Short Cuts 2020, Part 3: Oscar's Documentary Short Subject Nominees

For the 15th year, ShortsTV presents this year's Academy Award nominated animated, live action and documentary short films at a theater or streaming platform (starting February 4th) near you. These special programs are usually the only way for most movie fans to see all of these otherwise illusive short film nominees that can make or break your office Oscar pool. In the last of three parts, Movie Dearest takes a look at this year's five nominees for Best Documentary Short Subject.

This category is a mixed bag this year. There are two investigative pieces that start off with interesting subject matter but end up feeling frustratingly incomplete, and two personal profiles that don't dig any deeper than "aren't these guys great". Rounding out the nominees is the requisite "children overcoming adversity inspirational story" that usually ends up winning.

And the nominees are...

In the Absence, Seung-jun Yi & Gary Byung-Seok Kam (USA, 28 minutes), trailer.

On April 16, 2014, a Korean ferry carrying 476 passengers sank. A shocking amount of bureaucratic incompetence leads to the preventable loss of 304 lives. This AFI Docs Festival award winner engrossingly recounts the events of the disaster, but fumbles with the aftermath, curiously leaving out key details like murder charges and manhunts.

MD Rating: 6/10

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl), Carol Dysinger & Elena Andreicheva (UK, 39 minutes), trailer.

Welcome to the Skateistan Schoolhouse and Skate Park in Kabul, Afghanistan, where young girls are taught how to read, write and... skateboard? Although that last subject is never really explained in this IDA and Tribeca award winner, it's hard not to be won over by the beaming faces of the courageous students, eager to learn... and skate.

MD Rating: 7/10

Life Overtakes Me, Kristine Samuelson & John Haptas (Sweden/USA, 39 minutes), trailer.

In Sweden, hundreds of refugee children are lapsing into a coma-like illness called 'Resignation Syndrome'. This Netflix short takes an odd approach to exploring this fascinating medical mystery, relying heavily on repetitive patient histories and relegating the facts to voice overs during random, bleak montages of the Swedish countryside.

MD Rating: 6/10

St. Louis Superman, Sami Khan & Smriti Mundhra (USA, 28 minutes), trailer.

Bruce Franks Jr. is a civil rights activist, 'battle rapper' and Missouri State Representative. Apparently he is known as Superman to his constituents, thus the title, although nobody actually calls him that in this documentary. He is frequently upstaged by his precocious son. If this review seems a little choppy and incomplete, so is this short.

MD Rating: 5/10

Walk Run Cha-Cha, Laura Nix & Colette Sandstedt (USA, 20 minutes), trailer.

Two young lovers are separated by war and reunited years later. No, not the Judi Dench Britcom As Time Goes By, but the story of Paul and Millie Cao, Vietnamese immigrants who have discovered in middle age a new level of freedom in ballroom dance. Easily the most "feel good" of the nominees, this is a sweet story but not a particularly revelatory one.

MD Rating: 6/10

Coming soon: A Movie Dearest annual tradition: "If We Picked the Oscars".

Reviews by Kirby Holt, Movie Dearest creator, editor and head writer.

Short Cuts 2020, Part 2: Oscar's Live Action Short Film Nominees

For the 15th year, ShortsTV presents this year's Academy Award nominated animated, live action and documentary short films at a theater (starting January 29th) or streaming platform (starting February 4th) near you. These special programs are usually the only way for most movie fans to see all of these otherwise illusive short film nominees that can make or break your office Oscar pool. In the second of three parts, Movie Dearest takes a look at this year's five nominees for Best Live Action Short Film.

This year's nominees are a strong batch hailing from around the world (including two Tunisian co-productions, who knew) and from a mix of first time nominees and Oscar veterans, all hoping for their first win.

And the nominees are...

Brotherhood (a.k.a. Ikhwène), Meryam Joobeur & Maria Gracia Turgeon (Tunisia/Canada/Qatar/Sweden, 25 minutes), trailer.

A Tunisian farm family is shocked when the oldest son unexpectedly returns... with his new pregnant wife. A stark, well-modulated drama with an almost documentary-like feel from the Oscar nominated producer of last year's best in show Fauve; not as devastating as that one but pretty close.

