February 27th --
This category is clearly a two film race, but I will briefly remark on all the nominees:
AVE MARIA - This supposed 'comedy' about three grossly stereotypical Israeli settlers stranded at a convent in the Arab part of the West Bank as the Sabbath approaches is poorly shot, over-acted, and (oh yes) not funny! How it made the cut boggles the mind.
ALLES WIRD GUT ("Everything will be okay") - Gripping (at first), this story of a divorced father's plans with his unsuspecting 8-year-old daughter (very well-played by Julia ('yoolia') Pointner), builds the tension slowly, but the overlong climax makes you think the filmmaker just didn't know how to end the movie.
DAY ONE (USA) - A story of an Afghan interpreter's first day on the job with a U.S. unit is commendable: good camerawork, production values, acting. The story, however, is a bit melodramatic for my tastes (it could be a dark-horse winner).
Like a well-crafted short story, these next two nominees are perfectly realized: concise, atmospheric, and moving. Of course, I thought the same thing in 2014 with the exceptional French-Chinese entry "Butter Lamp," and it lost! #OscarsSoStupid
STUTTERER (UK) - The British entry tells the story of a shy, witty introvert who has a way with words online and in his head, but when he tried to verbalize them ... the title says it all. The crisis comes when a longtime online girlfriend wants to meet: the resolution is satisfying and 'sweet' (and no, that is not a put down).
SHOK (Kosovo) - My pick to win the Oscar, hands-down, is this gut-wrenching story from the Serbian war in Kosovo. Two boys' friendship is tested as one tries to do business with the Serbian troops who are occupying his land. The theme of innocence and complicity in an indifferent world is the stuff of great Italian cinema, which this short recalls -- no mean feat in a 30-minute film! The two young leads (Andi Bajgora and Lum Veseli) are naturals (and I assume are non-professionals, like much of the cast). The ending will haunt you -- and I will haunt the Academy of this film doesn't win!! #OscarsSoStupid
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
A short recap of the Oscar "Shorts" categories (Part 1)
February 24th:
As a tune-up for the Big Reveal of my OSCAR Predictions at the weekend, here are my impressions (and predictions) for two of the "shorts" categories: Best Documentary Short and Best Live Action Short. (I call it a short recap, because for the third year in a row I am boycotting the Best Animated Short category, as the company that releases the "Oscar Shorts" programs insist on charging separate admission for what is, at most, 40 minutes of nominated films. They always pad it with another 35 minutes of non-nominated animation to (barely) get to 75 minutes. Rip off!
In Part 1, I cover
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
I skipped this category last year, because the subject matter of the films was too depressing: Suicide-pollution-terminal illness-old age-and death! This year's features are more upbeat: Ebola-honor killings-capital punishment-birth defects-and (wait for it) The Holocaust! Welcome to the world of documentary shorts.
This category has come a long way in a short time--and that is not necessarily a good thing! I blame HBO and other television "providers" that have flooded this category with well-produced, high-quality films. Why is that a problem? Because in six months, you know they are going to be shown on TV, then nominated for Emmys! That does not seem fair: pick a format, HBO, and stick to it!
The first nominee, "Body Team 12" would have been in contention in years past: it is a brief slice of life following a Ebola body disposal unit in Liberia. While an important, under-reported subject, it just does not have the production values (or length) of the other nominees. And this is one of the 3 HBO Documentary Films!
The other two HBO Films are: "A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness" and "Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah." HBO loves to use that colon (:). The first, dealing with a botched 'honor killing' in Pakistan, is thought-provoking, beautifully-filmed, and powerful: all features it has in common with the last film I championed that won this category in 2013: "Saving Face" -- about acid attacks against women ... IN PAKISTAN! (WTF Pakistan?) I am compelled to add that this was an HBO Film, too -- HBO knows where the Golden Goose is! Although it is a little too slick for my tastes, I predict this film WILL WIN the Oscar.
The Lanzmann movie is better, in my opinion. It is gripping and introspective throughout (I admit I am drawn to the subject matter, having seen the director's 9.5-hour magnum opus "Shoah" in one, all-day screening). In any other year, I would WANT this to win, but the final nominee blew me away. No, it is not the most-slickly produced, technically superior film among the five, but it has all the heart, determination, and spirit of its subject: I am talking about "Chau, Beyond the Lines." It is the story of a Vietnamese youth born with horrible birth defects, caused by his mother's exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam during the war. I still have not recovered from watching Chau overcome indescribable odds to pursue a career as an artist, while confronting my own complicity (as a U.S. citizen) in contributing to his condition, and that of many other youth who are surviving despite the world's indifference.
The less I say about the last nominee, "Last Day of Freedom," the better. Not for its subject matter: an interview with the brother of a black Vietnam Vet suffering PTSD long before society took notice of such a condition, who has an episode that results in the murder of an elderly woman in Sacramento, CA. The reminiscences of the brother who turned him in and later watched his execution are inherently powerful. So why did the filmmakers rely on the distracting, and distancing device of animating the entire movie? It was a chore to sit through (but it may be a dark horse choice for the #OscarsSoWhite Academy). No pun intended!
