Archive for February, 2017

2017 Oscar Nominated Short Films (Part 2 of 2)

Posted in Awards, Shorts with tags on February 22, 2017 by Mark Hobin

For the past decade, ShortsHD has made all three of the Oscar-nominated short film programs (animated, live action, documentary) available to audiences around the world.

Live Action

The live-action compilation was released to theaters on February 10th, giving the public the opportunity to see the nominated entries before the Oscar Awards ceremony on February 26th.

In addition to the theatrical release, the nominated live-action and animated shorts will also be accessible online ( iTunes, Amazon Instant Video) and on VOD/Pay-per-view Platforms (AT&T, Comcast, DIRECTV, etc) starting February 21st.

Recently the award for the live-action segment has gone to the more upbeat title in a sea of misery.  The lighthearted touch of last year’s winner Stutterer stood out from the pack. It’s virtually impossible to predict which of these will win this year, but I’ve listed them in order of my own personal preference from best to worst.

Interestingly, unlike in the other short categories (docs and animation), there’s nary a US or UK production in the bunch.

 

Timecode
SPAIN/15MINS/2016
Director: Juanjo Giménez Peñ
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Luna and Diego are car-park security guards, working class stiffs stuck in a dull job. A subtle animosity between boss and employee is felt but never explicitly stated. However, the human spirit has a way of making the best of a dreary situation and these two enliven their jobs in the most curious of ways. Not going to explain what happens because it’s these unexpected developments that make this tale so enchanting. A real charmer.

 

Sing (Hungarian: Mindenki)
HUNGARY/25MINS/2016
Director: Kristof Deák
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Sweet drama about Zsofi, a new girl trying to fit in at school. She’s ecstatic to become a member of the school’s famous choir. Excitement turns to disillusionment, however, when she discovers the inspirational choir director isn’t quite as wonderful as she thought. Crowd-pleasing tale builds to an inspiring conclusion.

 

La Femme et le TGV (English: The Railroad Lady)
SWITZERLAND/30MINS/2016
Director: Timo von Gunten
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Elise Lafontaine waves at the express train that passes her house every day. One day, she discovers a letter that has been thrown from the high-speed rail service in her garden. She starts a promising correspondence with him as she imagines a budding romance with the conductor.

Whimsical fluff offers a restrained performance by English actress (and 70s muse) Jane Birkin. Her aging bakery owner doesn’t quite seem “all there” but nevertheless this optimistic tale has its moments.

 

Ennemis intérieurs (English: Enemies Within)
FRANCE/28MINS/2016
Director: Sélim Aazzazi
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The conversation takes place almost entirely inside the claustrophobic room of an immigration office. This two-hander is a nice showcase for actors Hassam Ghancy as the Algerian wishing to become a French citizen and Najib Oudghiri as a focused interrogator. Heavy handed story concerning immigration certainly has its finger on the current political conversion.

 

Silent Nights
DENMARK/30MINS/2016
Director: Aske Bang
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The chronicle starts out as a simple love story between different cultures. Then manages to pile on immigration, racism, poverty, homelessness, alcoholism, romance, adultery and a pregnancy in a scant 30 minutes. This plot has so many ridiculous twists at the end, it’s impossible to care. Initially appealing main characters become unsympathetic. Shame after a promising start.

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2017 Oscar Nominated Short Films (Part 1 of 2)

Posted in Animation, Awards, Shorts with tags on February 21, 2017 by Mark Hobin

For the past decade, ShortsHD has made all three of the Oscar-nominated short film programs (animated, live action, documentary) available to audiences around the world.

Animation

The animated compilation was released to theaters on February 10th, giving the public the opportunity to see the nominated entries before the Oscar Awards ceremony on February 26th.

In addition to the theatrical release, the nominated live-action and animated shorts will also be accessible online ( iTunes, Amazon Instant Video) and on VOD/Pay-per-view Platforms (AT&T, Comcast, DIRECTV, etc) starting February 21st.

The animated segment is often my favorite of the shorts programs because they are the most succinct.  They elicit both joy and sadness, sometimes in the span of 5 minutes.

