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.