ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Ireland

The Last Right – Acts of Grace

by Leave a Comment

“It’s the first right thing I do for him, and it’s the last.”

Doing the right thing is central to Aoife Crehan’s premier feature film The Last Right. But right for whom? And how do we judge the right among multiple values that all have a claim as right?

Daniel Murphy (Michael Huisman) is a New York tax attorney heading back to Ireland for his mother’s funeral. Next to him on the plane is Padraig Murphy (no relation), who is taking his estranged brother’s body back to Ireland after 30 years with no contact. He says that at least they can be together in death even if not in life. When just before landing Padraig is found to have died, it’s discovered that he has listed Daniel as his next of kin.

When Daniel gets home for the funeral, we discover he has a brother, Louis (Samuel Bottonley), with autism. Daniel’s plan is to take Louis back to the US and place him in a special school. But when the authorities seek Daniel’s help dealing with Padraig’s body, a series of unlikely occurrences leads to Daniel and Louis driving the family Volvo the length of Ireland with the coffin strapped to the top of the car so that he can be buried along with his brother. Also along for the ride is a women they have just met, Mary (Niamh Algar).

At the same time, the authorities have decided to hold on to Padraig’s body. The Garda is after them for bodysnatching. When the story becomes national news, many people see what Daniel is doing as a kind sacrifice. By the time he gets to the church, just ahead of the Garda, many have turned out for the funeral of these two lonely brothers.

Along the way there are revelations (including a major one about the relationship between Louis and Daniel) and a budding romance with Daniel and Mary. All of which must turn into conflicts before the right thing to do is finally achieved.

The film is about 50% road movie, 40% romantic comedy, and 10% Rainman. The romcom aspects are the least compelling part of the film, especially when you consider that this trip and the resulting relationship happens in two days.

This is a film that shows how grace can come from unexpected sources. Daniel, although under duress, acts as a grace giver in hauling Padraig’s coffin to be joined with his brother, just as Padraig acted with grace to bring his brother’s remains home. But Daniel also is the recipient of grace in many ways along the way. And it is important to remember that grace is by definition unmerited. Daniel, who essentially operates from selfish motives, finds his life open up in new ways as he comes to know and appreciate Louis. It allows Daniel, who finds grace so frequently in the film to become a gracious person who can set aside his own selfish ways to welcome others into his life.

The Last Right is available in theaters and on demand.

Rose Plays Julie – The Real Me?

by Leave a Comment

“I can’t help thinking that somehow if you’d managed to hold on to me, I’d be living a different life right now. I’d be a different person—perhaps the person I was really meant to be—the real me.”

The psychological drama Rose Plays Julie, directed by Christine Molloy and Joe Lawler, is the story of a young woman who longs to know about her birth parents, but what she discovers is nowhere near satisfying. The dreams she had about happy reunions turn into a nightmare.

The film opens with Rose (Ann Skelly) on a bleak Irish seawall, thinking about her birth mother and what it would be like to meet—the good memories they would form. We then move to college, where Rose is studying to be a veterinarian. The first lecture we see is about the ethics of euthanizing healthy animals. From time to time, scenes involving animal euthanasia come into the story.

Rose has been searching to connect with her biological mother, but all she has is the name Ellen Wise (Orla Brady) and a London phone number. When she calls, Ellen is silent, but obviously disturbed to hear from Rose. Rose then becomes a bit of a stalker, finding a way into Ellen’s home, where the two finally meet. Here Rose discovers the secret that Ellen has kept buried for over twenty years as she has built a successful life. That secret is that Rose is the product of a rape.

Rose convinces Ellen to tell her who the rapist is. Peter (Aiden Gillen) is an archaeologist. Rose volunteers to help on his latest dig. She seeks to get close to him, but for what purpose? She no longer has any hope of having her dreamed about happy family with her birth parents.

Identity is one of the themes that keeps popping up throughout the film. It starts with Rose pondering what her life would have been like if her mother had kept her. She would be Julie. She would have the different life from the quotation above. She later plays as Julie to stalk her biological parents. Ellen is an actress, who makes her living playing different people. Peter is a respected man in his field, but we see that he has a different persona as well.

