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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Vice

Today I saw Vice, starring Christian Bale and Amy Adams.

If you're a staunch republican, you may not like this film, but if you're a liberal (or even perhaps an independent) you may chuckle along with the rest of the audience at this exaggerated—but undoubtedly entertaining—look at the life of Dick Cheney (Bale).

Christian Bale transforms physically and verbally into the former vice president so convincingly, you'd probably forget it was a fictional take were it not for the breaking of the fourth wall, the snappy cutaways and wink-y storytelling approach.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy every minute of it.

Then again, I'm the Pacific Northwestern liberal target audience they were probably banking on selling tickets to, so I didn't have a hard time buying what they were selling. What they were selling was of course how miserable of a human being Dick Cheney truly is, save for his one redeeming quality. He really seems to love and advocate for his lesbian daughter (although his other daughter does not). Other than that, it appears that his wife Lynne (Adams) calls the shots, and they aren't always in the best interest of the country.

If you're not of the belief that the story is true, at least see the film for the performances. If you do believe, well, be prepared to laugh (and possibly cry) at what a mess this man made of the world.

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RGB

Last night I saw RGB, a documentary about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Most Americans are aware of the liberal-leaning Supreme Court Justice who has adapted the nickname "Notorious RGB," but few probably know all that she's accomplished in her 80+ years on earth.

Here are just a few things she's done:

• Became the second female justice ever appointed to the Supreme Court.
• Was one of just a dozen women at Harvard Law School.
• Graduated first in her law school class at Columbia.
• Nursed her husband through cancer.
• Raised two children.
• Was a professor at Rutgers School of Law.
• Was a volunteer lawyer for the ACLU before becoming one of its General Counsels.
• Survived cancer (twice).
• Co-founded the first law journal to focus exclusively on women's rights.

The list goes on.

This charming film mixes interviews with Justice Ginsburg, her family, journalists, politicians, friends and foes with archive footage from her illustrious career to tell her entire story (so far).

Despite her age, you get the sense she's just getting started and I can't think of a more inspirational role model for women to spotlight.

A simply perfect film.

Lee Daniels' The Butler

This morning I saw Lee Daniels' The Butler, starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.

Cecil Gains (Whitaker) was a real-life man named Eugene Allen, who was employed by The White House from the Truman administration all the way up through the Reagan administration. He began as a pantry worker and was soon promoted to butler, utilizing the skills he'd learned working in exclusive places around Virginia and Washington, D.C. And, he was black.

The film shows how he was trained as a child as a "house negro" to serve and dazzle the higher class, and takes great pride in doing good work for his superiors.

His wife Gloria (Winfrey)—who was named Helene in actuality—has a drinking problem and turns to another man for intimacy as her husband works long hours. Winfrey gives an Oscar-worthy performance as a woman who clearly adores her husband, but has so much brimming just beneath her emotional surface, she has to find other ways to cope.

The film has fairly been compared to Forrest Gump for its predictable trip down memory lane, but just as I didn't mind it in Forrest Gump, I didn't mind it here either. Though the big-name stars (Robin Williams, John Cusack, etc.) who play the various presidents are distracting, the overall message is clear: it really hasn't been that long since America was a terribly unbalanced country, devoid of human rights for all. In fact, it reminds us that though things are better, we still have a long way to go.

For all its unfaithfulness to the true story, it was still an engaging, well-paced movie that made me wish I was more like its main character: content in hard work, patient in times of injustice and lacking in envy of the riches that surround him.

~~~

Argo

Last night I saw Argo, starring Ben Affleck and Bryan Cranston.

Tony Mendez (Affleck) is an 'exfiltration' specialist for the CIA, which means he specializes in removing people from dangerous situations. Jack O'Donnell (Cranston) enlists Mendez to formulate a way to get six American Embassy refugees, currently in hiding at the Canadian ambassador's residence, home safely from an Iranian disaster zone. The year is 1979.

Though unconventional, Mendez has an idea to coach the six into portraying themselves as a Canadian film crew to get them out of the country. The general consensus is that the proposal "is so crazy it just might work," so the seal of approval is granted by the CIA to move forward with the plan.

Sounds like a great idea for a screenplay doesn't it? The twist is that this story is true. Painfully accurate, as a matter of fact. The events in this film really did happen and were unknown to the world until President Clinton de-classified the operation in the 1990s.

One may assume that because we know the ending the movie's sense of suspense will suffer, but that's not the case. Affleck, who also directed the film, has created a thriller masterpiece here. He's given us a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction plot, duplicated the physical appearance of the actors to look eerily like their real counterparts and delivered a film full of heart, humor and humility.

Though I knew how the story ended going into it, there were moments where I was actually holding my breath watching it all play out. The casting, the acting, the pacing, the writing—all superb.

It will be hard for another film to surpass the greatness of this one for me this year. Get to the theater right away and take it all in. You won't be disappointed (and do remember to stay for the credits).

