Reviews and Comments by Ken Burke
I invite you to join me on a regular basis to see how my responses to current cinematic offerings compare to the critical establishment, which I’ll refer to as either the CCAL (Collective Critics at Large) when they’re supportive or the OCCU (Often Cranky Critics Universe) when they go negative.
Opening Chatter (no spoilers anywhere in this posting): Normally each time I present at least 1 full review followed by Short Takes on at least 1 other option before closing out with recommendations/resources. This time it’s all Short Takes because I’ve passed on viewing/ reviewing new streamers I’m aware of (didn’t interest me anyway; still not ready for a theater yet, despite being fully COVID-vaccinated) so I’ll turn my attention to 2/3 of the Oscar-nominated Short Films—here’s the official overall site with info and trailers on all 15 nominees—but I’ll focus on Animation and Live Action categories (might get to Documentaries later) with an overview via the Animation trailer and the Live Action trailer. That overall-overview-site noted above can lead you to accessing these Shorts in theaters, and apparently they’ll all be on Amazon Prime streaming starting Tuesday April 20, 2021; however, you might do Internet searching to find where they’re already available for download in your area (e.g. “2021 oscar nominated short films streaming in san francisco”), which will give you access to sites supporting theaters showing these films in your area. In conjunction with Landmark Theaters here in the S.F. region I went to this site for Animation, this one for Live Action, each program costing $12 (available only for North American viewers; I don’t know about options in other locales), with a limited window of time to watch, watch again if you want.
Now, on to commentary on the 10 nominees I’ve seen (plus 3 added also-rans in the Animation group) with the full Animation package running 1 hr. 39 min., Live Action 2 hrs. 10 min. Both are unrated, but Animation’s essentially PG-13, Live Action’s the same (for each group I’ve put what resources I could find in Related Links far below, skimpy compared to what’s usually available). Alas, no Musical Metaphors this time; too much complexity within these programs to pick just 1 song for the whole package, too much inertia on my part to find 10 separate ones. Following those brief reviews, in order of my preferences in each category, I’ll also offer suggestions for some choices on the Turner Classic Movies channel (but too much extra text for line-justified-layout like you see here [Related Links stuff at each posting’s end is similarly-ragged], at least to be done by this burned-out-BlogSpot-drone—oh, tedious software!), plus my standard dose of industry-related-trivia.
In my Film Reviews from Just On Guy in the Dark posting next week (4/22/2021) I’ll list all Oscar nominees along with my predictions of winners and personal preferences if I were giving the awards.
A seemingly-confusing situation at first resolved dramatically at the end as the shadows of 2 parents keep trying to steer their little girl away from something we don’t anticipate; sparse film generally in monochrome, no dialogue (I can’t say anymore; I just hope you'll choose to see it). Available now on Netflix streaming.
Best just pure animation of the bunch for me (just not quite as impactful overall as If Anything Happens …), a surreal story (with Picasso-like imagery at times) as a woman glides along through various interchanging encounters with her roommate, friends, and a dog while she’s looking for a sign to guide her life. Exquisite visuals abound.
Presented all in one shot (with minimal zooming in and out) of a large triangular structure with many diverse levels as various activities of tiny people continue pursuing their lives within areas of this singular imposing image (maybe some warfare followed by a peaceful night mood); odd overall presentation in this film but extremely-intriguing-impact.
From Pixar, this is a comic quickie about a rabbit trying to build a new underground home without disturbing his several neighbors who're already living in burrows of their own, so he finally gets some help from a grumpy badger who shows him how to achieve his intentions.
An odd, cute little slice-of-life look at some various characters rendered whimsically in daily activities during a (typically) snowy Icelandic winter. You can see this one on YouTube for free over at https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=xaTkL 825 NQM if you’d care to do so.
