Shorts People Got No Reason...

SHORTS!

Here we go...

I saw the Animated and Live Action Shorts in one evening. I had to pay for both movies and $15 for parking and since I have been an AMC member I have been accustomed to not paying at the theater so I felt pretty grumpy. Also, I stopped for a coffee before so that I wouldn't sleep through all these short films and I drank too fast and burned my mouth severely. I'm saying it started out rough. But even so there were a lot of really strong shorts so let's get to them.

ANIMATED

Magic Candies - This was so very cute! A little boy who doesn't have friends buys some magic candies that allow him to hear things he normally can't. First he hears from the sofa who wants him to get the remote out of his cushions and tell his dad to stop farting, then he hears his dog's messages, his deceased grandma's voice, his dad's thoughts and then I guess hid own inner voice. Really enjoyable short!

In the Shadow of the Cypress - very metaphorical piece about trauma and how it keeps hurting you and everyone around you. A very austere style of animation. Great message but felt a little heady.

Yuck! - This French film focuses on kissing; how predictable. A gaggle of kids all vacationing at the same campgrounds become obsessed with all the adults kissing around them and how gross it is. In this world lips turn glittery pink when someone wants to kiss and eventually two of the kids catch the bug too. I kept worrying about the color and light cues we would get for further arousal. Thanks, French people.

***At this point they warned us about nudity! Hide your kids.***

Wander to Wonder - Unhinged. A human hosts a kids' show about a magical land of little creatures that look like bears with wild eyes and gaping mouths. We watch as the little people, who seem to be real, try to continue to film episodes of their show despite the human dying in his home/studio. There's a lot of flies and starvation and a fire (too soon for me! No thanks.) I don't quite know WHAT was going on but I was intrigued for sure.

Beautiful Men - Men check into a hotel to get hair transplant surgery and they bond, they fight, they get lost in an unexplained fog and eventually set the hotel on fire in order to clear the appointments they need. This one struggled to keep my attention. 

LIVE ACTION

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent - A train is stopped and an unidentified armed force begins rounding up muslims. One guy says he'll stop it but then another one actually stands against the injustice. This felt really incomplete.

Anuja - An Indian girl must choose between an entrance exam to boarding school or starting a new job that helps her older sister maintain stability. The dilemma is set up really well and in the end they sort of overdo the cross cutting and elongating of the moment of choice only to not give you the outcome. It felt like a cheat.

I'm Not A Robot - This was my favorite! A woman at work tries to pass the CAPTHCA test only to fail and receive disturbing news. I love that it starts with a simple daily task that any of us can relate to and then it sort of spirals out of control. The ending wasn't perfect but it was still a really great piece.

A Lien - A family shows up to the dad's green card appointment only to have ICE come in and abduct him before he can get his legal paperwork. Apparently this really happens which is so wrong and very sad. The editing of this short was top notch and overall it was high quality.

The Last Ranger - This is about a ranger who protects rhinos on a reserve in South Africa and the child that she inspires. This one is also very well done with good pacing and editing! This one tips over into sentimentality a bit but it's hard not to with the subject matter. Beautiful cinematography in the wilds of Africa.

DOCUMENTARY

These were the last screening I went out for two days before the Oscars. Three hours of mostly dire shorts! Ugh. And when I was the only one in the theatre a guy comes in and sits with one seat in between us. You can spread out a bit more, my guy! What gives?

Death by Numbers - This was my favorite. One of the Parkland school shooting survivors faces the shooter at his trial. It felt at least somewhat empowering for her and I appreciated that energy.

I'm Ready Warden - As the title suggests it follows the journey of an inmate on death row. There are some compelling moments in this like watching the son of the victim realize that the death of his father's murderer does not help him in any way. There were moments that felt too sensitive - like a 16 year old son saying goodbye to his dad for the last time - that made me question the film makers.

Incident - A real time opportunity to witness how cops create a narrative after killing a citizen. It feels terrible to see it happen and know you cannot change how this system operates and gets the same result over and over again. Infuriating.

Instruments of a Beating Heart - A Japanese first grader on a journey of learning to do hard things. I appreciate how it is presented without comment or framing. It's a sweet and positive watch.

The Only Girl in the Orchestra - A look at the retirement of the first woman to play with the New York Philharmonic. She is cute and quirky and insanely talented, amazingly focused and so humble that it actually gets quite annoying. It's lovely to get a peek into her world and passion.