 ~~~

The Campaign

Last night I saw The Campaign, starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis.

Cam Brady (Ferrell) is used to winning—he's been the congressman in a small North Carolina town for years and is running unopposed for another term.

Marty Huggins (Galifianakis) is the son of a prominent man who has always desired the approval of his father, though has no experience in politics.

The Motch Brothers (John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd) want a puppet they can control (and develop Chinese sweatshops) to take power, so they move in and groom Marty to beat Cam.

Going into films like this, I'm often prepared to learn that the funniest scenes were in the trailer, but here I was pleasantly surprised. There was plenty of funny to go around.

Ferrell never goes into his signature George W. Bush impression (as I feared) and is just slimy enough to echo an actual candidate.

Galifianakis is sweet and consistent throughout—maintaining his effeminate mannerisms even after his team has "toughened" him up.

The supporting players are there just enough to let the two leads do their thing, and their thing is hilarious.

There is language and sex, but what was thankfully missing was bathroom humor. And perhaps that's why I liked it so much. At least two scenes had me in tears, I laughed so hard.

I love it when a comedy does that to me.

~~~

Charlie Wilson's War

On December 23, I saw Charlie Wilson's War starring Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

With so many big names (Hanks and Hoffman are joined by Amy Adams and Julia Roberts) attached to this film, it was hard not to anticipate its merit before going in, but having been burned in the past by similar assumptions, I reserved judgement.

Thankfully, there was no need for me to.

Hanks dazzles as real-life Texas congressman Charlie Wilson, a booze-loving womanizer with the heart of an everyman who is faced with political demands from a wealthy mover and shaker (played by Roberts), who also occupies his bed. Luckily, he's on the same page with her intentions, to covertly help the Afghans defend themselves against the then-enemy of Russia.

The plot is pretty basic and simple to follow, but what makes this movie so watchable (and will have you wondering how the time went so fast when it ends) is the collection of charisma that ensues: partly a result of good writing; partly a result of the performances.

The main scene stealer is Philip Seymour Hoffman who plays the Greek colleague of Wilson's that has enough justified anger and sarcasm to fill each room he steps into. He is absolutely electric in this role and I wouldn't be sorry to see him score another Oscar® nod because of it.

Also great is Wilson's adorably smart administrative assistant played by Amy Adams. Just the right mix of wholesome and alluring, Adams possesses a unique balance of what most men want: sexy mixed with Betty Crocker. There couldn't have been a better actress for this role.

The clothing and sets are also authentic to the time (early 80s), however I did question whether the phrase 'dial it down' was used back then?

Regardless, this film is solid entertainment that just happens to contain a valuable history lesson: don't fuck up the end game.

Jimmy Carter Man From Plains

Today I saw the documentary Jimmy Carter Man From Plains.

Every time I watch a documentary, I ask myself the same questions: Is the subject a worthy topic? Is the information presented in a captivating way? Did I learn something about the subject that I didn't previously know before I watched this film?

In this case, two out of three isn't bad.

Really, former U.S. president Jimmy Carter is a wonderful topic. He's as kind as he is smart and as driven as he is accomplished. As the first president I have any memory of as a child, I will always be especially curious about his history and his character because it helped shape my childhood as an American.

That said, watching a two-hour collection of interviews I could've Tivo'd wasn't the best way to educate me about this Nobel prize-winning man—though I did learn a few things.

Amidst this travelogue of president Carter's book tour (for his controversial book Palestine: Peace not Apartheid), I witnessed a man who finally seems comfortable in his skin and aims to make up for lost time. He does this in his trademark gracious way by making no apologies for his well-thought-out beliefs while showing the utmost respect to each person he tries to convince.

There is an innate refreshment in a transparent politician, probably because they're so rare. Carter lives the very definition of this role, alternately arguing with a TV host who is trying to misquote him, then thinking out loud about becoming fluent in Spanish because he has a program on his computer that would enable him to.

