Review: Crossroads Short Films (2nd block)

Head in the Sand and Chronicles by the Other
Comedy/drama/war and comedy/drama/love
Malco Grandview Cinema
18 April 2010

The second block of short films I viewed were all very distict from one another. "Head in the sand" focuses on a young boy who loves to read war-related comic books and often imagines himself in a farce version of warfare; everything is a joke. Then, it becomes apparent that this little boy is much older and actually fighting in Afghanistan, where this fantasy transforms into a disturbing reality as he witnesses the horrors of warfare. In the end, we see how this is all in the past and he is now reaping the ramifications, for he has become a paraplegic. Overall, I thought this film was very well made; it had awesome special effects (for a budget I'm sure wasn't very high), very good sound editing, and very realistic locations and sets. The battle scenes were very realistic, with bullets zooming across the screen and explosions off in the distance. However, the acting was a bit cheesy at times, with some questionable lines of dialogue. But, the film made up for this with its very clever means of telling the story and its terrific ending. The ending, by far, was my favorite aspect of the film. After he has been company has been attacked and his fellow men are dying around him, everything fades; we are left with the main character in a very elusive state, observing an illuminating door in the middle of the desert. He walks through the door, which is a portal into the present reality and his unfortunate destiny has become manifest.
"Chronicles by the Other" is a french film about a love triangle between two males (whom are best friends) and their female next door neighbor. The tension begins to rise and feelings get hurt as these people begin to realize the complications of such a relationship, because both men love the woman. It ends on a very bizarre, yet comical, note where all three characters have become unified in one, three person relationship. The film's strongest element was the acting. The actors became the roles in which they were playing, for it almost seemed as though I was watching a documentary. Not only that, it seemed like alot of the dialogue was improvised, which (if this was the case) would be extremely impressive on their part. For the most part the camera work was handheld, but a few scenes had very stylized shots. In one scene, the characters are sitting at a table eating dinner; the camera is placed in the center of the table and begins to slowly rotate, giving the audience a unique perspective on their interactions and conversations. Furthermore, the film's had great use of music, which was sort of European-triphop. Overall, I felt that both of these films were very successful, especially for first-time film makers.

Review: Crossroads Short film Winners

I am a Man and The Big Bends
Documentary and Drama
Malco Grandview Cinema
18 April 2010

Of the block of short films winners that I screened Sunday, two in particular caught my attention: "I am a Man: From Memphis, A Lesson in Life" (documentary) and "The Big Bends" (drama). The first follows Elmore Nickleberry, a sanitation worker who drives and picks up garbage through obscure hours of the night. It begins as a film that documents this man's job and life at home. However, the film begins to evolve, giving the audience a historical perspective on the sanitation workers strike and the assasination of Martin Luther King Jr. The film, then, begins to focus on this particular man's account of all these events, as well as a his moral set of ethics that has made him the man he is today. One aspect that drew me towards this film was the focus on how most people (including myself) typically deem these workers "garbage men". This phrase was almost considered derogatory to them, and I never really understood why untill I was exposed to the entire history behind the sanitation strike. Also, it was facinating to see Elmore's moral code. We are revealed this through interviews with him, as well as his wife and children. Another aspect of the film I really enjoyed was the pace, which flowed very smooth, intercutting between the past and the present. As the film comes to an end, we see Elmore present a very powerful speech to middle school children, so powerful that some are even crying. This was a perfect note to end on, strongly reinforcing the theme of the film and exposing what it takes to actually be a man.
"The Big Bends" was far and away the best film I saw at the festival. It tells the story of Warren, a man who has been diagnosed with a terminal disease. After recieving this terrible news, he isolates himself in the middle of a desert in an RV. As he sits in self-loathing, waiting for death to take its toll, the film takes an interesting twist; he becomes involved with two illegal immigrants, a man and woman (whom is pregnant), desperately attempting to cross the border into the U.S. The film becomes a depressing tale of compassion and self-redemption, as he helps this couple make it safely towards their destination. Almost all of the elments of the film (acting, cinematography, and screenplay) were near perfect. Jimmy Lee Jr. , who played Warren, did a terrific job; he was convincing, intimidating, and emotional all at once. The lighting was exceptional; it was very dark with strong use of shadows, which was highly appropriate due to the disturbing nature of the film. From the opening shot (the RV in the vast landscape of the desert, with the sun setting behind a cliff) with a dramatic monologue about death and expectations, I turned to my friend said "This is going to be the best film we see here today". Fortunately, our observations were correct, and I hope to someday see this filmmaker in the future.

Review: Between Floors

Between Floors

Comedy/Drama

Academic Complex

14 April 2010

This film tells the story of five sets of characters, all stuck in elevators due to a power outage. In one elevator, there is a young man who is filming himself and is trying not to light a cigarette. Another has a man who is slowly beginning to loose his mind, by himself, as he is filmed through a camera inside the elevator (no sound). Next, we have an upper-class white family, with a completely self-indulgent mother, an apathetic father, and a near-mute daughter. The fourth is jam packed with roughly 12 people, who are desperately struggling to survive in such a closed space. And finally, we have two friends (one in a monkey suit) who have just gotten in a physical dispute over a woman. The film revolves around these diverse characters, slowly building up the tension and emotion as they sit in these confined spaces. Some seek redemption, some attempt to keep their sanity, and others come to self realizations, revealing qualities about people who they thought they knew or loved.

Unfortunately, the premise of this movie is far more intriguing than the actual movie itself. Running at 90 minutes long, I would have to say that the movie was about 80 minutes too long. Harsh, right? Well, what do you expect when the entire movie takes place inside elevators. It is nearly the same five repetitive shots over and over and over... without any change in scenery or any music to maintain interest. This would have made for a good short film, but a feature length is ridiculous. I literally felt as though I was trapped inside an elevator for 90 minutes, wanting to rip my hair out and scream like many of our fellow characters. For this movie to have succeeded would have required a top-notch screenplay and some incredible acting. But, it did not, and it suffered greatly from this. The film presented itself as a comedy/drama, but the dialogue was not funny enough to keep the audience interested, nor dramatic enough to make the audience sympathetic or strike any type of emotional cord. However, I will say that the story of the wife, husband, and daughter was by far the best because it actually had a plot. The rest of the stories seemed to be merely filler. I amend the director for attempting such a difficult task, but unfortunately, she was unsuccessful. Walking in, I felt optimistic and said to myself "there really could be something here"; when I walked out, I left with nothing.