The unfortunate thing about this film is that it devolves into a story of revenge. It is important to remember that revenge is not justice. As the film moves inexorably down that road, we lose any real chance for the characters to find a solution to their pain. There seems to be no new identities that these characters are able to assume that will find chances of redemption or wholeness. In the end, they are all more broken than when the film began.

Rose Plays Julie is available on virtual cinema and on VOD.

Photos courtesy of Film Movement.

Wild Mountain Thyme: Irish Wonder and Identity

by Leave a Comment

Set in the foothills of Ireland, Wild Mountain Thyme tells the story of Rosemary Muldoon (Emily Blunt), a strong-willed farmer who yearns to win the heart of her emotionally-stunted neighbour, Anthony Reilly (Jamie Dornan). Struggling to commit to his role in the family farm, Anthony also struggles to take a risk with his feelings for his beautiful neighbour. When his father (Christopher Walken) loses confidence in his son’s ability to take care of their land, he invites his American nephew Adam (Jon Hamm) to purchase their family farm. However, upon meeting Rosemary, Adam realizes that pursuing a romance with her may be an even better reason to take up residence in the Irish countryside. Torn between the love she has in front of her and the one that she wants but can’t have, Rosemary must ask herself what is most important to her and where she sees her future.

Written and directed by John Patrick Shanley (Moonstruck), Wild Mountain Thyme is a sweeping romantic comedy that works well for the most part, even if it falls short near the end. Based on his play Outside Mullingar, Shanley portrays Ireland as a land embedded in rich mythology and charming characters. Bathing the screen with lush, green landscapes, Thyme is a visual treat that leans into the allure of the Irish countryside and its quirky residents. (Fans of other Irish gems such as Waking Ned Devine may appreciate the characters in particular.) Stars Dornan, Blunt and Hamm have wonderful chemistry together, carrying the film on their shoulders much of the time. (In fact, this is especially true of Dornan and Blunt, who simmer together onscreen in several key scenes.)

Admittedly, the film is certainly far from perfect. While Blunt’s Irish accent works, some of the cast sound almost non-sensical (Sorry, Mr. Walken.) and even distract from the film itself. What’s more, many of the relationship questions feel answered so early in the film that there’s very little left to discover by the film’s finale. Even so, these issues are decidedly minor quibbles that do not take away from the film’s sweeping narrative. (Well, maybe Walken’s accent.)

What will likely be discussed at length is the film’s ‘twist ending’ (which won’t be spoiled here.) Bound to be controversial, Anthony’s confession at the end of the film seems so wild that, if true, there’s little question that this particular reveal may be the most bizarre of the year. (In 2020, that’s saying something…) However, what many will forget is the film’s overall emphasis on whimsy and mythological storytelling. While Anthony’s revelations would make no sense in a more grounded reality, Thyme is never meant to be so. In a world where the dead can return and Rosemary considers herself to be a swan, the finale still manages to work within the context of the film and its culture.

In many ways, Thyme is a film about discovering who you are. Although they live in a world that feels settled and comfortable in its ways, these characters are all in periods of transition. Anthony seems unconvinced of his role at the farm once his father passes. Adam is told that he’s not a farmer, even if he wants to own a farm. Even Rosemary, who seems the most self-aware of them all, seems uncertain as to whether or not she should remain on her land or leave for the grand adventure of New York City. Interestingly though, rather than leaning into the more traditional theme of ‘finding one’s self’, Shanley’s script highlights the fact that such self-inquest is often unreliable. (“Everyone thinks they’re something they’re not,” Rosemary cautions.)  In this way, Thyme is unique in its perspective by pointing to our peers and family as the ones who truly know us for who we are. For Shanley, identity is not merely something we ‘know’, it’s something that we earn based on our interactions and relationships with the people in our lives.

Wild-M-T-00312.tif

Flawed but sweet, Wild Mountain Thyme has enough charm and wit to validate a trip to the cinematic countryside. Carried by strong performances from its key stars, Shanley writes a love letter to his home country that can charm in its quirkiness. (Just note that you might need some subtitles along the way.