MD Rating: 7/10

Nefta Football Club, Yves Piat & Damien Megherbi (France/Tunisia, 17 minutes), trailer.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Tunisia, two young brothers come across a donkey wearing headphones that turns out to literally be a drug mule. The only comedy in the bunch has proven to be quite the film fest fave, with over 20 awards. Even so, the ultimate punchline doesn't quite live up to the charming absurdity that precedes it.

MD Rating: 7/10

The Neighbors’ Window, Marshall Curry (USA, 20 minutes), trailer.

Maria Dizzia (Orange is the New Black) plays a stressed-out mother of three who finds herself obsessed with watching the free-spirited younger couple across the way from her. Based on a true story, this "grass is always greener" tale starts out the way you'd expect but evolves into an emotionally deep exploration of random connections.

MD Rating: 8/10

Saria, Bryan Buckley & Matt Lefebvre (USA, 23 minutes), trailer.

A dramatization of the dire hardships faced by the young women held at the Virgen de La Asuncion "Safe Home", a Guatemalan girl's orphanage where a a deadly fire in 2017 tragically claimed 41 of their lives. The harsh, hopeless reality is palatable, yet I can't help but think that this story may have been better served as a documentary.

MD Rating: 7/10

A Sister (a.k.a. Une Soeur), Delphine Girard (Belgium, 16 minutes), trailer.

An operator at a 911-like emergency hotline receives a call from a woman trapped in her kidnapper's moving car. Highly reminiscent of the 2018 Danish feature The Guilty, this mini-thriller succinctly and efficiently delivers on the suspense during its tight running time.

MD Rating: 8/10

Coming soon: Reviews of the Oscar nominees for Best Documentary Short Subject.

Reviews by Kirby Holt, Movie Dearest creator, editor and head writer.

Reverend's Reviews: Wacky New Year!

The new cinematic year has launched with two of the stranger offerings since, well, last month's Cats. One is a costly effort to revive a worthy character that will likely end up a financial disaster for its studio. The other is a long-overdue adaptation of one of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft's stories, boasting a wild-card director and Nicolas Cage's latest wacky performance.

Doctor Dolittle, the people-averse veterinarian who can literally talk to the animals, has long been my favorite literary creation. He was created by British author Hugh Lofting during World War I, while Lofting was serving in the army and horrified by the mistreatment of animals he witnessed first hand. The 1967 movie musical adaptation, which was itself a box office bomb, is my all time favorite movie. The less I say about the late 1990's updated versions/bastardizations starring Eddie Murphy, the better.

Now, megastar Robert Downey Jr. and Oscar-winning screenwriter Stephen Gaghan (Traffic, Syriana) have delivered their $175 million take on Dolittle to the big screen. It serves as Gaghan's directorial debut and, from all reports, entrusting such a big-budget, effects-laden fantasy to a neophyte was an unfortunate mistake. Rewrites and reshoots added considerably to the film's already hefty budget. It opened last weekend to a so-so $50 million worldwide.

I didn't find Dolittle as awful as many reviews would have one believe. Perhaps because of my affection for the character, I could more easily recognize the good qualities and intentions behind this admittedly over-produced, overly frenetic adventure. I expect Gaghan's original screenplay was more sophisticated than what ultimately made it to theaters, which is a pity. One definitely gets a sense of what could have been, given the considerable talent behind the scenes.

The screenplay involves a not very kid-friendly plot to assassinate young Queen Victoria (played by Irish actress-of-the-moment Jessie Buckley) that Downey's Dr. Dolittle is recruited to thwart. Various animals with the voices of such big names as Tom Holland, Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer and, most winningly, John Cena (as a polar bear) help the good doctor search for a mythical, life-giving plant that Dolittle's wife died trying to find. Their quest faces opposition from a villainous royal physician (Michael Sheen) as well as Dolittle's father-in-law (an under-utilized Antonio Banderas), plus a fire-breathing dragon with a severe case of constipation.

To be fair, the many young children at the screening I attended laughed often and could be overheard declaring how much they enjoyed the movie upon exiting the theater. The CG critters are realistically rendered and the film's vibrant color scheme dazzles. Sadly, Downey gives an underwhelming performance in the title role and speaks in a whispery Scottish (?) brogue. All in all, Dolittle isn't bad but it clearly could have been so much better.

