Millie Cao met as youngsters in Vietnam, but were separated when Paul left for America to begin a new life. They kept in contact and eventually Paul was able to bring Millie to the United States and they re-connected and married. We meet them while they are in a dance lesson, and I really had no idea what the movie was going to be about, I thought just dancing. Dancing became kind of like their second chapter together as a couple after both had successful careers and their daughter was grown and out of the house. They both take the dancing very seriously, taking private lessons and competing. Paul is the more serious of the two, rarely cracking a smile, and Millie seems to light up when she talks about dancing and listening to Western music when she was growing up. Watching them dance together was very touching. I don't think it was the 'best', but I did enjoy it. This is also online, available through general searching or on Vimeo.

1/30/20 In the Absence broke my heart. In the Absence documents the sinking of the MV Sewol, a South Korean ferry, in April 2014. It also shows in real time video and recorded radio and phone exchanges the sheer incompetence of the South Korean authorities to make any real attempt to rescue the passengers, many of them students, before the ferry sank. It is so hard to describe what happened, because it makes no sense. Government authorities were more concerned about the appearance of making a rescue and filming the scene than actually doing anything productive. A group of civilian divers did their best to recover the victims, but they were also battling the government who eventually ordered them to stop their efforts. Two of the divers were interviewed or testified in a later public forum, and you could see how tortured they were by not being able to complete their task. It was chilling to watch parents, survivors and ordinary Korean citizens marching and protesting against the government. There were several scenes that made tear up, and one of them was when the ferry was recovered, four years after the disaster, and the remaining victims were brought home. The families wanted to get closer, maybe see the bodies (I don't know if that would have been good), but the authorities were keeping them locked out, and the families are shouting about how they have been forced to wait and they were getting aggressive (I didn't blame them), the camera shows members of the police/security forces waiting in the area (waiting for a conflict) and as the families are yelling, one of the officers is shown wiping away tears. It was as if she knew what was happening was wrong and she felt horrible for what was happening. There was no narration to the film, but interviews, recorded exchanges from a variety of officials, news footage and super titles providing time frames to the disaster as well as information about what was happening. It was moving and aggravating and it was hard to find anything positive in the outcome. This documentary is available on YouTube.

Buddha, Mt. Seorak, S. Korea

2018 Oscar nominated Documentary Shorts

February 2019
You wouldn't believe the weather we've had here, or maybe you would. This year it has been a soul-sucker, and the thought of walking to the Riverview Theatre between blizzards and ice just didn't appeal to me, and luckily all of the shorts are available online, either Youtube, Amazon Prime or Netflix. Check them out, you won't regret it (I'd tell you if you would).

A Night at the Garden - A couple of my movie friends have debated whether this short film of archival footage from 1939 is really a documentary, or worthy of a nomination. The footage, which was shot in 1939 at a American Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden, is only about seven minutes, and features Fritz Kuhn, a naturalized American citizen (his citizenship was later revoked), exhorting the crowd to return America to its white, Christian roots. The rally is briefly interrupted by Isadore Greenbaum who charged the stage and was tackled and removed. It's frighteningly similar to many rallies we have seen in America, and some European countries, and perhaps that's why it earned the nomination. My issue with the nomination is that the director didn't create the footage, there's little context (more information on Kuhn, how the rally was organized, aftermath, information on Greenbaum - why he did what he did, repercussions, etc.). It's guaranteed to spur an emotional response in light of our current presidential administration, but I don't think that makes it a nominee or winner for Best Documentary Shorts.


Lifeboat is a documentary about the volunteer crews who sail along the Libyan coast, although not too close, looking for boats with refugees. Many (all?) of the boats are ill-equipped for any serious sea journey and are overcrowded and filled with people are scared, sick, not necessarily swimmers, and often cannot safely return to their home country. The filmmakers interview one of the crew, an English captain, who explains why he, and the others, do what they do, that for them it's a moral imperative, and he sees no other choice. Several of the refugees are interviewed as well, and while it's easy to say 'these people' shouldn't come here or there or anywhere, when you listen to their stories, and hear the fear in their voices about how they got into this situation and where they came from, it's difficult to hold the hardline. Many were stolen from their villages and sold in other countries for prostitution or labor; some were falsely accused of crimes and were imprisoned while their families were being extorted for their release; others were fleeing their homes to avoid harm coming to their children. It would benefit the world if 'first world' countries would actually get to the root of these reasons and try to find remedies. The 'catch' is that most of these countries don't have any natural resources that interest the global powers, therefore, they don't care. Thank goodness for the volunteers who risk their own safety on these rescue missions.