He's also the kind of Christian that gives Christians a good name: one who believes that science can co-exist with Jesus worship and also tirelessly serves the poor (in a too-brief segment, we see him building Habitat for Humanity houses in New Orleans). One who reads the Bible aloud with his wife each night and treats his staff as equals.

We see all of this in snippets of previously aired interviews and behind-the-scenes glances as he shuffles from city to city with his Simon & Schuster handlers. But what we don't see are the effects of his work. The people who read his book and saw the Middle East conflict in a different way as a result. The policymakers who defended his view and took his ideas to their colleagues for further debate. Where are they? Do they even exist?

The filmmaker doesn't attempt to pretend whose side he's on. You will love this former president from the first frame of the movie until the credits roll because the portrayal is so endearing, you'd be evil not to.

If that was the aim of the documentary, then I say "mission accomplished," but if the viewers were supposed to leave with an enhanced knowledge of the peace process, or an expert view on the background of Carter's legacy, it failed.

While many of the moments are sweet, that's ultimately all that this documentary adds up to: a series of moments. It's the dust jacket version of the story.

Makes me want to buy the book.

Friends of God: A Road Trip with Alexandra Pelosi

Last night I watched Friends of God: A Road Trip with Alexandra Pelosi, a documentary about evangelical Christians in America.

After seeing Journeys with George a few years back and loving it, I was excited to hear Pelosi was returning with a new film. Unfortunately, this one had some flaws.

First, the length.

Friends of God is only an hour long. Considering the time the documentarian spent with these groups of people, I have to assume she had enough footage to create a full-length story. But she didn't. And what resulted was interesting lead-ins with no substantial pay-offs.

Shock and Awe?

While her earlier pieces have brought the viewer in as a mere observer and presented a fair scope of each angle of the message, this documentary felt like it was trying to jolt us into reality every few scenes. Guess what? There are lecturers that travel from church to church refuting evolution! Guess what? Evangelical Christians have sex every day (and even make their wives orgasm)! Guess what? Jerry Falwell's Liberty University was created to breed new right-wing politicians to elect and further the Christian movement!

While all of those things are somewhat newsworthy or at least a little interesting from an anthropological level, they're not really a surprise anymore. We know who our president is and how he got elected (and re-elected). We realize that the liberals in our country are fastly becoming a minority. We understand that evangelical Christians are aware of how to reproduce.

There were compelling elements to many of the topics Pelosi brought to light, but she didn't take the time to develop them or provide a consistent narrative to tie them all together.

Scandal Averted

Perhaps the film was already edited by the time the Pastor Ted Haggard scandal broke, but even if so—wouldn't it have been more interesting to show the footage that she had of Haggard renouncing homosexuals and 'training' his congregations to properly share their faith with the media and then go back to those churches and interview the people. Ask them what they make of their fallen leader? Question whether this hypocrisy is a trend in their circles or just an isolated incident?

I'd love to know if these folks are praying for his soul and forgiving him (as Jesus would want them to), or if they've written him off as a victim of Satan's temptations and moved on.

And I'd like to know why Pelosi didn't go back and ask those questions.

Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater

Caught this documentary on HBO earlier today—from the trailer, I thought it would be more exciting, but sadly it was actually kind of boring.

Created by his granddaughter, the film follows the political and personal life of famous Arizona senator Barry Goldwater. It's comprehensive and linear, but what it lacks is an intimacy that should be evident when a family member recounts the life of someone close to them.

Senator Goldwater had an interesting life—he was a politician, family man, photographer and special friend to Native American tribes throughout the southwest (in that order). Notable figures such as Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Senator Hillary Rodham-Clinton share personal stories of his climb to the top and provide testimonials as to what a nice man he really was.

And I suppose that's where we have our story.

Not in his wild successes and low failures as a politician, but in his kind and compassionate heart that stayed with him and those around him until his death in 1998.