Speaking of vibrant color schemes, this weekend's weird new theatrical release is Color Out of Space. Based on a highly regarded novella by horror/sci-fi writer H.P. Lovecraft, it details the traumatic effects of a meteorite crash on the inhabitants of a remote farmhouse. This is a more lavish production than a previous American adaptation in 1988 retitled The Curse, which many Lovecraft fans don't consider worthy of the source material.

Cult director Richard Stanley, best known for having been removed from the helm of 1996's bizarre remake of The Island of Dr. Moreau, largely redeems himself with this beautifully photographed (by Steve Annis) creepfest. Nicolas Cage headlines as patriarch of the afflicted family. Cage plays the role straight for the first two-thirds of the film, then gets to go gonzo as he falls prey to the alien force attached to the meteorite. The juvenile actors who play his three children actually give more grounded, affecting performances throughout. Also surprisingly good is Tommy Chong as a pot-smoking (of course) squatter who first suspects there is an alien invasion afoot.

Things get gross as bodies are fused, limbs get severed, and alpacas are... I don't really know what. While I wouldn't call Color Out of Space entertaining or even logical, Lovecraft's devotees in addition to fans of director Stanley may feel some degree of redemption.

Reverend's Ratings:
Dolittle: C+
Color Out of Space: C

Reviews by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Short Cuts 2020, Part 1: Oscar's Animated Short Film Nominees

For the 15th year, ShortsTV presents this year's Academy Award nominated animated, live action and documentary short films at a theater (starting January 29th) or streaming platform (starting February 4th) near you. These special programs are usually the only way for most movie fans to see all of these otherwise illusive short film nominees that can make or break your office Oscar pool. In the first of three parts, Movie Dearest takes a look at this year's five nominees for Best Animated Short Film.

Family relationships dominate the bulk of this year's 'tiny toon' contenders, with three stop-motion independent shorts vs. two higher profile 2D productions, all from first time nominees. Notably, no computer animated works were nominated this year, a first in the category in some time.

And the nominees are...

Dcera (Daughter), Daria Kashcheeva (Czech Republic, 15 minutes), trailer.

With her father hospitalized, a daughter looks back on their complicated relationship. Using papier-mâché puppets and mimicking live action techniques such as handheld camera movements and rack focus, this Student Academy Award winner captures a raw, almost documentary-like style that nonetheless fails to mask it's uncompelling story.

MD Rating: 6/10

Hair Love, Matthew A. Cherry & Karen Rupert Toliver (USA, 7 minutes), clip.

On a very special day, an African American father tries to do his daughter’s hair for the first time. A Kickstarter record-setter released theatrically by Sony Animation with The Angry Birds Movie 2, this sweet story effectively mixes a little drama in with the comedy, creating a charming, crowd-pleasing tear-jerker fit for any family.

MD Rating: 7/10

Kitbull, Rosana Sullivan & Kathryn Hendrickson (USA, 9 minutes), trailer.

An unlikely friendship develops between a scrappy stray kitten and a gentle-souled pit bull. A rare 2D project from  Pixar (via their "SparkShorts" program), this dog-and-cat tale has an atypically darker edge to it as well which, unfortunately, is undercut by an oddly abrupt happy ending.

MD Rating: 6/10

Mémorable, Bruno Collet & Jean-François Le Corre (France, 12 minutes), clip.

An aging painter, lost in dementia, finds himself untethered from reality, drifting through an increasingly surrealistic world. An award winner at the prestigious Annecy International Animated Film Festival, this stop-motion tour de force is a post-impressionistic feast for the eyes, only slightly hampered by its familiar scenario.

MD Rating: 7/10

Sister, Siqi Song (China/USA, 8 minutes), trailer.

A man relates his childhood memories of growing up with his annoying younger sister in 1990s China. Also a BAFTA and Annie Award nominee, this black and white stop-motion award winner is filled with flights of fancy laced with absurd humor that suddenly gives way to a harsh, emotionally wrenching reality. The best of the bunch, by far.

MD Rating: 9/10

Coming soon: Reviews of the Oscar nominees for Best Live Action Short Film and Best Documentary Short Subject.

Reviews by Kirby Holt, Movie Dearest creator, editor and head writer.