Black Sheep is about Cornelius Walker's experience growing up in Essex, England, after his mother moved his family out of London, with the hope that they would be save from racially motivated violence. I think it's safe to say that given what happened to Cornelius, that is ridiculously ironic. Cornelius and his family are black, and they have (unknowingly?) moved to a very racist housing estate in Essex where Cornelius is verbally and physically assaulted by his white neighbors. The documentary uses close ups shots of Cornelius as he tells his story intercut with dramatic re-enactments with an actor as Cornelius. He recounts his fear and anger, sometimes directed towards his father, but also towards the white kids. He makes a decision that I think is understandable, but perhaps not in his best interest: he tries to become white. In his mind, remember this happened when he was a young teenager, if he was white, they would accept him, so he bleached his skin, saved his money for contact lenses, and straightened his hair, and bought clothes that the white teenagers bought. This tactic actually works; they seemed to 'forget' his color and brought him into their group. Unfortunately, Cornelius also took on some of their more violent traits, getting into fights with other black kids, sometimes instigating the attacks. I think what he did represented one of the very basic characteristics of the human race, the need to be accepted by others, and how far someone is willing to go for that acceptance. What I wished was included is a little more about Cornelius now; I couldn't tell if he was eventually sent to jail, did he escape that violent lifestyle, reconcile with his father? What I also thought about was, were the white kids really racist or just afraid of someone they didn't know very well? They didn't seem to hold too tightly to a racist ideology; I think a true, hard core racist/white supremacist would not have accepted Cornelius because they knew he was still black, and that his parents were black. So was there hope with those kids if Cornelius would have tried something else to win their friendship? It would have added a different facet if there was an interview with one or two of his neighbors/friends to get their perspective.

End Game looks at palliative and end of life care, from the perspectives of the patients, the families and the caregivers. In many of the instances, the patients are aware of what is going on and able to communicate their wishes: do they want to be in hospice or stay at home. This ability to share these thoughts and all the fear and sadness that accompany them can be very helpful for their loved ones. People tend to run away from these discussions, which can make the time leading up to the final moments uncertain and fearful. When it is possible for people to have more of a say in their care, it gives them just a little more control than they have over everything else. The film shows us hospice volunteers and staff interacting with residents, discussing treatment, but also listening to them, maybe singing hymns. It's not an easy film to watch, but it is really important and shows the beauty of human kindness and death with dignity and bravery. It was a Netflix film and is online. I also recommend Extremis, also about end of life care and life-ending decisions; this was a Netflix film as well. 

Period. End of Sentence. There are so many things that I loved about this documentary (available on Netflix) that I'm sure I'll forget something. In no particular order: it's about empowering a group of people who have historically been stripped of all empowerment; it shows the importance of micro economies and their impact; it discusses a taboo subject (menstruation); and provides a brief glimpse into a part of the world many of us will never experience. Starting at the beginning, menstruation is practically a forbidden topic in this village in India (and probably most villages), and many people (male and female) don't really understand what it is or why it happens, just that it's awkward and very disruptive. We learn about girls who quit school because they can't safely change clothing (men and boys leering at them), they're too embarrassed, people think they're 'dirty'. The advent of a less expensive sanitary napkin, made in the village, by the girls and women of that village is a game changer. The new employees learn how to use the napkin for themselves, and that helps them become advocates and great sales people; they also learn how to make them, which builds camaraderie with their fellow co-workers, that puts money in their pockets, allowing them to contribute to their household, and save for their own dreams, like training to become a police officer. How basic and simple, yet you can see the transformation of these girls who were shy and embarrassed to being able to speak for themselves, and even talk to their fathers or brothers and show them the factory. It's almost impossible to comprehend what a huge difference some sheets of cotton and fabric can make, especially in the US or Europe where we have so many options and I don't anyone who would think of quitting school for lack of this product. The napkins are called "Fly" because they will help the girls and women fly upward and reach their dreams. It's about a dream, and any entrepreneur in the US, Europe, Asia, anywhere, should appreciate how this dream is made into reality. Seriously, watch this film. It's less than a half an hour.