To hear our conversation with director John Patrick Shanley, click here.

Wild Mountain Thyme is available in select theatres and PVOD on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020.

Wolfwalkers – Natural Freedom

by Leave a Comment

“I’m afraid one day you’ll end up in a cage.  “I’m already in a cage!”

Wolfwalkers is the third offering from Cartoon Saloon that focuses on Irish folklore. Like the earlier films, Secret of the Kells and Song of the Sea, this is a brilliantly artistic animated film. The film is directed by Tomm Moore (who also directed the earlier films) and Ross Stewart. All three of the films are visually beautiful, as well as stories that engage and speak to our spirits. The artwork in the film draws on the art history of the time period, such as Celtic artwork.

Robyn Goodfellowe (voiced by Honor Kneafsey) in “Wolfwalkers,” premiering globally later this year on Apple TV+.

Set in 1650, young Robyn Goodfellowe (a bit of a Shakespearean reference?) has come to Ireland with her English father. He father is a great huntsman, and he has been tasked with clearing the woods of wolves. Robyn fancies herself a huntress as well, but she is forbidden by her father from leaving the fortress/city. But Robyn is determined to head out, following her father at a distance. In the woods she comes across another girl, Mebh, whose behavior is more lupine than human. Mebh, we discover, is a wolfwalker—human when awake, but when asleep her spirit roams the world as a wolf. He mother, a wolfwalker who leads the wolves, has been asleep for a long time. After a bite from Mebh, Robyn discovers that she too has become a wolfwalker. As her father and the Lord Protector’s soldiers seek to destroy the wolves, Mebh and Robyn must try to find and rescue Mebh’s mother’s wolf body so she can lead the wolves to a safe area.

As in the other films in this series, there is a strong connection to nature—and the supernatural aspect of the natural world that is grounded in Irish folklore. There is a very clear difference between life in the town and life in the outside world. One of the key differences is freedom. It is not inconsequential that the Lord Protector, a sort of royal governor, is there to assert English rule. English flags are seen frequently. A reminder that Ireland spent a great deal of time in the “cages” of English oppression. Inside the city, everything is ordered. Everyone has their place and they are expected to act accordingly. The role that Robyn is assigned as a girl does not fit with the role that she believes is really hers. All of that is very different than the life in the woods. Mebh is able to roam freely. The animals live lives in harmony with all around them. We see that freedom in a series of scenes as Robyn and Mebh frolic in the woods while we hear Aurora’s song “Running with the Wolves”.

Robyn Goodfellowe (voiced by Honor Kneafsey) and Mebh Óg Mactíre (voiced by Eva Whittaker) in “Wolfwalkers,” premiering globally later this year on Apple TV+.

A key element of the oppression that the Lord Protector brings, is the idea that it is God’s will that order is maintained, including the taming and destruction of the natural world. This view of religion is very different from in The Secret of the Kells. The first film, set in a monastery, saw Celtic Christianity as one of the keystones of Irish identity. In Wolfwalkers we see that Christianity (or any religion) can also be an oppressive force. The kind of God the Lord Protector invokes is quite different than the God who is celebrated in Secret of the Kells.

Robyn Goodfellowe (voiced by Honor Kneafsey) in “Wolfwalkers,” premiering globally later this year on Apple TV+.

While the film reflects certain political and spiritual aspects of freedom, like the other films in the series, the key is to discover the freedom within oneself and in our own nature. For Robyn and her father, the demands of the Lord Protector clash with their own sense of who they are. Even as a hunter Robyn’s father is deeply connected to the natural world. He is only following orders—orders he doesn’t feel capable of disobeying. It is only when Robyn, through her disobedience, leads him to a new understanding that he is able to stand for what is right.

An additional element is added to that concept of freedom when we consider that a bite from a wolfwalker changes the nature of someone who is bitten. Even before being bitten, Robyn was headstrong and independent. But after being bitten (and healed) by Mebh, she has a whole new understanding of the world she lives in. That bite and its transformative power is truly a gift that is bestowed on her. Perhaps another part of freedom is also being able to see the world as others do—to see our world in new ways.

