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.
This blog focuses particularly on film, but also other forms of media. I typically give reviews of films, as well as critical discussions regarding other facets of media, asking spectators to leave comments, questions, concerns regarding a topic of discussion.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
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.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Review: God's Architects
God's Architects
Documentary
Academic Complex
23 March 2010
This film seeks to explore five men who all proclaim to be divinely inspired, by God, to construct unique creations in different areas around the U.S. These men do not get paid for their work; rather, they do it for reasons that are very personal. This is the most engaging aspect of the film: none of these men have a greedy or financial motive. As the film chronicles these men and their work we begin to see how and why they made the decision to attempt such an unconventional task. The stories become interwoven, revealing both parallels amongst the creators as well as a clear understanding of who these people are.
Visually speaking, this film has some pretty incredible shots of not only their creations (which are bizarre, but fascinating to view), but the areas and locations surrounding their constructions. For instance, Leonard Knight (one of the architects) lives in the middle of a desert in California and is working on painting a mountain titled "God is Love". The enormous structure, which is made up of hundreds of different colors and God knows how many buckets of paint, is in the midst of nothing but dirt and sand. Yet, there is something beautiful about the extreme contrast in color. This is just one example, but throughout the entire film we constantly see contrast of these man-made structures with beautiful shots of nature. Similarly, the music choice further enhances the visual aspect of the film by blending violin/piano pieces with some vocal-choir/church music. This is highly appropriate due to the faith driven aspect of the film. Another aspect that drove the film was the editing style. Instead of showing each architect and their story in sequential order, one following the next, Godshall decided to interweave the stories, cutting back and forth from one architect to the next. Not only did this make the film more interesting and intriguing, but it also reveals the skill and patience that went into completing this task successfully.
Although I really enjoyed the film, one problem I had relates to the tone and mood. At times I felt confused on how I was supposed to feel after viewing a particular scene. As a result, I found my self laughing at moments that may not have been intended to be comical. The film presented itself as a drama, but some characters were so absurd and off-the-wall that I didn't know whether to laugh, sympathize, or simply, be entertained. However, despite this personal flaw, I believe the film successfully accomplished its goal: to depict a range of men whose creativeness was motivated by faith, whether resulting from loss of a loved one, keeping a promise, or divine intervention.
Documentary
Academic Complex
23 March 2010
This film seeks to explore five men who all proclaim to be divinely inspired, by God, to construct unique creations in different areas around the U.S. These men do not get paid for their work; rather, they do it for reasons that are very personal. This is the most engaging aspect of the film: none of these men have a greedy or financial motive. As the film chronicles these men and their work we begin to see how and why they made the decision to attempt such an unconventional task. The stories become interwoven, revealing both parallels amongst the creators as well as a clear understanding of who these people are.
Visually speaking, this film has some pretty incredible shots of not only their creations (which are bizarre, but fascinating to view), but the areas and locations surrounding their constructions. For instance, Leonard Knight (one of the architects) lives in the middle of a desert in California and is working on painting a mountain titled "God is Love". The enormous structure, which is made up of hundreds of different colors and God knows how many buckets of paint, is in the midst of nothing but dirt and sand. Yet, there is something beautiful about the extreme contrast in color. This is just one example, but throughout the entire film we constantly see contrast of these man-made structures with beautiful shots of nature. Similarly, the music choice further enhances the visual aspect of the film by blending violin/piano pieces with some vocal-choir/church music. This is highly appropriate due to the faith driven aspect of the film. Another aspect that drove the film was the editing style. Instead of showing each architect and their story in sequential order, one following the next, Godshall decided to interweave the stories, cutting back and forth from one architect to the next. Not only did this make the film more interesting and intriguing, but it also reveals the skill and patience that went into completing this task successfully.