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.

Oscar Winning Documentaries - From Mao to Mozart, Defending Our Lives and The Panama Deception

If you've been here before, you probably already know how much I love documentaries: short, long, foreign language, English, serious, funny, it doesn't matter. It takes a lot to make me not like a documentary. Below are reviews of three older documentaries, one short and two features, and I recommend all three of them.

5/4/18 From Mao to Mozart, Best Documentary Feature, 1979

I feel like I have some vague recollection of when From Mao to Mozart came out because I had a friend whose family was really into classical music, and it seems like something he would have seen and told me about (of course, I could be wrong). Anyway, childhood memories aside, I watched this documentary featuring virtuoso violinist, Isaac Stern as he makes a groundbreaking visit to China in 1979. China was still pretty closed off to Americans at the time and not much was known about it just a few years after the end of the Cultural Revolution. Stern, who died in 2001, is a wonderful guide because he has such a great spirit of curiosity about the people, the culture, the music, but also an irrepressible way of sharing his decades of experience with anyone who cares to listen, and in many instances, it is hundreds of people, old, young, all eager to learn from him. He encourages his 'students' to feel the music, not just be technically correct. Stern also meets teachers at a music school who were imprisoned during the Cultural Revolution, a dark time in modern Chinese history, where Western influences and anyone sharing them would be tortured, starved, locked away for years. Thirty years is a long time ago, and perhaps this may seem dated to some, but I think it's an eye opening film into what it was like in China, and if nothing else, it gave me more exposure to Isaac Stern, and I am now reading his memoir, My First 79 Years.

5/5/18 Defending Our Lives, Best Documentary Short, 1993

Whereas From Mao to Mozart may seem dated and so far removed from what we know of China today, Defending Our Lives is still frighteningly relevant. I think this should be required viewing in high schools and college campuses, and police academies (there are two fairly recent Oscar-nominated documentaries that are about sexual assault, The Invisible War and The Hunting Ground). Actually, everyone should watch it. The movie opens with Sarah Buel, Assistant District Attorney of the Domestic Violence Unit in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. You don't know this information for a while as she recites facts about abuse against a slideshow of photographs; you might think the violent statistics are from a war torn country or a less developed country. That would not be the case. It's right here in America. Buel was also a victim of domestic abuse and like the other women in the film, bravely tells the story of repeated abuse and repeated ignorance from the authorities. That's one the central themes: women who were repeatedly threatened and abused, but also tried to leave, sometimes moving to new states, but their abusers were NEVER stopped by the police. They paint a vivid picture of wanting to leave, but you're scared for your kids, for yourself, and then finally getting the courage to leave. And in the cases presented here, the women took their lives into their own hands and kill their abusers in self-defense. They asked, begged, for help, and were turned away. They ask why society turned its back on them and in some cases, their children; the deaths could have been prevented if the men had been jailed. There is some justice in the film, and the strength that these women show in telling their stories and trying to use it for good is powerful.

5/12/18 The Panama Deception, Best Documentary Feature, 1992

I don't intend to get angry when I watch a documentary, but it happens sometimes, and there's usually a good reason, as is laid out in The Panama Deception. This documentary from 1992 focuses on the invasion of Panama, ostensibly to defend the Panama Canal, but turned into a brutal use of force and puts American imperialism on full display. The film provides historical context for America's relationship with Panama, which doesn't seem all that different from the country's relationships with other Latin American countries (or other countries, period), which is to say pretty one-sided and often violent with a tinge of paternalism. It lays the background for the Iran-Contra Affair (for those of you who think of Oliver North only as the newest president of the NRA. The film includes interviews of reporters, political scientists and political/governmental representatives with voice over narration by the late actress, Elizabeth Montgomery. News clips show then President George H.W. Bush justifying his actions as necessary for the defense of the United States, but critics claim it was a way to combat his reputation as a wimp. Bush's Secretary of Defense was none other than Dick Cheney, who later served as Vice President under George W. Bush and was a strong supporter of the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Ramsey Clark, former US Attorney General under President Johnson, suggested that what happened in Panama should be considered a war crime, and many others agreed. This is a sad episode in US-international relations, but one that is very rarely talked about these days; perhaps because there have been so many other sad episodes in the past twenty-five years. The documentary is available on YouTube.

