SIFF Day 9-11: ShortsFest and more

La Mission (US) : A

Starring Benjamin Bratt and written/directed by his brother Peter Bratt, "La Mission" is an outstanding ethnic/social/family/romance/character drama that succeeds where so many other films have failed: It touches upon a large number of issues without any of them feeling forced or contrived. Benjamin Bratt bravely sinks himself into the leading role, and gives an extraordinary, richly layered performance. While the cheesiness meter does ramp up a little high at times, this is an authentic and powerful film that's well worth watching.

School Days With a Pig (Japan) : B+

A 6th grade teacher decided to teach his students a lesson on life by asking them to raise a baby pig, with the plan to eat it at the end of the school year. Or will they?? This is a wonderful family film that puts a large group of kids in the spotlight, in a way that's rarely seen in movies. It maintains a good balance by covering both the awe-inducing side of the story (kids playing with the pig) and the more serious, grown-up side (kids deciding what to do with the pig). I was highly impressed with the classroom discussion scenes - How did they film it so well with so many kids speaking so many lines? All the child actors are very believable, and adorable. My only negative comment is that the second half seems to drag on a little bit. Overall though, an excellent movie that's recommended for all ages.

Like Dandelion Dust (US) : B

An adopted child becomes the center of much turmoil when his birth parents want him back and the court orders his adopted parents to oblige. This is a well-made mainstream tear jerker; not a chick flick as the male characters are just as important and complex as the females. Cinema cynics will gladly point out the cliched elements and the tugging of the heart string. Even so, this is an engaging movie thanks to a strong cast (especially the child actor). For most of the movie, it is difficult to decide who you should root for. During the screening, a lot of sniffling was heard from the audience - I imagine that if you a parent, you may get very emotional watching it. I'm not a parent, and I still was almost brought to tears.

City of Borders (US) (Doc) : B

Snow (Bosnia/Herzegovina) : C+

Still Walking (Japan) : C+

Yes, I Can See Dead People (Hong Kong) : C+


ShortsFest Opening Package : B+
(Repeat screening Tue Jun 2, 9:15pm, Egyptian)

An excellent and diverse group of short films ranging from the lovely to the cute to the absurd to the controversial. You may not love them all, and you would still come to appreciate the art of short films. Next year, bigger venue please?

2081 (US): B
A surrealistic look into a future where equality is taken to extreme measures.
The Bake Shop Ghost (US): A
A heart-warming story with a lot of delicious-looking cakes to boot!
The Herd (Ireland): B
A deer with an identity crisis keeps hanging around a herd of cattles. What could the farmer do?
Love: C+
An inconsistent and disturbing piece on an extreme act of love in the face of death. For me, short film is not necessarily an appropriate medium for a provocative story like this, since there is no sufficient time to establish motivation or develop characters.
Next Floor: B
Absurd comedy never looked so exquisite... and somewhat disgusting.
Photograph of Jesus: B+
A funny and imaginative presentation about the photo archive and some of the real requests they receive.
Post-It Love: A-
Even the most cynical will smile at this really cute little love story!

Disclosures (shorts package) : B

Highlights:
Kudan (Japan) : A-
The Spam Job (US) : B
Sparks (US) : B

The Family Picture Show (shorts package) : A-

A wonderful collection that highlights many different looks of animation, from computer graphics to pencil drawings. Clever use of mixed media brings unique charm to two shorts, while two others present innovative methods that I have not seen before: "Western Spaghetti," where items such as bubble wraps and colorful yarns stand in for boiling water and spgahetti strands; "Maggie and Mildred," which takes on the look of needle point arts.

Highlights:
Babau (Italy) : A-
Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death : A-

The World of Possibilities (shorts package) : B-

Unanswered questions and ambiguous endings... Sometimes they work, and many other times they are just frustrating.

Response Abilities (shorts package) : B

Proof that while it might be easier to make a good short film (compared to making a good feature-length film), it's also difficult to achieve greatness.

The Cock Collage (shorts package) : B

While this package contains several nice ideas, there still is an unfortunate dearth of gay-themed short films with solid production value and high overall quality.

Sensory Overload (shorts package) : B+

Note to self: Don't judge a shorts package by its name. This is one that I was reluctant to see for fear of suffering through a large pile of experimental mumbo-jumbo. On the contrary, it includes a few very pleasant surprises, and even has a high quota of stories that make sense!