Although I really enjoyed the film, one problem I had relates to the tone and mood. At times I felt confused on how I was supposed to feel after viewing a particular scene. As a result, I found my self laughing at moments that may not have been intended to be comical. The film presented itself as a drama, but some characters were so absurd and off-the-wall that I didn't know whether to laugh, sympathize, or simply, be entertained. However, despite this personal flaw, I believe the film successfully accomplished its goal: to depict a range of men whose creativeness was motivated by faith, whether resulting from loss of a loved one, keeping a promise, or divine intervention.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Trimpin: The Sound of Invention
Trimpin: The Sound of Invention
Documentary/Music
Academic Complex
16 February 2010
This documentary focuses on the life of Trimpin, a composer/inventor whose music is like nothing you have ever heard before. The film chronicles his life and his attempt to create something completely original and unique...music manifest in every object. It traces back to his childhood, revealing the origins that made him the "mad scientist of music" that he is today. It portrays the difficultly in attempting to sell his music to a mass audience, particularly an audience that will allow him complete artistic control of his concerts and, more importantly, an actual venue to perform. Once he has finally gotten approval to begin performing these 'futuristic-symphonies,' his life dream, it ends on a very thought provoking note: it will take him the remainder of his lifetime to truly grasp, and master the concept of his music.
One thing that I found very interesting was that the entire film's score was Trimpin's orginal music that he had composed over the course of his life. This element gave the film a very personal and realistic overtone. I truly felt as though I was inside the mind of a completely unique human being, a Motzart of the 21st century. Much like I felt after watching the documentary Man on Wire, I felt privledged to be able to peer into Trimpin's head and look what was inside. Very few people in this world appreciate the most minute aspects of life, such as the sound a river makes when it runs through logs or the sound of a marble circulating a glass track. Trimpin is a minority who falls under this category. Essentially, this almost childlike quality is the epitome of his artistic success. This movie serves as a great inspiration to anyone who is attempting to create anything, music, film, art, etc. On a different note, I really liked how the director chose not to incorporate the technological aspect of actually constructing these instruments, for I fear that if he had, the film would have lost the overall message it was trying to convey. I can honestly say that there isn't anything I would have done differently, and I can safely assume that Trimpin himself would say the same.
Documentary/Music
Academic Complex
16 February 2010
This documentary focuses on the life of Trimpin, a composer/inventor whose music is like nothing you have ever heard before. The film chronicles his life and his attempt to create something completely original and unique...music manifest in every object. It traces back to his childhood, revealing the origins that made him the "mad scientist of music" that he is today. It portrays the difficultly in attempting to sell his music to a mass audience, particularly an audience that will allow him complete artistic control of his concerts and, more importantly, an actual venue to perform. Once he has finally gotten approval to begin performing these 'futuristic-symphonies,' his life dream, it ends on a very thought provoking note: it will take him the remainder of his lifetime to truly grasp, and master the concept of his music.
One thing that I found very interesting was that the entire film's score was Trimpin's orginal music that he had composed over the course of his life. This element gave the film a very personal and realistic overtone. I truly felt as though I was inside the mind of a completely unique human being, a Motzart of the 21st century. Much like I felt after watching the documentary Man on Wire, I felt privledged to be able to peer into Trimpin's head and look what was inside. Very few people in this world appreciate the most minute aspects of life, such as the sound a river makes when it runs through logs or the sound of a marble circulating a glass track. Trimpin is a minority who falls under this category. Essentially, this almost childlike quality is the epitome of his artistic success. This movie serves as a great inspiration to anyone who is attempting to create anything, music, film, art, etc. On a different note, I really liked how the director chose not to incorporate the technological aspect of actually constructing these instruments, for I fear that if he had, the film would have lost the overall message it was trying to convey. I can honestly say that there isn't anything I would have done differently, and I can safely assume that Trimpin himself would say the same.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Review: Blessed is the Match: the Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
Blessed is the Match: the Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
Documentary/drama
Recital Hall
24 January 2010
To begin, this film tells the fascinating, yet relatively unknown, story of Hannah Senesh, a young Jewish girl who was a poet, farmer, philosopher, and most of all a hero. Growing up in Hungary, Hannah was a very gifted child who, against her mother's wishes, made the decision to not attend college and pursue an agricultural career in Palestine. Fortunately, for her sake, she couldn't have left Hungary at a better time, seeing as the Nazi's would occupy that territory not too long after her departure. For the first time, Hannah begins to see the persecutaion of her heritage and, as a result, felt a spiritual calling to join a resistance group and become a paratrooper in an attempt to try and help save some of her fellow people who were in the midst of a horrible genocide. Unfortunately, Hannah is discovered by a Gustapo officer, captured, brutally tortured, sent to trial, convicted of her crimes by her own native country, and ultimately, executed. Not only is this film very educational and emotional, it is very artistic-with very beautiful black and white cinematography and music that is so haunting that it literally sends shivers down your spine. Also, it was great that the producers had acquired so many photos that Hannah had taken, her poetry, and her personal diary. These personal items were the driving force behind the success of making this incredible story come to life.