Finally The Black Panther, a double dose of Ferdinand, and one very greedy man

4/7/18 Ferdinand, nominated Best Animated Feature, 2017
4/21/18 Ferdinand the Bull, Best Animated Short, 1938

I don't know if it's fair to put these two films that share a name and essentially a similar plot line but are separated by 80 years in the same review, but it sure is convenient. Both films are based on the book The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson and feature Ferdinand the flower loving bull. The 2017 film stars John Cena as Ferdinand and a cast of well known personalities as the supporting cast: Peyton Manning (yes, that Peyton Manning), Anthony Anderson, David Tennant and Kate McKinnon as the comfort goat (and who should had a short film all her own). Ferdinand is a lover, not a fighter, but through some unexpected and undesired consequences, Ferdinand finds himself getting ready for a very important bull fight. Kate McKinnon was really my favorite part of the whole movie, otherwise, I didn't find it very original or engaging, and certainly not worthy of an Oscar-nomination. Watch Coco or Kubo and the Two Strings or my favorite recommendation, The Boxtrolls. Ferdinand the Bull won the Oscar for Best Animated Short in 1938. It's much simpler, with one person, Don Wilson (announcer for "The Jack Benny Show"), narrating and doing the voices (there is actually very little dialogue). That might seem quaint given the star-studded voice casts these days, but it's similar to a parent reading to a child and doing all the voices. The short is only seven minutes plus, but it tells the story of Ferdinand without a lot of fluff and filler.

4/15/18 All the Money in the World, nominated Best Supporting Actor, 2017

I think what most people are going to remember about All the Money in the World is very last minute casting change, after the film was for the most part completed, with Christopher Plummer replacing Kevin Spacey as billionaire J. Paul Getty. The movie is about the abduction of Getty's grandson, Paul, by an organized crime ring, and just as notoriously, the senior Getty's reluctance to pay the ransom. Battling Getty for her son's life is Gail Harris (Michelle Williams); Harris divorced Pauls' father, but walked away from any potential settlement in order to retain custody of her children; her husband, Paul II, was a drug addict and an otherwise useless person in his younger days. Acting as a link between the two camps is Fletcher Chace (Mark Wahlberg), security advisor and other duties as assigned to Getty, Chace finds himself dubious of the kidnapping plot, but becomes convinced of the reality, and becomes an advocate for Gail. Charlie Plummer plays the unfortunate young Paul. Director Ridley Scott knows how to tell a tense tale, and even if you are familiar with the events of 1973, it's still a little shocking to hear Getty be so cold and calculating (literally) about why he shouldn't or wouldn't pay the ransom (it would inspire other kidnappings of his grandchildren or that he didn't have enough money - he was the richest man in the world at the time). I enjoyed the movie, but I didn't love it, and I can't quite put my finger on it, something was missing. As for Christopher Plummer as Best Supporting Actor, I'm not sure he was better than Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and I'm also not sure if he would have been nominated if not for the last minute substitution. Don't get me wrong, I love him, but I think it's a legitimate question.