In addition to those 5 official nominees above, this program also gives you 3 additional earlier contenders for finalist status: (1) Kapaemahu (USA; Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, Daniel Sousa) You can visit the official site where you can see the whole film (8:24) about an ancient legend of 4 extraordinary individuals coming from Tahiti to Hawaii, bringing the healing arts to these islanders; it’s very nice, but I’ll give it only 2½ stars; (2) The Snail and the Whale (UK/Germany; Max Lang, Daniel Snaddon) This one also has an official site where you can watch this fanciful tale (25:00)—but only if you’re in the UK (although there are a couple of short clips for the rest of us)—about an adventurous snail who climbs onto a whale’s tail for a grand trip around the world; I’ll hold it to 3½ stars because it’s a bit long for its content but still quite enjoyable; (3) To: Gerald (USA; Taylor Meacham) Charming story—also with the opportunity to watch it (7:27) at an official site—about a lonely mail sorter who dreams of being a magician, fascinates a little girl who visits him, years later she’s a famous magician who invites him on stage to show off his talent; I’ll give it 3 stars. Therefore, if finalizing this category were up to me I’d dump Burrow and Yes-People (pleasant as both of them are) in favor of The Snail and the Whale and To: Gerald, but that's just me.
Oscar-Nominated Live Action Short Films full program 130 min.
Not Rated (essentially PG-13 for all of them)
This searing film is somewhat like a Groundhog Day-meets-George Floyd (all serious, though) as a young Black man, Carter James (Joey Bada$$) in NYC keeps reliving deadly events as wakes up in the bed of a woman he’s just met, Perri (Zaria Simone), heads home to care for his dog, but keeps finding trouble with trigger-happy White cop Merk (Andrew Howard), Carter determined to find a way to beat this cycle they're all conscious of; concludes with a sobering, lengthy roll call of recent killings of unarmed Blacks by White cops (a tragic situation that never seems to end, even as I'm writing this). Available now, Netflix streaming.
More-heartwarming story here, about yet another young Black man, Tareek (Steven Prescod) who can’t find a friend to crash with for the night but then he meets a blind/mute White man, Artie (Robert Tarango; the actor same shape as his character), at a bus stop; as the long night goes on, Tareek keeps pushing himself to make efforts to be of help to get this guy home. See it now, free, on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1CqzntEZZ8.
Here’s another touching tale, this time about difficulties and decency as a Palestinian man, Yusef (Saleh Bakri), has to go through an Israeli checkpoint in order to surprise his wife, Noor (Mariam Basha), with a new refrigerator for her anniversary present but then he encounters various political, attitudinal, and physical problems trying to get it home, helped (as she can) by his young, devoted daughter, Yasmine (Mariam Kanj). Also free to watch now on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe85VXueUoM (this version has Arabic subtitles, but you can also add some English closed-captions around/under them; much of the dialogue's spoken in English anyway so somehow it will all be clear).
Now we’re on the Israeli side of this eternally-tense Middle Eastern border, as we explore a gripping story reminiscent of a great Italian Neorealism classic, The Bicycle Thief, as a man, Omer (Daniel Gad), has his bike stolen, finds it only to face legal, along with interpersonal, obstacles in getting it back as African immigrant Yunes (Dawit Tekelaeb) claims the bike is his; cops are called, Yunes has visa problems so is arrested for deportation, Omer's suddenly stunned, then sorrowful.
Here we have a couple of well-known stars for a change of pace in these Short Films as Oscar Isaac plays Richard, a prison guard who shifts jobs to Human Relations, is assigned to read every piece of convicts' incoming/outgoing mail, then he gets intensely-concerned about whether bitter, long-time inmate Cris (Brian Petsos), prodded by
girlfriend Rosita (Alia Shawkat [TV’s Arrested Development]), might be contemplating mutual suicide; Richard tries to intercede, meets with Rosita, hoping to change her mind.
You can get considerably more opinions on all 13 of these Oscar candidate/nominee Shorts in the External Reviews link for each title in IMDb (this Two Guys posting's in those reviews listings also), but, oddly enough, most of them won’t come up in an internal IMDb search so do a Google search on titles you’re interested in, then scroll down through the options until you find the IMDb link.
