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.

~~~

Ghost

Tonight I saw Ghost, starring Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg.

The week this film debuted in 1990, I was at the theater, first in line. I loved all the actors, I loved the title and that was all I needed to know to buy the ticket. Luckily, it didn't disappoint. It not only became one of my all-time favorite films, it also took home two Academy Awards (Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Ms. Goldberg).

I own the film, and have watched it several times since, but haven't seen it in a theater since the year it came out. I was thrilled when a nearby indie theater said they'd present it as part of their Throwback Thursday series and settled into my favorite balcony seat tonight to enjoy it.

In so many ways the film remains timeless—the themes of love, spirituality, good vs. evil and betrayal all resonate as vividly today as they did 30 years ago. There's also many things that are dated—the black computer screens with archaic green text, the landline phones, the clip of The Arsenio Hall Show that plays as the characters watch. None of these details diminished the story for me this many years later, but I could see how someone young seeing it for the first time may deem it "old."

What still gave me goosebumps? The iconic pottery-making love scene set to "Unchained Melody." The first time the subway ghost rages at Sam. The moment Oda Mae surrenders to the ghost and yells "Sam" after he chases her around the table. The first "capture" of a bad soul to the other side.

It's also sheer pleasure to witness the chemistry between Demi Moore and Swayze and between Swayze and Goldberg. I can't begin to picture anyone else in any of their roles because they were so spot on.

Worth mentioning is the fact this film manages to dip in and out of several genres seamlessly: drama, comedy, thriller, horror, supernatural, romance. Ghost has it all, which is why it will continue to delight viewers for decades to come.

~~~

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

~~~

Parasite

On Thursday I saw Parasite, starring Jung Ji-so and Jo Yeo-jeong.

The Kim family is poor; the Park family is rich. The Park family needs assistance running their high class household and the Kim family sees an opportunity. Soon, in devious ways, all four of the Kims are employed by the Parks doing various tasks for them, though they don't disclose they're at all related.

Soon, they've infiltrated their entire world and begin to reap the benefits in healthy salaries and access to the mansion when the Parks are away (i.e. a camping trip).

Inherently, as a girl raised in an Immigrant-led, blue collar home, my gut almost always roots for the lower class in stories such as this ... but not here. The screenplay is so good that the characters are developed in a very complex way, making the Kims less sympathetic than the Parks, who are basically decent people being taken advantage of because they're naive.

After one big event that results in a twist I can't expect anyone saw coming, all hell breaks loose and this goes from being a black comedy to a borderline campy horror film. I couldn't look away, and was definitely entertained, but I never would have put this in a Best Picture category.

So then I wondered what I was 'missing' regarding the hype surrounding this film and the only reason why I expect it's gotten such universal praise is because it's different. It's not a film with a simple formula or predictable outcomes in any way, shape or form. It's inventive, it's fast-paced and it makes you think.

But it's also not the second coming of film.

~~~

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.

~~~

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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