4/16/18 The Black Panther, 2018

You know me, I love my super hero movies, but I was so burned out from Oscar season, it took me almost three months to get my ass to a theatre, even with regular nagging from my brother. I may be one of the last people on the planet to see The Black Panther. But, I finally did, and I loved it. The Black Panther is the final film before Avengers: Infinity Wars, which is promising to be the mother of all super hero films. Director and co-writer, Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed) brings the sense of fun that I like in my comic book movies, but also a strong sense of purpose and empowerment and history from a different perspective. Chadwick Boseman (who has portrayed real people - Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall and Ernie Davis) is T'Challa, the Black Panther, newly crowned king of Wakanda. He inherits the throne after his father, T'Chaka is killed, and he defeats a challenger to the throne. The kingdom of Wakanda is built upon a stash of vibranium, the most powerful metal/element in the world, and it has helped to sustain and strengthen Wakanda, while keeping it isolated from the rest of the world, including its African neighbors. There are those who are trying to steal the vibranium, including Klaue (played by Andy Serkis, who looks like he really bulked up for this role, you may be more familiar with Serkis in his performance capture roles like Smeagle, Caesar or King Kong). Klaue hires a few mercenaries to help him, one of whom turns out to be T'Challa's cousin, N'Jadaka/Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who has his own agenda. These competing goals lead to some pretty intense and awesome battle scenes. The movie succeeds on so many levels for me: the action, the humor, the effects, the story and the cast. The cast was incredible with Angela Bassett as T'Challa's mother who is so regal; Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia, T'Challa's love interest, but also a strong, wily woman; Jordan taps into his evil side with pleasure; Boseman makes you think there could be a lot more Panther movies and you wouldn't mind a bit; Letitia Wright as T'Challa's sister, Shuri, who is the teenage equivalent of Q from James Bond - she has brains and crazy technical skills, but also an irrepressible spirit and sense of humor (there have been calls for Shuri to get her own action figure/be a new type of Disney princess); Daniel Kaluuya (straight from his Oscar-nominated performance in Get Out); and my personal favorite, Danai Gurira (from Grinnell, Iowa and graduate of St. Paul's Macalester College) as Okoye, the head of Wakanda's special forces who was fantastic - we need more female roles like Okoye. The story does not shy away from the theme of racial inequality, but also the empowerment and enlightenment of African Americans and minorities. Maybe it's an oversimplification on my part, but just like Wonder Woman gave little girls a glimpse of powerful and intelligent women who were more than capable of taking care of themselves and breaking stereotypes; I think The Black Panther has given that same glimpse to young African Americans - physical strength, but also technology that defies anything the so-called "first world" has come up with; and demonstrates the importance of science among girls and minorities. So far, the movie has earned over 1 billion dollars and something about convinced the Saudi Arabian government to make The Black Panther the first movie shown in public movie theaters since 1979. I could probably go on, but I just loved this movie and I'm really glad that I saw it on the big screen.

As a post-script: Rachel Morrison was the cinematographer - she was nominated for an Oscar for Mudbound, the first woman to receive that nomination. And, speaking of Oscars, I expect a few technical awards, let's see if it can get one of the other categories.

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. 

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

On the way to The Riverview (in the background)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Artwork on the way to the lightrail station, Minneapolis

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.

National Film Registry - Looney Tunes, Frank Capra's Why We Fight, Greed

National Film Registry

7/15/17 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies

I watched a few Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, you have probably seen at least the first two. 

One Froggy Evening, 1956
You may recall One Froggy Evening: a man, down on his luck, finds a frog...a frog who can sing. Hoping to make his fortune, he takes the frog to different agents or theater people, only to have the frog stubbornly refuse to sing. The man opens his own production, promising free beer to his all male audience (this doesn't seem kid friendly, does it?), and still the frog refuses. That's pretty much how it goes. It's funnier than my little explication may lead you to believe.

What's Opera, Doc?, 1957

"Kill the Rabbit, Kill the Rabbit" as sung by Elmer Fudd in full opera regalia is possibly one of the most memorable scenes from What's Opera, Doc? This may encourage you to give opera a try. Elmer and Bugs Bunny are antagonists until they become lovers...? What? Yeah, opera is funny that way. It's clever in its incorporation of opera, and it has a 'tragic' operatic ending. It's only seven minutes long and I've probably told you too much.

Porky in Wackyland, 1938

Porky in Wackyland is probably very innovative in several ways, its animation techniques, maybe the concept. I really didn't like it; it seemed stupid and annoying. It's very surreal and has a thin (to me) story line of Porky hunting a rare bird, and he goes through these strange and exotic locales. Eh. Two out of three isn't bad.

Luxo, Jr., 1986

Luxo, Jr. was the second animated short from Pixar, and its first to receive an Oscar nomination. Luxo, Jr. was a small desk lamp that is trying to play with a larger lamp, but seems to be annoying it. The smaller lamp, which had the characteristics of a little kid, was 'kicking' a ball, and bouncing it, and ultimately, deflating it. This brings a 'look' of disapproval from the 'older' lamp. The film was only two minutes long, but it was paired with the first Toy Story and went on to have a significant impact on animated films for years.