Wolfwalkers won the Audience Award for Narrative Feature at AFIFest. It will be released in select theaters Nov. 13, and be available soon after on Apple TV.

Photos courtesy of GKids.

Saturday at AFIFest 2020

by Leave a Comment

Going to festivals often results in a bit of emotional whiplash. My Saturday viewing at AFIFest 2020 Presented by Audi is an example of that. From stories about executions to animated folklore to the angst of a recovering addict heavy metal drummer who suddenly loses his hearing. It is a day of very strong reactions.

The Iranian film There Is No Evil won the Golden Bear for Best Film and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Berlin Film Festival. Director Mohammed Rasoulof has recently been sentenced to prison and banned from making films in Iran. This is a series of vignettes that eventually ask the question “What kind of animal could execute someone?” We meet a family man doing his daily routines. We see a soldier who struggles with having the job of executing a criminal. We meet another soldier on his way to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday who finds the house in mourning. We see a young woman who has come back to Iran to visit her uncle and aunt, only to discover an amazing secret.

The beautiful cinematography and the excellent stories show us a very human view of these people who all in some way are touched by capital punishment. The stories evolve to our discovery of a twist we probably didn’t expect. At the heart of the film is the question of what kind of effect capital punishment has on those who must carry it out. A powerful film that is very deserving of the accolades it has garnered.

The film I most anticipated coming into the festival was Wolfwalkers, directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart. This is the third animated film based in Irish folklore from Cartoon Saloon. Like the previous films, Secret of the Kells and Song of the Sea, the hand animation is beautiful, drawing on the art history of the time period being portrayed. The story involves a young girl, Robyn Goodfellow, sent to Ireland with her hunter father. Her father is tasked with ridding the woods of wolves. Robyn wants to hunt with him, but her father forbids it. She doesn’t mind. In the woods, she comes across another young girl, Mebh, who has more lupine than human behavior. Mebh is a wolfwalker, she is a human when awake, but when asleep, her spirit takes the body of a wolf. She also has magical healing powers. Her mother, the head wolfwalker, has been asleep for a long time.

As Robyn tries to help Mebh, she discovers that because of a bite from Mebh, Robin is now a wolfwalker as well. Meanwhile Robin’s father and the Lord Protector are trying to wipe out the wolf pack. The folkloric stories that Cartoon Saloon has brought us all have an environmental message in that our efforts to conquer the natural world has had a terrible price. Like those who created such tales, we need to live more in harmony with the world around us.

Riz Ahmed as Ruben in SOUND OF METAL Courtesy of Amazon Studios

In Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal, we encounter a man who seems to lose everything in his life, but may indeed find true peace. Ruben (Riz Ahmed) is a heavy metal drummer who plays with his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke). When he suddenly loses most of his hearing, he wants to push forward with cochlear implants, but the cost is prohibitive, and as a recovering addict, he is struggling. He reluctantly joins a community of deaf recovering addicts. He rebels against his deafness, but slowly begins to fit in with others with hearing impairments. When he sells all he has for his surgery, he may be back into addiction behavior (addiction to hearing or past life?).

Through it all the leader of the deaf community tries to get him to stop trying to fix things (mostly his deafness). He urges him to try to just sit—to find stillness. He tells Ruben that moments of stillness are the “place of the Kingdom of God.” I should point out that this is an emotionally exhausting story. I don’t mean that to discourage anyone from seeing it. That emotional involvement in the story should be a key goal of all filmmakers. Darius Marder, in his first feature narrative film manages to summon our emotions for Ruben’s search for happiness and life.

I should also comment on a short that I’ve seen. Shorts are always an important part of AFIFest. In A 1984 Period Piece in Present Day from Sean Glass, we meet a couple who check into a somewhat spooky motel for the night. There they watch an old episode of “Creepshow”. It is one that the man remembers fondly, but when looked at from the present day, there are serious issues with it. Has the show become outdated, have we grown as a culture, or is it just as spooky to consider as it was then?

Artemis Fowl: The Ways of the Father

by 1 Comment

Blues Brothers, where are you?

Since I’m not a huge fan of the Artemis Fowl series, I’ve decided to allow someone who is the ability to share their thoughts. In this case, it’s my daughter Rebecca.