Suggestions for TCM cablecasts
At least until the pandemic subsides Two Guys also want to encourage you to consider movies you might be interested in that don’t require subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon Prime, similar Internet platforms (we may well be stuck inside for longer than those 30-day-free-initial-offers), or premium-tier-cable-TV-fees. While there are a good number of video networks offering movies of various sorts (mostly broken up by commercials), one dependable source of fine cinematic programming is Turner Classic Movies (available in lots of basic-cable-packages) so I’ll be offering suggestions of possible choices for you running from Thursday afternoon of the current week (I usually get this blog posted by early Thursday mornings) on through Thursday morning of the following week. All times are for U.S. Pacific zone so if you see something of interest please verify actual show time in your area for the day listed. These recommendations are my particular favorites (no matter when they’re on, although some of those early-day-ones might need to be recorded, watched later), but there’s considerably more to pick from you might like even better; feel free to explore their entire schedule here. You can also click the down arrow at the right of each listing for additional, useful info.
I’ll bet if you checked that entire schedule link just above you’d find other options of interest, but these are the only ones grabbing my attention at present. Please dig in further for other possibilities.
(apparently TMC is running their selections in alphabetical order again this week)
Friday April 16, 2021
3:45 AM Lolita (Stanley Kubrick, 1962) Adapted from the famous/infamous novel by Vladimir Nabokov this film walks a careful line for its still-buttoned-down-release-year concerning the sexual obsession of a middle-aged man (James Mason) for a teenager (Sue Lyon) to the point of marrying her mother (Shelly Winters) to be near the girl, while an even-more nefarious guy (Peter Sellers) lurks in the shadows, lusting as well. Sellers provides comic relief, helps Kubrick dodge censorship.
6:00 PM The Maltese Falcon (John Huston, 1941) Some claim this started the troubled-crime-tradition of film noir: Humphrey Bogart as Dashiell Hammett’s streetwise-private-eye, Sam Spade, whose life gets complicated when the takes on Brigid O’Shaughnessy (Mary Astor) as a client searching for the priceless “black bird.” A fabulous cast includes Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Elisha Cook Jr. Masterful “Hardboiled-detective” story with a sense of morality amongst greed.
Sunday April 18, 2021
10:15 PM Network (Sidney Lumet, 1976) Brilliant satire from Paddy Chayefsky (Oscar for Original Screenplay) about TV news, ratings, soulless corporations, and “mad prophet” Howard Beale, a harbinger of Reality TV and Social Media. Ned Beatty’s CEO rant is priceless. Excellent cast:
Peter Finch as Beale (posthumous Oscar, Best Actor), William Holden, Faye Dunaway (Oscar, Best
Actress), Robert Duval, Beatrice Straight (Oscar, Best Supporting Actress); Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Director, Actor (Holden), Supporting Actor (Beatty), Cinematography, and Film Editing.
Tuesday April 20, 2021
12:30 AM On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan, 1954) Deserving winner of 8 Oscars including Best Picture, Director, Actor (Marlon Brando), Supporting Actress (Eva Marie Saint). A mob/union boss (Lee J. Cobb) runs the waterfront but a sub-honcho’s (Rod Steiger) in trouble because his "bum" brother’s (Brando) witnessed a mob killing, is being pressured to testify by a priest (Karl Malden). Contains the famous “I coulda been a contenda” scene between Brando and Steiger during a testy cab ride.
Wednesday April 21, 2021
4:00 PM The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor, 1940) A screwball romantic comedy standard (adapted from a popular play that starred Katharine Hepburn, as does this movie) with Cary Grant as Hepburn's ex-husband; she's set to remarry when her ex shows up along with pulp-journalist James Stewart. Potential bride is re-attracted to Grant, intrigued by Stewart as the triangle (plus the would-be groom) continues right to the end. Oscars for Best Actor (Stewart), Best Adapted Screenplay.