Next: Part II:
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
As a tune-up for the Big Reveal of my OSCAR Predictions at the weekend, here are my impressions (and predictions) for two of the "shorts" categories: Best Documentary Short and Best Live Action Short. (I call it a short recap, because for the third year in a row I am boycotting the Best Animated Short category, as the company that releases the "Oscar Shorts" programs insist on charging separate admission for what is, at most, 40 minutes of nominated films. They always pad it with another 35 minutes of non-nominated animation to (barely) get to 75 minutes. Rip off!
In Part 1, I cover
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
I skipped this category last year, because the subject matter of the films was too depressing: Suicide-pollution-terminal illness-old age-and death! This year's features are more upbeat: Ebola-honor killings-capital punishment-birth defects-and (wait for it) The Holocaust! Welcome to the world of documentary shorts.
This category has come a long way in a short time--and that is not necessarily a good thing! I blame HBO and other television "providers" that have flooded this category with well-produced, high-quality films. Why is that a problem? Because in six months, you know they are going to be shown on TV, then nominated for Emmys! That does not seem fair: pick a format, HBO, and stick to it!
The first nominee, "Body Team 12" would have been in contention in years past: it is a brief slice of life following a Ebola body disposal unit in Liberia. While an important, under-reported subject, it just does not have the production values (or length) of the other nominees. And this is one of the 3 HBO Documentary Films!
The other two HBO Films are: "A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness" and "Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah." HBO loves to use that colon (:). The first, dealing with a botched 'honor killing' in Pakistan, is thought-provoking, beautifully-filmed, and powerful: all features it has in common with the last film I championed that won this category in 2013: "Saving Face" -- about acid attacks against women ... IN PAKISTAN! (WTF Pakistan?) I am compelled to add that this was an HBO Film, too -- HBO knows where the Golden Goose is! Although it is a little too slick for my tastes, I predict this film WILL WIN the Oscar.
The Lanzmann movie is better, in my opinion. It is gripping and introspective throughout (I admit I am drawn to the subject matter, having seen the director's 9.5-hour magnum opus "Shoah" in one, all-day screening). In any other year, I would WANT this to win, but the final nominee blew me away. No, it is not the most-slickly produced, technically superior film among the five, but it has all the heart, determination, and spirit of its subject: I am talking about "Chau, Beyond the Lines." It is the story of a Vietnamese youth born with horrible birth defects, caused by his mother's exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam during the war. I still have not recovered from watching Chau overcome indescribable odds to pursue a career as an artist, while confronting my own complicity (as a U.S. citizen) in contributing to his condition, and that of many other youth who are surviving despite the world's indifference.
The less I say about the last nominee, "Last Day of Freedom," the better. Not for its subject matter: an interview with the brother of a black Vietnam Vet suffering PTSD long before society took notice of such a condition, who has an episode that results in the murder of an elderly woman in Sacramento, CA. The reminiscences of the brother who turned him in and later watched his execution are inherently powerful. So why did the filmmakers rely on the distracting, and distancing device of animating the entire movie? It was a chore to sit through (but it may be a dark horse choice for the #OscarsSoWhite Academy). No pun intended!
Next: Part II:
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
Sunday, February 07, 2016
A belated review of MAD MAX: Fury Road
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Director: George Miller
(Gearing up for the Academy awards -- Sunday, Feb. 28th @ 7PM on ABC!! -- I recently caught-up with this movie in its theatrical re-release, and feel compelled to share my thoughts before the big unveiling of my own TOP TEN MOVIE LIST -- date TBD).
This action movie is nothing short of 'visionary' -- of course, this being the latest in the Mad Max franchise, the vision is of a dystopian, post-apocalyptic Hellscape called Australia -- but what can one expect?
After a 30-year hiatus since Mad Max went Beyond Thunderdome, what is amazing is that the septuagenarian Aussie director George Miller not only still has the vision, he gives the series a jolt of adrenaline to excite both old and new audiences. (J.J. Abrams does something comparable with STAR WARS, under much more pressure from fans, and he likewise succeeds beyond expectations).
Mr. Miller can teach every Hollywood young-gun director a thing of two about staging action scenes : this entire movie is one extended chase sequence, on an epic scale, and he piles on one mind-blowing set piece after another (think 'pole-vaulting bad guys'). From the opening scene, the movie drops you into a horrifying existence, with little exposition, and forces you to go along for the ride.
The visual effects alone are worthy of an Oscar, but the cinematography, hair & make-up, sound mixing, and sound effects editing are also top notch. A note on the actors: amidst the chaos around her, Charlize Theron conveys more with her eyes than many a silent film star did. It is loud, confusing, and unrelenting. And for a movie-lover, it is why you go to the movies.
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