Here’s what she had to say . . .

I started reading the Artemis Fowl series one day in my sophomore year of high school and immediately fell in love with the sarcastic criminal mastermind that the books are named after. I loved the way that Holly Short used her wits to make the best of every situation. I ravenously devoured the series and was quite delighted–and at the same time annoyed–with the ending. When I discovered that Eoin Colfer was writing a second series starring some of Artemis’ family, I was ecstatic. Then I heard Disney was making a movie and began counting the days until it landed on Disney+.

I was able to watch Artemis Fowl recently and was immediately struck with the remembrance that Colfer made changes to the film so it would fit what he had originally planned for the series. If you’re a fan of the books, prepare yourself in advance for some deviations. Overall, the movie has top-notch CGI and is a thrilling fast-paced adventure that leaves you hanging off your seat, waiting for more. Thankfully, the movie paves the way for a sequel and is a good reminder that, as we prepare to celebrate Father’s Day, we need to be thankful for the dads in our lives.

Set along the shores of Ireland, a place where magic seems to be present everywhere you look and home to Fowl Manor, where Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw) and his father (Colin Farrell) live, this movie shows the majestic wonder that is the surface world. Artemis does not believe in the fairies and magic, but grew up being told tales of them by his father. Artemis’ father is captured by a mysterious person and the world seems to come to the realization that the Fowls are criminal masterminds (which isn’t far from the truth, actually). The mystery person calls and makes a deal with the young Artemis Fowl: his father in exchange for a mysterious artifact of the fairykind.

Peek-a-boo!

Cut to the underground world, where it is discovered that this artifact is already missing, and we meet the young (at least in fairy years) Officer Holly Short (Lara McDonnell), the daughter of the fairykind traitor, Beechwood Short. Holly is assigned a mission to the surface world by gravel-voiced Commander Julius Root (Judi Dench) and, at the same time, Artemis discovers that the world of the fairies is real and he begins to put together a plan to save his father. This part is almost identical to how it is in the books, with Holly being captured and used as bait by Artemis for the fairies. Mulch Diggums (Josh Gad) is brought in, ultimately finds the artifact, and Holly uses it to save Artemis’ father from the evil Opal Koboi, and return home safely. At this point, cue Artemis and the others becoming a team and preparing to kick Opal’s butt.

Despite the fact that he is indeed a criminal mastermind, Arty’s dad loves him very much and tries to spend as much time with him as possible whenever he is home. It’s pretty evident that Artemis’ father wants the best for his son–even to the point that he’s already prepared the way for Artemis so that, in time, he will discover everything his father has prepared for him. To this end, Arty’s father has provided his child a journal with all of his notes inside. In the same way, Arty’s father is like our father in heaven. God has prepared the way for those who love Him and His Son Jesus while providing resources like the Bible to read and put into practice. In addition, Artemis’ butler and his niece Juliet are there (just like fellow believers) to help Arty along the way–no matter how uncertain life seems. It should give us great comfort, therefore, to know God is always there for us. Perhaps it would be a good idea, on occasion, to tell Him “thank you” for all He’s done.

Of course, telling Dad the same thing (and giving him a hug) wouldn’t hurt either . . . 

Saturday at #NBFF20

by Leave a Comment

Welcome back to the Newport Beach Film Festival presented by Pacific Sales. It was a full day for me, as you’ll see when you see the nine films I have to talk about. Okay, I’ll admit that six of them were shorts, but that still seems like a full day to me. Note that I’m including my votes for audience awards (Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor)

I started the day with a shorts program, “Irish Lads and Lassies Shorts”. NBFF always has a good representation of Irish films. (Screen Ireland and Culture Ireland are two of the Cultural Arts Sponsors of the festival.) Saturday is also a day with programs aimed at young people. These shorts all featured young actors and themes. The films in the program were:

  • All in Good Time, directed by Bonnie Dempsey. A story of two ten year-olds who magically communicate through notes in a bottle. The trick is they lived 100 years apart. Yet they manage to solve each other’s problems. (My vote: Excellent)
  • First Disco, directed by Helen M. O’Reilly. This is the story of a teenager who is due to go to her first school dance, but just got braces. How will she ever get the attention of the boy she has a crush on when she feels her looks are ruined? The film has a very pleasant soundtrack of 80s music. As I watched I though this would be a nice companion to the film Happy Face I saw at the festival on Friday. (My vote: Good)
  • Low Tide, directed by Ian Hunt Duffy. This one has a bit of a horror vibe. A father and son go out fishing, but on the way back the father demands his son jumps in the water to confront the sea monster below. It’s a life changing encounter. (My vote: Good)
  • Honest, directed by Matthew Roche. This one takes place in church. A young boy fears the Jesus at the front of the church, knowing that he is always watching him. It brings up questions of belief and what it means to us. (My vote: Good)
  • Cry Rosa, directed by Imogen Murphy. A mixed-race girl must deal with bullying in school because of her color. It is a story of finding the strength to prevail in embracing her identity and self-worth. (My vote: Excellent)
  • The Wiremen, an animated film directed by Jessica Patterson. In the 1930s as electrification is coming to rural Ireland, an imaginative girl thinks she sees a fairy circling a light bulb. Her grandmother warns her of the dangers of the electrical box, and tells a story of Wiremen, evil beings that come with electricity. But the girl is just too curious and may be in danger as she pursues the fairy. (My vote: Good)

The joys and trials of having a child are the focus of Babysplitters from director Sam Friedlander. Two couples both have a dilemma, they don’t agree on having a baby. Sarah (Emily Chang) is anxious to start a family, but her husband Jeff (Danny Pudi) is dragging his feet. When they meet with friends Don and Taylor, it turns out that Don (Eddie Alfano) is ready, but not Taylor (Maiara Walsh). They talk about if they could share a child, it would give them the joys of parenting, but still give them time to enjoy life. The plan becomes more and more complicated, and each complication brings new laughs. The sex scene removes romance and eroticism from the act with very funny results. Eventually the film makes it all work out with an affirmation of family and parenthood. (My vote: Excellent)

Go Back to China was another comedy about family. When spoiled party girl Sasha (Anna Akana) is forced to go to China to work in the family business, it is with great resentment. Her father (Richard Ng) is demanding and mercurial, but he also seeks to give Sasha and her various half-siblings the benefit of his lifetime of working. The father believes his financial support of his children is fulfilling his responsibility. But what of his absence and emotional abandonment all those years? It is a time of self-discovery for Sasha, as well as for her father. In the Q&A following the film, director Emily Ting, noted the autobiographical aspects of the film. She returned to China at age 24 to work in the family business. (The factory in the film is the actual factory the family owns. My vote: Good)

The Canadian Spotlight of the festival fell on A Colony (Une Colonie), a Quebec film from director Geneviève Dulude-De Clelles. This is a coming-of age, fish-out -of-water tale of Mylia (Emilie Bierre), who must go into town for high school. She has always been in a rural setting, and the large school setting is chaotic for her. She never quite fits in with the other girls, even with her cousin who is also at the school. She develops a friendship with another outside Jimmy (Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie), a First Nations boy who lives nearby. Together they discover that “coloring outside the lines” may be the secret to finding happiness. There are some family issues and backstory that could have been fleshed out a bit, but overall, this was a nicely done film. (My vote: Good)

Oscar-Nominated Live Action Shorts

by Leave a Comment

When it is time to award the best in films each year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences include three categories of short films in their Oscar presentations. Most people don’t get to see many shorts. They play at festivals, and occasionally in front of a feature film. But short films are an art form worth attention. Many (probably most) feature filmmakers started out making short film. To tell a story in such a brief format takes skill. All the Oscar-nominated short films will be playing in theaters in special programs. To see where the films will be playing near you, go to https://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/theatrical-release/

Here is a look at the five Oscar-nominated live action short films.

Detainment (Ireland 30 minutes, directed by Vincent Lambe). The film is reenactments based on the transcript of interviews of two ten year-old boys who in 1993 abducted a toddler from a shopping mall and killed him. The two boys have different personalities that come out in the questioning, one is fearful, the other defiant and aggressive. The two young actors (Ely Solan and Leon Hughes) turn in excellent performances as two boys who have gotten into trouble they never dreamed of.