I’ve ranked them in the order from best to worst.

[Side Note: How Disney’s delightful Inner Workings got snubbed is beyond me.  The animated short aired theatrically before Moana so millions saw it.  Perhaps it was too thematically similar to Pixar’s 2015 feature Inside Out.]

 

Piper
USA/6MINS/2016
Director: Alan Barillaro
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Piper was released alongside Pixar’s Finding Dory last year. Given that it made $486 million, chances are you’ve seen this one already.

Not much story to speak of. A baby sandpiper learns to overcome her fear of water. So why is this my favorite short?  1), The photo realism is rendered so perfectly that it transcends current animation. Director Alan Barillaro utilizes new technology to advance the medium forward with visuals we haven’t seen before. 2.) Its buoyant atmosphere stands out in this mostly downbeat collection of nominees.  Piper is uplifting and it made me feel better than anything in this largely depressing lot.

 

Pearl
USA/6MINS/2016
Director: Patrick Osborne
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A father and his daughter travel across the country in their beat up broken down hatchback affectionally known as Pearl. He’s a musician and the story follows the pair through the years as they grow older. A reflection on how our lives change and the way our talents are learned from those that mold us. A poignant tale.

Director Patrick Osborne took home the 2015 Oscar for Best Animated Short with Feast.

 

Blind Vaysha
CANADA/8MINS/2016
Director: Theodore Ushev
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Vasyha is born with one green eye and one brown eye. That’s harmless enough but it gets worse. A terrible curse prevents the girl from living in the present. Her left eye sees only the past. Her right, only the future. Grim fable has a clear moral. Savor the present moment! The fantasy is captivatingly odd but bleak.

 

Pear Cider and Cigarettes
CANADA & UK/35MINS/2016
Director: Robert Valley
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This nihilistic tale concerns a hard-living man named Techno Stypes. He starts out as a golden boy athlete but wastes his life away as a rabid alcoholic. Techno’s behavior soon demands he must get a liver transplant. Vancouver animator Robert Valley narrates the autobiographical tale about his childhood buddy.  

The short has the feel of a graphic novel and embraces a decidedly rock-and-roll vibe. Lots of music is played throughout. It all make sense when you learn that Valley is known for his work on the Gorillaz music videos.  Style to spare, but the story left me cold.

 

Borrowed Time
USA/7MINS/2015
Directors: Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou-Lhadj
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An old Sheriff returns to the scene of an accident that has haunted him his entire life. Directors Lou Hamou-Lhadj and Andrew Coats have both worked together at Pixar so you can best believe the animation looks good.  However, this is far darker than anything that studio has ever produced. 7 minutes really isn’t enough time to properly convey the emotional depth of this grave tale.

Points for the score by Oscar-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain) though.

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The Red Turtle

Posted in Adventure, Animation, Family with tags on February 18, 2017 by Mark Hobin

the-red-turtle-2016-01STARS3.5The story, such as it is, begins when a man adrift in a storm washes ashore on an uninhabited island. At first, he forages for food, but after awhile he endeavors to escape. He builds a raft.  However, at sea, a large red sea turtle swims below and smashes the boat from underneath. The man swims back to the island. He tries, again and again with an increasingly bigger raft and each time the animal foils his attempts. Then one evening, the man spies the creature on the beach attempting to crawl inland. In a fit of rage, he hits the turtle over the head with a bamboo stick and then turns it upside down, setting in motion a fantasy that will blend elements of Hans Christian Andersen with an already Robinson Crusoe influenced tale.

The Red Turtle is a partnership between Japanese Studio Ghibli and French distributor Wild Bunch. Dutch-British animator Michaël Dudok de Wit is doing the artwork. He received international recognition after winning the Oscar for his 2000 short film Father and Daughter. This is his debut feature. His style is reminiscent of Belgian cartoonist Hergé and his comic The Adventures of Tintin. It’s nice to see there’s still a place for the hand-drawn animation that has been widely rejected in recent years by major animation houses like Disney and Pixar. This production is above all an exquisitely animated gem.