Duck and Cover, 1951

If I was reviewing this short film a year ago, funded by the Federal Civil Defense Administration and released shortly after the end of the Korean Conflict, it would be a 'fun' piece of nostalgia from the early nuclear age. Unfortunately, it seems eerie as we seem on the brink of some kind of pissing contest between the US and North Korea that may or may not involve nuclear armaments. 

Let's All Go to the Lobby, 1957

This may be the shortest 'film' on any list at 38 seconds. It's a commercial for the concession stands at movie theaters. Let me put this earworm in your head "Let's all go the lobby, let's all go the lobby" (imagine dancing popcorn boxes and cups of soda). 

8/8/17 Greed, 1924 #22 BBC and National Film Registry

Directed by Erich von Stroheim, Greed tells the tale of love: love of money and romantic love, but mostly love of money, and how it can destroy one's humanity. According to Wikipedia, the original version of Greed was seven hours long...seven hours. He was forced to edit it down to a little over two hours (which is the version I watched); there is a restored version, but that is still only about 3 1/2 hours ('only'). The story is about McTeague, Trina and Schouler; an unholy trinity; originally Schouler and Trina are engaged, but somehow and for some reason, Schouler lets McTeague date Trina, and they get married. Trina has also bought a lottery ticket, which is a winner, but instead of sharing the money, or at least spending the money, she keeps it away from McTeague, who, in turn, gets violent with her. Schouler thinks he should get some of the money since he was engaged to Trina at the time she purchased the lottery ticket. Schouler and McTeague are not very likeable, but Trina is unlikeable and very creepy; you can almost see the greed eating away at her soul, and I'm not exaggerating. It's an age old story, and Stroheim tells it to great effect. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the film itself is a piece of cinematic history that might make a great movie one day.

8/11/17 Why We Fight, 1943-1945

Like Duck and Cover, my timing in watching this collection of documentary/propaganda films was unintentionally prescient given the events of the past weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. Why We Fight is a series of films that provide some historical context for what would become known as World War II, but given seventy years of hindsight, there is also obvious propaganda and some pretty uncomfortable stereotyping of our 'enemies' who are now our allies. The world has been turned on its head. The films are broken up into the different theaters of war: China, Russia, England, Europe, and the United States. Up until Pearl Harbor, the US was maintaining a stance of isolationism, and there is a film dedicated to presenting the reasons why the US ultimately got involved. The films are interesting from a historical perspective and what they must have meant seventy years ago. I was telling a friend at work that while the films could have some valuable educational content, in these days when it seems few people have any ability to perform critical thinking, I would be concerned they couldn't understand the difference between someone reporting something and someone endorsing the anti-Semitic or racist comments that were included in the films. There is value to be found, but I would say handle with care.

2016 Nominee: My Life as a Zucchini and Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut and a documentary short

5/28/17 My Life as a Zucchini, nominated Best Animated Feature, 2016

Something made me not all that eager about seeing the animated film My Life as a Zucchini; just one of those impressions you get from a trailer. Except, I think I was really wrong on this one. The movie is a Swiss/French production and the original release was in French, but the DVD from the library was in English with Erick Abbate as Zucchini; Nick Offerman as Raymond, a policeman; Ellen Page as Rosy, a social worker; and Amy Sedaris as mean Aunt Ida. The movie is described as an "adult animated comedy-drama", which sounds like something totally different in my head, and I don't completely agree. It is not a kiddie film, not for the youngest children, but I think older kids, 10 and up, could totally relate to this story of belonging, or not belonging, loss, non-traditional family structures. Zucchini (Courgette in French) lives with his mother, who drinks too much and can be abusive since his father left the family. One afternoon, in a particularly drunken rage, his mother comes up into the attic where he is, threatening him, and he slams the door on her, accidentally killing her. Wracked with guilt, Zucchini goes to the police to turn himself in and meets Officer Raymond, who is very kind and gentle with him, and takes him to an orphanage. It's difficult to fit, and Zucchini is teased by some of the kids; he also spends some time with Office Raymond. A young girl, Camille, comes to the orphanage, and she captures Zucchini's attention, and they become friends. Over time, the other kids start to accept Zucchini and he opens up to them as well. All the kids have different stories, parents who have died, abandoned them, been deported, etc. Learning about each other's backgrounds helps to break down the walls and suspicions between the kids. The kids perform a (semi) heroic act to rescue Camille from nasty Aunt Ida. I don't want to spoil the ending, so you'll need to watch the movie yourself. It took a while for the animation style to grow on me, but once it did, and I focused on the kids and their relationships, I really loved this movie.