My Reaction: This is a chilling story. The James Bulger case was world famous, in part because the two boys were tried as adults. It is hard to fathom what would lead two children to such an evil act. There is no psychologizing included. We just slowly get some of the facts. Just as the boys parents are overwhelmed as the truth begins to come out, so too are we the viewers.

Fauve (Canada, 17 minutes, directed by Jeremy Comte). Another film with two ten year-old boys. As they play in fields and in an abandoned plant and quarry, the two of them go back and forth trying to show dominance in their relationship. They eventually get into trouble—trouble that they cannot get out of on their own, but there is no one to help.

My reaction: As you see the tragedy coming, it’s hard to continue watching, but we keep hoping that there will be some help that will arrive in time.

Madre (Spain, 18 minutes, directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen). A mother is in her apartment when she gets a call from her six year-old son who is on a trip to the beach with his father. The father has gone off and has not come back. The boy is unsure even what country he is in. Slowly panic begins to fill the mother as she tries to find a way to get help to her son.

Ry reaction: The film does well to build the sense of fear and helplessness. We identify with the mother’s predicament and powerlessness. A very interesting premise that is well executed.

Marguerite (Canada, 17 minutes, directed by Marianne Farley). The story of an aging woman and the visiting caregiver. After learning that the caregiver is in a same-sex relationship, the woman remembers back to a time in her past when she was in love, but never admitted it. When she confesses to the caregiver, the caregiver’s response is a heartwarming act of compassion and love.

My reaction: There is a great sweetness to this film (as opposed to the darkness and intensity that dominates the other nominees). The tenderness, kindness, and love of the caregiver makes this my favorite of these shortlisted films.

Skin (USA, 20 minutes, directed by Guy Nattiv) is a story of racism, bigotry, violence, and revenge. When a white family goes to a rural grocery store, a black man smiles at the white child and plays with an action figure. The father is outraged and follows the black man to the parking lot and beats him. But later, a group of black men take their revenge in a unique way that sets the stage for tragedy.

My reaction: The whites in the film are stereotypical rednecks. They relish their guns and their hatred. I know that such people are real, but such blatant racism and bigotry are just too easy a target. The curse of racism in our society is far more subtle and systemic. The revenge aspect of the film also is far from redemptive. On the contrary, it become as large of an evil as the original act.

Oscar-Nominated Animated Shorts

by Leave a Comment

When it is time to award the best in films each year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences include three categories of short films in their Oscar presentations. Most people don’t get to see many shorts. They play at festivals, and occasionally in front of a feature film. But short films are an art form worth attention. Many (probably most) feature filmmakers started out making short film. To tell a story in such a brief format takes skill. All the Oscar-nominated short films will be playing in theaters in special programs. To see where the films will be playing near you, go to https://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/theatrical-release/

Here is a look at the five Oscar-nominated animated short films.

Animal Behaviour (Canada, 14 minutes, directed by Alison Snowden and David Fine) takes us into a group therapy session with a leech, a praying mantis, a pig, a cat, a bird, and a gorilla, presided over by a psychologist dog. Each animal talks of the angst involved in its behavior, which is normal for that animal, but seems totally inappropriate to the other group participants.

My reaction: It was fun, but not especially deep.

The animated short that has probably been seen by the most people is Bao (USA, 8 minutes, Directed by Domee Shi), since it played in front of Incredibles 2. A Chinese mom, alone while her husband works is feeling a bit down, until one of her dumplings comes to life, first as a baby and then growing through childhood, into a sulky teen, and eventually into a young adult which is hard for her to take, especially when he brings home his fiancée.

My reaction: I really expect more out more out of Disney/Pixar. It was entertaining, and a times creative in its humor, but was lacking in the kind of human warmth that is so important to Pixar films.

Aging and memory are the focus of Late Afternoon (Ireland, 10 minutes, directed by Louise Bagnall). Elderly Emily spends her day in a chair, but from time to time younger Kate brings her something (tea, books, photographs) that trigger her memory of long ago. Each memory is only there for a short time, and she is back to a kind of blank present. But those memories tells her who she was, and of the love that is within her.

