Stuck

Tonight I saw the short film Stuck, starring Steve Blackwood and Sandy Bainum.

"It's not a crime scene, it's a situation!"

George (Blackwood) and Helen (Bainum) want to take their intimacy to the next level, so they order a sex machine to spice things up. It arrives the evening of an important dinner they're hosting for clients ... but they hit a snag when the delivery boy gets stuck in the contraption, rendered unconscious.

The remainder of the film is witnessing the couple as they feverishly try to troubleshoot their way out of this predicament and prepare for their evening. Their banter alternates from manic to borderline sentimental as they explore the possibility of how their guests would react if they knew what was upstairs, while simultaneously brainstorming ways to conceal their issue.

Blackwood's high energy is reminiscent of his character Bart on Days of Our Lives, and Bainum is definitely a match with her expressive actions and speech.

All-in-all a fun, 14-minute romp.

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My 2020 Oscar Picks and Predictions

Here are my final picks for tomorrow's ceremony:

WRITING: ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Who Will Win: PARASITE
My Pick: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

WRITING: ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Who Will Win: JOJO RABBIT
My Pick: LITTLE WOMEN

VISUAL EFFECTS
Who Will Win: 1917
My Pick: THE IRISHMAN

SOUND MIXING
Who Will Win: 1917
My Pick: JOKER

SOUND EDITING
Who Will Win: 1917
My Pick: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

SHORT FILM: LIVE ACTION
Who Will Win: THE NEIGHBORS' WINDOW
My Pick: NEFTA FOOTBALL CLUB

SHORT FILM: ANIMATED
Who Will Win: HAIR LOVE
My Pick: HAIR LOVE

PRODUCTION DESIGN
Who Will Win: THE IRISHMAN
My Pick: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
Who Will Win: "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from ROCKETMAN
My Pick: "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from ROCKETMAN

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Who Will Win: 1917
My Pick: JOKER

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Who Will Win: BOMBSHELL
My Pick: BOMBSHELL

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Who Will Win: PARASITE
My Pick: PARASITE

FILM EDITING
Who Will Win: JOJO RABBIT
My Pick: PARASITE

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
Who Will Win: LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WAR ZONE (IF YOU'RE A GIRL)
My Pick: IN THE ABSENCE

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
Who Will Win: THE CAVE
My Pick: HONEYLAND

DIRECTING
Who Will Win: Sam Mendes for 1917
My Pick: Todd Phillips for JOKER

COSTUME DESIGN
Who Will Win: LITTLE WOMEN
My Pick: LITTLE WOMEN

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Who Will Win: THE IRISHMAN
My Pick: 1917

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Who Will Win: TOY STORY 4
My Pick: TOY STORY 4

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Who Will Win: Laura Dern for MARRIAGE STORY
My Pick: Kathy Bates for RICHARD JEWELL

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Who Will Win: Brad Pitt for ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
My Pick: Brad Pitt for ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Who Will Win: Renee Zellweger for JUDY
My Pick: Renee Zellweger for JUDY

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Who Will Win: Joaquin Phoenix for JOKER
My Pick: Joaquin Phoenix for JOKER

BEST PICTURE
Who Will Win: 1917
My Pick: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

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Documentary Short Film Nominees (Oscars 2020)

Yesterday I saw all five of the nominated films in the Documentary Short category. I'll present my reviews in the order the films were shown.

LIFE OVERTAKES ME (Sweden, USA)

A mysterious illness is breaking the hearts of refugee parents all across Sweden. This film shows real-life cases of Resignation Syndrome, where children effectively enter into a coma after a series of traumatic events renders their bodies unresponsive. Facing deportation, the parents often have to parent children not afflicted by the ailment and tend to every basic need of those who do while battling for asylum. It's devastating to watch and I found myself hungry for additional answers when it came to an end.

LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WAR ZONE (IF YOU'RE A GIRL) (USA)

A group of young girls in Afghanistan get to experience school—and learn how to skateboard—in a special program that's empowered thousands. Not only do they gain the practical skills of basic education, but they gain a self-confidence not usual for girls in their community. An inspiring slice of hope for change ... that really goes on a bit too long. Shame about the lack of editing.

IN THE ABSENCE (South Korea)

In the spring of 2014, over 300 lives were lost when the MV Sewol ferry sank in the wake of an incompetent government rescue response. Those who did survive were largely saved by area fishing boats and commercial vessels who arrived and intervened before the Coast Guard showed up. Even worse, among the dead were hundreds of children who were on board for a school trip. This film superbly recalls the order of events of this preventable disaster using archive footage and audio mixed with recounts from survivors and the families of the dead. The strongest of the five, I was thinking about this one long after I left the theater. This is my pick to win.