5/28/17 Nine from Little Rock, Best Documentary Short 1964

Like most of the documentaries I have watched on the lives of African-Americans in America over the past 75 years, I watch and I think, it would be nice if this was just a piece of history. But, that's not how it is. Watching Nine from Little Rock shows us how far we came, but have fallen backwards. The documentary, filmed by Charles Guggenheim, who also did an award winning documentary on Robert F. Kennedy, was made seven years after the students first attended Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas in 1957. It was narrated by Jeffrey Thomas, one of the nine students, and he talks about that first day, and what he doesn't come out and say, the video shows us: the hate and venom being spewed by some very angry, hateful citizens of Little Rock. The film is only 20 minutes, so there isn't a lot of time to do any in depth analysis or interviews, but we do hear from most of the nine students, most of whom went on to college, and they talk about their aspirations going forward, and some continue working in the civil rights movements. Thomas is very well spoken and has a positive outlook about the struggles of his friends and his country, and a feeling of progress in terms of civil rights. As it stands now, in 2017, it seems like we've fallen back to pre-1957.

5/28/17 Eyes Wide Shut, 1999 #61 BBC

Well, I didn't hate it. Can I stop there? Director Stanley Kubrick has five films on the BBC list of 100 best American films, and Eyes Wide Shut is at #61 (this is also Kubrick's last film), one above The Shining which is at #62, and below Blue Velvet #60, by David Lynch, which I HATED. The short version of the plot is there is a married couple, Alice and Dr. Bill Hartford (played by [at the time] married couple Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise) who seem to be having some issues in their marriage after a strange holiday party. Bill reconnects with a friend from medical school who is now a piano player, who has a gig at a 'secret' party. This intrigues Bill so much that he wheedles the information out of Nick, and rents the required costume and makes his way out to a mansion where he is required to provide a password. Bill gets past the security to find a bizarre sex ritual going on, where he is warned away by one of the women there, but refuses to go until he is threatened by the "Red Cloak". On the home front, his wife is telling him of her sexual fantasies that involve a different man. Bill finds it hard to stay at home with Alice; it's as if he is discovering the city and its underbelly for the first time ever, he spends some time with a nice prostitute; meets an eccentric costume shop owner who pimps out his daughter; and one of his patients has sex with a drugged out prostitute. Many critics have found deep psycho-sexual meaning in the film, and elevate it to the highest level of filmmaking, and say that Nicole Kidman has a most sublime performance. Meh. I will say this: it's a beautiful film to look at it, which is no doubt one of the great thing about Kubrick's films, that, and gorgeous soundtracks.

Smile Pinki, lovable Mr. Magoo, The Magnificent Ambersons

4/15/17 Smile, Pinki, Best Documentary Short, 2008

For some reason, I thought I already reviewed this Oscar-winning documentary short, but apparently, I did not, so I re-watched it, and had a good cry all over again. Pinki is a young girl, born in India with a cleft lip. Cleft palettes and cleft lips are birth defects that can often be detected by ultra sound and treated early on, but in some countries, like India, cleft lips are not treated immediately, if at all. The children are often socially outcast, and face limited opportunities. The documentary follows Pinki and Ghutaru as they get a diagnosis/prognosis and eventually, surgery, at what is essentially, an open call for anyone suffering from the defects. Families come from all over Utter Pradesh, often on foot, like Pinki and her father and uncle, and sometimes their visit to the city is the first for them; they may borrow money for the food and transportation. The surgeries are provided free of charge by an organization called Smile Train. The surgeries almost seem like a conveyor belt, with many surgeries performed every day; I don't want to imply that the patients are treated like parts of the machinery, just that this organization has become extremely efficient, and they try to get the families in and out as soon as feasible, because sometimes it's the breadwinner who may be away with the child, and the longer they're away, the more money that may be needed for food. The changes are immediate; seeing the parents crying with joy because they know their children now have a chance to be 'normal' and go to school (the children often stop going because they are teased), get married, etc. The children smile for the first time and see their reflections and when they play with their friends, it's just made me cry. The special features on the DVD are worth watching because they show a little bit into how the director, Megan Mylan, wanted to film her subjects, but also how Pinki and her father traveled to the United States for the Oscars. She is perhaps six or seven at this time, and behaves like a lot of six and seven years old, occasionally overstimulated, often shy, coy and sometimes diva-like. The movie is available on DVD, but I also found it on YouTube. It's definitely worth watching.