The Red Turtle is an artistic work that is virtually wordless. Except for a few shouts of “Hey!” or cries of “Aargh!” there is no dialogue at all. The illustrations draw explicit attention to naturalistic detail. Beauty lies in the meditation on the flora and fauna – the whisper of the wind through the trees, an approaching rain, the buzz of cicadas in the forest, the rhythmic splash of waves against the sand, seeing the stars and moonlight reflected on the water. Whether it be a flock of birds flying overhead or a cast of crabs acting like cartoon sidekicks, this concentrated reflection on nature never ceases to be calm and comforting.

The Red Turtle coasts on ambient noise and wildlife sounds. Assisting the atmosphere is the sumptuous score of composer Laurent Perez Del Mar. By itself, the music is lushly atmospheric, but when paired with the gorgeous spectacle it occasionally veers to excess as it overly emphasizes the emotional cues.  When a tsunami hits, the music swells.  The visual splendor is enough. There’s no need to gild the lily.  Nevertheless, the exhibition is certainly a delight for aesthetes who prefer mood to plot and a languid pace over action.  While The Red Turtle feels like a short expanded to feature length, it’s undeniably pleasant and serene. Its simple joys are pure.

02-16-17

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The LEGO Batman Movie

Posted in Action, Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Superhero with tags on February 12, 2017 by Mark Hobin

lego_batman_movie_ver4STARS3.5Back in 2014, Batman was introduced as a supporting role in The Lego Movie, an animated tale from Warner Bros. Now the Dark Knight has returned. Both his gravelly voice and out-sized ego are in full force in this humorous take that is his most (deliberately) funny manifestation yet. I still contend Joel Schumacher’s 1997 Batman & Robin is unintentionally funnier.  Director Chris McKay (Cartoon Network’s Robot Chicken), who worked as an editor on The Lego Movie, is making his feature film debut here and he maintains the buoyant quality of the first picture.

The Lego Batman Movie is a rollicking good time. The light and breezy humor pokes fun at its own creation. The pop culture amalgamation is steeped in self-aware satire. It relies heavily on Batman history and every incarnation he’s ever had. Not only sampling from Tim Burton’s and Christopher Nolan’s work but from comic books, the campy 60s TV show, and animated adaptations as well. Unless you’re a superhero savant, it should be impossible to correctly place all the references. I laughed at a part where they recite a ridiculously long list of villains.  The Riddler, Catwoman and the Penguin I knew, but Polka-Dot Man, Crazy Quilt, and the Condiment King? I chuckled at the seemingly made up names. I had no idea that they were all real characters. The joke is amusing either way.

If you thought the triumph of The Lego Movie was a fluke, prepare to be surprised once more. The Lego Batman Movie is another delight. It’s smart and witty in a way that everyone, even this comic book illiterate, can enjoy. Batman fights crime by night but by day he lives an ordinary existence. He retires to his living room to watch a live action projection of Jerry Maguire on a big screen while he eats his microwaved Lobster Thermidor. His computer assistant informs him he has an expired Bed Bath & Beyond coupon, “but I hear some stores will honor them after the expiration date,” she offers. That’s so random it’s genius. Listen closely for a mention of cheesy 80s martial arts flick Gymkata.

But The Lego Batman Movie is first and foremost about the Caped Crusader. He’s once again articulated by Will Arnett. His absurd rendition stands in stark contrast to the dark and brooding iterations of the cinematic adaptations since 1989. Nevertheless, his goofy performance ranks up there with the very best. It’s a clever choice that his Arrested Development co-star Michael Cera voices Robin. The cast is spirited.  Rosario Dawson is the new police commissioner, Barbara Gordon. Ralph Fiennes is Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler. Zach Galifianakis is the Joker. Even Mariah Carey plays a character. The whole production is agreeable fun. If there’s a quibble, it’s that the story is merely a perfunctory excuse to make wisecracks.  Even as the narrative sags in the 2nd half, the action continues to zoom forward in an increasingly eccentric fashion.  It plays for 15 minutes too long. Still, there are enough left-field references and rapid-fire gags to entertain. In fact, it’s tough to catch them all the first time around. I just might be willing to see it a second time.