Typically, in my viewing experience of documentaries, one consistent problem lies within the film that is incorperated in the documentary whenever real-life footage is not available. For the most part, these 'films within a film' usually look cheap, hurridly put together, and have an artistic value equal to that of the masterminds behind films like Epic Movie and Meet the Spartans. I can safely say that, for this film, this is certainly not the case. It was shot in a very clean black and white, with excellent camera work and actors who, although had very few lines of dialogue, conveyed expressions and emotions that continued to make the audience sympathize despite knowing that these were not the actual real life people that were being portrayed. Also, the way this story was told was simple, but perfect. It literally went from the begining of her life to her final days spent inside a Jewish prison with her mother, on the outside, watching her inevitable and horrific fate unfold. Essentially, this is a near-perfect documentary-one that engages the audience emotionally while still reporting the facts and the history behind this tradgic story. In retrospect, Hannah Senesh was truly a great hero, a person whose characteristics, as beautifully said by one of her prison mates and friends, consisted of a perfect combination of "courage and gentleness."
Documentary/drama
Recital Hall
24 January 2010
To begin, this film tells the fascinating, yet relatively unknown, story of Hannah Senesh, a young Jewish girl who was a poet, farmer, philosopher, and most of all a hero. Growing up in Hungary, Hannah was a very gifted child who, against her mother's wishes, made the decision to not attend college and pursue an agricultural career in Palestine. Fortunately, for her sake, she couldn't have left Hungary at a better time, seeing as the Nazi's would occupy that territory not too long after her departure. For the first time, Hannah begins to see the persecutaion of her heritage and, as a result, felt a spiritual calling to join a resistance group and become a paratrooper in an attempt to try and help save some of her fellow people who were in the midst of a horrible genocide. Unfortunately, Hannah is discovered by a Gustapo officer, captured, brutally tortured, sent to trial, convicted of her crimes by her own native country, and ultimately, executed. Not only is this film very educational and emotional, it is very artistic-with very beautiful black and white cinematography and music that is so haunting that it literally sends shivers down your spine. Also, it was great that the producers had acquired so many photos that Hannah had taken, her poetry, and her personal diary. These personal items were the driving force behind the success of making this incredible story come to life.
Typically, in my viewing experience of documentaries, one consistent problem lies within the film that is incorperated in the documentary whenever real-life footage is not available. For the most part, these 'films within a film' usually look cheap, hurridly put together, and have an artistic value equal to that of the masterminds behind films like Epic Movie and Meet the Spartans. I can safely say that, for this film, this is certainly not the case. It was shot in a very clean black and white, with excellent camera work and actors who, although had very few lines of dialogue, conveyed expressions and emotions that continued to make the audience sympathize despite knowing that these were not the actual real life people that were being portrayed. Also, the way this story was told was simple, but perfect. It literally went from the begining of her life to her final days spent inside a Jewish prison with her mother, on the outside, watching her inevitable and horrific fate unfold. Essentially, this is a near-perfect documentary-one that engages the audience emotionally while still reporting the facts and the history behind this tradgic story. In retrospect, Hannah Senesh was truly a great hero, a person whose characteristics, as beautifully said by one of her prison mates and friends, consisted of a perfect combination of "courage and gentleness."