WALK, RUN, CHA-CHA (USA)

A couple who escaped Vietnam during the war (facing certain death because they were Chinese), makes a new life in Los Angeles, bonded by the love for dance that started their romance when it was forbidden in their former country. We see them learning new moves, practicing for a formal performance and telling the history of their love story—all very endearing, but at times unfortunately a bit slow-paced and repetitive. My least-favorite of the five nominated films this year.

ST. LOUIS SUPERMAN (USA)

A young black man in Missouri, Bruce Franks, Jr., vows to ignite change after the Michael Brown incident happens, having grown up knowing violence first-hand after his young brother was killed in a gunfight being used as a human shield. He runs for office and wins—fighting for a bill that declares gun violence a public health risk. An excellent look at how change may take time, but is absolutely possible.

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Live Action Short Film Nominees (Oscars 2020)

Yesterday I saw all five of the nominated films in the Live Action Short category. I'll present my reviews in the order the films were shown.

A SISTER (Belgium)

We join the film as a woman in peril makes a phone call from the car she's riding in with who appears to be her date. A date that has gone horribly wrong. Next, we see the person receiving the call who tries to make sense of the situation. It's a tense, simmer-beneath-the-surface thriller that we're not sure will turn out the way we hope. I was glued to the edge of my seat.

BROTHERHOOD (Tunisia, Canada, Qatar, Sweden)

A Tunisian family's harmony is disrupted when the eldest son, who has been gone for a long time, returns home to introduce his new pregnant Syrian bride. His father doesn't approve of what he suspects his son has been up to during his hiatus from their community and tensions rise. Perhaps I have dysfunctional oppressive family fatigue, but I didn't feel like there was anything new in this one. My least favorite of the bunch.

THE NEIGHBORS' WINDOW (USA)

A New York family of five is going through the motions of life—Dad works, Mom cares for the kids, they're comfortable financially. One night after the kids are in bed, the couple notices a couple in the building across the way making love with no inhibitions or worries that people may see them (though they have no blinds on their windows). At first they laugh, but then they become borderline obsessed with watching this couple, who appears to have an active sex and social life. Then, something changes and the perspective shifts. Basically, this is a good "grass is always greener" tale that was inspired by a true story. I had no idea I'd cry at the end—but I did.

SARIA (USA)

In March of 2017, 41 children lost their lives in a fire at a safe home in Guatemala. This film recounts the days leading up to the fire, including a riot led by female residents (who suffered sexual abuse and torture at the hands of their caretakers), who briefly escaped only to be captured, beaten and locked back up. In that lock up, a fire broke out and those responsible for guarding the girls didn't unlock the door to let them out, resulting in mass fatalities. This film was especially hard to watch because at the time of the real event, I worked for a Guatemalan company and spent time in the city near where it happened just a month later. The citizens were still raw with grief and searching for answers. Unfortunately, justice has not yet been achieved for the victims; perhaps this terrifying glimpse into what it was probably like will help that.

NEFTA FOOTBALL CLUB (France, Algeria, Tunisia

The final film in the presentation was the only one that provided solid comedy, but for that I was grateful. The story follows two Tunisian brothers who find a donkey wearing headphones. Yes, you read that right—the donkey is listening to tunes on a mountainside, so the boys make the most of the encounter, listening to the music and stealing the contents of the donkey's load to take home to their village. What they do with those contents left me smiling and caused the audience around me to spontaneously clap. The most charming of the five films, this just may be this year's winner.

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Just Mercy

On Friday, I saw Just Mercy, starring Jamie Foxx and Michael B. Jordan.

Walter McMillian (Foxx) is a black man, living in Alabama, running his own business clearing out trees and brush around town. He has a family, a clean record and is well-liked in his community. One day in 1986, a white girl is murdered at a local dry cleaning store. There are no obvious suspects, but after six months, they bring McMillian in and accuse him of the crime, mostly because he once had an affair with a white woman. They have no evidence to support their theory, yet he is convicted and lands on death row.

His saving grace is Bryan Stevenson (Jordan), a recent east coast transplant who is dedicated to helping those wrongly convicted with their legal cases.

In the film, Foxx portrays McMillian as calm, rational, patient and (justifiably) angry. He doesn't have a lot of faith when Stevenson materializes because he's been let down so many times in the past, but you can feel him wanting to trust; wanting to have hope in someone. Alternately, Stevenson can't believe just how unfairly McMillian and several others in the system have been treated and vows to vindicate them. Jordan conveys a determined, if at times naive, man driven to succeed.

Though the reality of what I was watching was hard to take (because the story is true and the film is accurate in its retelling), I enjoyed it thoroughly. The performances drew me right in as if I was a member of that community, watching for the sidelines, praying for justice.

The wins have you wanting to cheer and the losses will make you weep, but you won't look at your watch once, and if you stay through the credits you get to see photos and updates about all of the featured characters.

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