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Split

Posted in Horror, Thriller with tags on February 2, 2017 by Mark Hobin

split_ver2STARS1It’s a testament to my tolerance level that I continue to give M. Night Shyamalan a chance despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. I haven’t enjoyed any of his films since Signs in 2002. That was 15 years ago and yet I still keep hoping that one day he’ll exhibit a flicker of his former talent. I wasn’t even going to give his latest a chance after The Visit (2015), a shaky-cam found-footage non-starter of a project. However reviews for Split were positive and it drew a healthy box office so I thought, how bad could it be? Pretty awful as a matter of fact. I didn’t foresee that the big twist of this M. Night Shyamalan film was that such an inferior product would implausibly become a success.

Split starts out interestingly enough. Three girls (Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula) are getting ready to leave a birthday party. The father of the guest of honor is going to drive them home. He is approached in the parking lot by a mysterious figure after the girls are already in the car. The next minute the stranger gets into the car and there’s a chilling moment where he sprays them with a toxin. This probably would have been more effective if it wasn’t already in the trailer, but that’s not the movie’s fault. Regardless, it’s a chilling beginning.  The man’s name is Kevin (James McAvoy) and he subsequently locks them up in a basement dungeon. I started getting shades of Silence of the Lambs at this point, but that’s about where the similarities end. This screenplay has none of the depth of that film. It’s also rated PG-13 so it’s less intense, but the subject matter still feels pretty icky. I certainly wouldn’t bring children to this. Honestly, I wouldn’t bring anyone because it’s simply not good.

It turns out that Kevin suffers from dissociative identity disorder (DID) and has 24 individual personalities living inside him. Already I’m not comfortable with that ridiculous number because it’s impossible for an actor to do 24 distinct characters justice. To be fair, he really only attempts like nine, but sadly, McAvoy doesn’t even give us one person that we can truly embrace. They’re a smorgasbord of various people: young/old, male/female. I thought about detailing some of them in my review but they’re really not interesting enough to warrant discussion. I will add though that the 24th entity is called The Beast. Not the same creature as in the biblical book of Revelation but I’m sure the allusion is intended.

Dissociative identity disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder, is a real mental illness. I suppose we should be thankful that Shyamalan at least knows the difference between schizophrenia and DID, but don’t look to this script for any real factual basis for the way it occurs. The movie does include a therapist, Dr. Karen Fletcher, played by Betty Buckley. She was the nice gym teacher in the Stephen King adaptation Carrie (1976) and starred in the TV series Eight is Enough. I’ve always liked her so it was nice to see she continues to get work. Her character sort of pops up at various points in the narrative. Another actor pops up near the end. I assume it’s another one of Shyamalan’s signature twists. So please enjoy that if you can even figure out what it all means. For the record, I did. Didn’t care.

Garbage is an epithet that’s thrown around so frequently these days that I hesitate to use the word, but here goes: Split is garbage. I don’t use that dismissive label lightly.  I’ll explain what took this beyond merely bad to downright offensive. M Night Shyamalan resorts to capitalizing on mental illness for sensational thrills without the care to even convey its complexities. It also exploits child abuse in a cheap attempt to give his weak story more meaning. It does not handle these subjects in a meaningful or sensitive way but rather shamelessly mines the inherent gravity in these issues for superficial kicks. It is artless. Split certainly isn’t the first film to manipulate weighty subjects in a crass manner. Last year’s The Girl on the Train served up a vulgar recipe of alcoholism, depression, and domestic abuse.   It was exploitative much in the same way and Split caused me to relive that awfulness.  Girl was one of my least favorite pictures of 2016, but it came out so late in the year that it was only among the “worst of 2016” for 3 months.  With Split‘s January release, we have a major contender just 20 days into 2017. This production has the potential to go the distance.

1-30-17

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