Since we haven't been able to watch "Moneyball" yet, I'm going to jump ahead and do a two part review of films that few people get to see. Thanks to the Midtown Cinema, we were able to watch "Reach for the Stars," a two part series of the 2011 nominations for Best Live Short and Best Animated Short. Today, the five chosen for Best Live Short.
Pentecost
A young Irish boy commits a gaffe with the incense during church services. His appalled father prohibits the boy from watching his favorite football team and rips his football posters off the wall in anger. Several weeks later, the Archbishop is coming to the church, and the church is one altar boy short. The boy is given a second chance, and if he can conduct himself without error, he may watch the big game later in the week.
This is the cutest entry in the series, succinctly told in 11 minutes. The highlight is when the priest is giving the five altar boys their instructions and it turns into a coaching session, as if they were playing in the "big game." Very charming.
Raju
A German couple is in India to adopt a young orphan boy, Raju. While the father and the son are shopping in the local market, the boy vanishes. What happens as the parents try to search for the son opens up an unforseen conspiracy and poses a moral dilemma for the couple.
This is the most somber entry of the series. The editing and camera work add to the heightened tension and suspense as the father tries everything in his power to find Raju. Heart breaking.
The Shore
Paddy, a middle-aged Irishman on the dole eeks out a living gathering mussels after the tide goes out. Meanwhile, his old friend Jim and Jim's 25 year old daughter return to Ireland after decades of being in America. Jim is hesitant to reconnect with his old friend because of a past misunderstanding regarding Mary, the woman they both loved.
The most beautiful entry of the series. Beautiful cinematography of Ireland combined with good acting and a wistful plot.
Time Freak
The funniest entry in the series. A guy goes to a warehouse to find out where his roommate has been for three days. He finds that his friend has invented a time machine. However, instead of using the device to go back in history (especially Ancient Rome,) the inventor keeps going back to the previous day to try and correct his awkward conversations dealing with his parents, a girl he fancies, and the dry cleaner.
Another very short tale that manages to fit a funny story into a scant eleven minutes. The highlight is the scene where he meets the girl in the park and continues to go back to that moment to correct his awkward conversations with her. The ending has a great twist involving the friend.
Tuba Atlantic
The quirkiest movie of the bunch. An old Norwegian is told he has six days to live. He wants to reconnect with his estranged brother by communicating with him by a giant tuba they constructed as youths. In the midst of his efforts, he has to deal with bothersome seagulls, a westerly wind, and a young girl claiming to be his Angel of Death who must stay with him until the end in order for her to become a real angel.
This movie is very reminiscent of Monty Python and Terry Gilliam movies. Slightly odd but very funny in parts (his various methods of eliminating the seagulls are hysterical!)
So now the dilemma; which is my pick for the Oscar. I enjoyed all five, each in their own way. "Raju" and "The Shore" could have been extended into feature films by expanding on the stories, while the other three are compact and precise. However, for me the one that really fits the bill with a good cast, simple story line, and that manages to do it all in a scant eleven minutes..my pick would be "Pentecost."
Coming next: Part Two, Animated Short Film nominations
No comments:
Post a Comment