5/5/17 The Magnificent Ambersons, 1942, National Film Registry, BBC #11

I don't know if I would have liked The Magnificent Ambersons when it released in 1942, but I did not like it in 2017. The Ambersons were a wealthy family in Indianapolis; daughter, Isabel (Dolores Costello), is very fond of Eugene Morgan (Joseph Cotton), but he makes an ass of himself one day, and she dumps him for the boring and seemingly stable, Wilbur Minafer. They have one child, George, who is spoiled rotten, and pretty much loathed by the whole town for being a bully and petulant young man, who never grows up. After leaving the city for several years, Eugene returns with his daughter, Lucy (Anne Baxter); George meets Lucy, not realizing the connection of their two families, and he tries to woo her. Eugene is an inventor of automobiles, which for some reason annoys George, who is very fond of his horse and carriage (I think it's because he's a sadist who likes to whip the horses). Agnes Moorehead is Aunt Fanny, and she is (unintentionally) very funny, breaking into hysterics, and totally infatuated with Eugene, even though he still loves Isabel. Eventually, the Ambersons fall from grace and lose their fortune, and poor George may have to get a j-o-b. It's only after his mother dies that he begins to edge towards being a human being, but I stopped caring long before then. And his move towards humanity was slow and seemed like a last grasp. Then he gets his legs broken by...an automobile, an evil automobile. I couldn't wait until it was over. Orson Welles wrote the screenplay, directed, produced and narrated. Apparently, the final version was very different from him vision, and about an hour shorter (small mercies). The movie was so melodramatic and I didn't find any of the characters sympathetic; they could have been, but they were mostly one dimensional and devoid of any depth. With all due respect to Orson Welles, the National Film Registry and the BBC, there are better movies out there from that period.

5/6/17 Mr. Magoo Revue (see what I did there?)

I actually watched several Mr. Magoo shorts this morning, and they all seem to follow the same theme: the lovable, short, extremely near-sighted Mr. Magoo gets into the most precarious and peculiar situations, and through good fortune, divine intervention and the occasional human intervention, he comes out unscathed. As predictable as they are, I still found myself laughing, rolling my eyes and laughing some more. I suppose that is because I relate somewhat to Mr. Magoo, in that sometimes I do absent-minded things, get lost with great regularity, and yet, manage to come out the other side. The shorts were no more than six minutes each. Jim Backus (familiar as Thurston Howell III from Gilligan's Island) voiced Quincy Magoo (that's some good trivia right there, What is Mr. Magoo's first name?).

Ragtime Bear, 1949 (first Magoo cartoon) This was the first Magoo short, and featured Mr. Magoo and his nephew, Waldo, go to a wilderness lodge, meeting a bear with a talent for playing the banjo. Mr. Magoo mistakes the bear for Waldo.
Pink and Blue Blues, nominated Best Animated Short, 1952 Ever the helpful neighbor, Mr. Magoo babysits his neighbor's baby boy. The problem is, he mistakes the family dog for the baby; gives the dog a bath, etc. and hilarity ensues.
When Magoo Flew, Best Animated Short, 1954 Mr. Magoo thinks he is going to the theatre to see a 3D film, when in fact, he gets on an airplane (this could never happen in a post 9/11 world), and sits next to a suspicious gentleman, who leaves his briefcase behind. Fearing he'll miss the movie, but not wanting his new friend to lose something important, he tries to find him, which results in him going outside of the plan, walking on the wing, scaring a passenger looking out of the window, as well as the pilots when he pops up in the front of the plane. All's well that ends well, as he disembarks (how he actually gets back to his place of departure is not addressed).
Magoo's Puddle Jumper, Best Animated Short, 1956 Mr. Magoo gets a new car, which takes him on a journey around the country, except not really, he just kept misreading billboards. He drove through a car wash, windows open, thinking he just crossed the state line.