My reaction: Even a short film can trigger powerful emotions. For me, Late Afternoon triggered a bit of grief. My mother died a year ago after being lost to dementia, so the way Emily touched her past was meaningful and familiar to me.

One Small Step (USA and China, 8 minutes, directed by Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas) tells the story of Luna Chu, a Chinese-American girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut. Luna’s father encourages her every step of the way as he repairs shoes. But there are difficulties Luna must overcome, and inspiration she must find and implement if her dream will become real.

My Reaction: I’m a sucker for father/child stories and this is no exception. While Luna has center stage, we see her father’s love constantly supporting her and helping her toward her goal. It’s a nicely done film. It is also my favorite of the five.

Weekends (USA, 15 minutes, directed by Trevor Jimenez) is the story of a boy who goes back and forth between his recently divorced parents. It’s different at each home. Although neither parent seems unhappy to have the boy, they are also not especially affectionate. The boy just seems like a bit of baggage the two parents continue to deal with.

My Reaction: This is a very grown-up film. Even though it is a bit understated, there is also an intensity when we think of the boy’s perspective of really not belonging to neither parent. The child in this film seems to feel a bit orphaned, even though there are two parents in his life. That may well be the way many children of divorce experience that situation.

The Story of Us Ep. 2: Why Can’t We Just Get Along?

by Leave a Comment

(National Geographic/Maria Bohe)

War is not a topic many of us enjoy discussing, and it’s easy to see why. Tensions around the world are currently at a fever pitch as the US and North Korea play a game of chicken over nuclear weapons.  Drone warfare has made it as easy to kill real people as it is to grab a joystick and press a button.  Nobody wants to deal with the effects dueling groups of people can cause—we’ve seen it over and over throughout the annals of history. In the second episode of The Story of Us (National Geographic, 9 PM/8 CT Wednesdays and on demand), Morgan Freeman took a closer look at this issue and discovered some solutions on how to help make lasting peace a reality.

The episode, entitled “The Fight for Peace,” is an interesting juxtaposition of words.  Since Cain killed Abel in Genesis, fighting has been a part of society—for better or worse.  But a lasting peace is always desirable in the end.  Freeman made a trip to Ethiopia and watched two tribes conduct a peace ceremony to end fighting over livestock, pasture lands, and simple theft.  It was fascinating to watch and encouraging to see members of the rival tribes go off together as friends.  Later, Freeman visited Rwanda, the site of a ghastly genocide that killed upwards of one million people in a little over three months.  It took a lot to get things back to something resembling order, but reconciliation is finally starting to occur.

(National Geographic/Maria Bohe)

In some places, there is still tension in the air over past events.  One example is in Ireland, where Catholics and Protestants fought for decades and still segregate themselves for the most part (see the picture above of Freeman looking at one of the 30-foot tall Peace Walls).  Being together brings about the possibility of retaliation from either side.  In other cases, some tribes in South America believe the shedding of blood helps to end disputes.  Every year, they get together for a festival and after getting drunk, start fights with fellow tribes intentionally, stopping only when someone bleeds (but not killed).  Violent, yes.  But they seem to think it works.

Yet we know war isn’t the final answer. It’s going to be a worldwide issue until humans breathe their last breath.  So what will it take to keep peace in the meantime?  If we use the takeaways from the second episode of The Story of Us, we’ll have to eschew revenge and focus on communication, reconciliation, and forgiveness.  It might not be the easiest thing to do when we’re wronged, but it’s where God can enter the picture and make a major impression in someone’s life.  The Rwanda story was unique as the two individuals interviewed were from different tribes (and the man had killed the lady’s husband, brother, and two of her kids) and yet with God’s help, there was forgiveness and a peace that simply cannot come as a result of human intervention.

In fact, the apostle Paul told the Roman church the following: “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.  Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:17-21 NASB).”

It’s amazing how advice from two millennia ago can still be timely in an age of distrust and uncertainty. May we employ it before it’s too late.

NEXT WEEK: Episode 3: The Power of Love