Thursday April 22, 2021
12:00 AM Places in the Heart (Robert Benton, 1984) I have a sentimental attachment for this one because it was shot in Waxahachie, TX (close to Dallas where I lived then) so through a friend I was able to visit the set, meet cinematographer Néstor Almedros (Oscar for Days of Heaven [1978]), editor Carol Littleton (Oscar-nominated for E.T. [1982]). Grim, touching Depression-era story of a widow (Sally Field) helped through troubled times in racist Texas by a Black man (Danny Glover) and a blind man (John Malkovich) as she tries to recoup her losses; also stars Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, Lindsay Crouse. Oscars for Best Actress (Field) and Adapted Screenplay (Benton), nominated for Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Malkovich), Supporting Actress (Crouse), Costume Design.
If you’d like your own PDF of ratings/summaries of this week's reviews, suggestions for TCM cablecasts, links to Two Guys info click this link to access then save, print, or whatever you need.
Other Cinema-Related Stuff: In quick fashion, here are some extra items you might like: (1) Directors Guild of America, Chloé Zhao wins for Nomadland; (2) Godzilla vs. Kong tops $350 million last week globally; (3) Easily-accepted nonsense in Godzilla vs. Kong (this requires analysis?). As usual for now I’ll close out this section with Joni Mitchell’s "Big Yellow Taxi" (from her 1970 Ladies of the Canyon album)—because “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone”—and a reminder that you can search streaming/rental/purchase movie options at JustWatch.
Related Links Which You Might Find Interesting:
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AND … at least until the Oscars for 2020’s releases have been awarded on Sunday, April 25, 2021 we’re also going to include reminders in each posting of very informative links where you can get updated tallies of which films have been nominated for and/or received various awards and which ones made various individual critic’s Top 10 lists. You may find the diversity among the various awards competitions and the various critics hard to reconcile at times—not to mention the often-significant-gap between critics’ choices and competitive-award-winners (which pales when they’re compared to the even-more-noticeable-gap between specific award winners and big box-office-grosses you might want to monitor here as well as here due to many 2020 releases being tracked on the 2021 list, although the income situation for 2020’s skewed due to so many award-contenders getting limited or no theatrical releases)—but as that less-than-enthusiastic-patron-of-the-arts, Plato, noted in The Symposium (385-380 BC)—roughly translated, depending on how accurate you wish the actual quote to be—“Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder,” so your choices for success are as valid as any of these others, especially if you offer some rationale for your decisions (unlike many of the awards voters who simply fill out ballots, sometimes—damn it!—for films they’ve never seen).
To save you a little time scrolling through the “various awards” list above, here are the current Golden Globes nominees and winners for films and TV from 2020-early 2021
along with the Oscar nominees for 2020-early 2021 films.
Here’s more information about 2021 Oscar-nominated Animation Shorts:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/2021_oscar_nominated_shorts_animation
(80% positive but based on just 10 reviews)
https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/2021-oscar-nominated-short-films-animation-review-1234942767/
For If Anything Happens I Love You:
https://www.netflix.com/title/81349306
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/if_anything_happens_i_love_you
(100% positive but based on just 6 reviews)
Here’s more information about 2021 Oscar–nominated Live Action Shorts:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/2021_oscar_nominated_shorts_live_action
(100% positive but based on just 7 reviews)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscar-nominated-shorts-2021-live-action-film-review
For Two Distant Strangers:
https://www.netflix.com/title/81447229
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If you’d rather contact Ken directly rather than leaving a comment here please use my email address of kenburke409@gmail.com—type it directly if the link doesn’t work. (But if you truly have too much time on your hands you might want to explore some even-longer-and-more-obtuse-than-my-film-reviews-academic-articles about various cinematic topics at my website, https://kenburke.academia.edu, which could really give you something to talk to me about.)
If we did talk, though, you’d easily see how my early-70s-age informs my references, Musical Metaphors, etc. in these reviews because I’m clearly a guy of the later 20th century, not so much the contemporary world. I’ve come to accept my ongoing situation, though, realizing we all (if fate allows) keep getting older, we just have to embrace it, as Joni Mitchell did so well in "The Circle Game," offering sage advice even when she was quite young herself.
By the way, if you’re ever at The Hotel California knock on my door—but you know what the check-out policy is so be prepared to stay for awhile (quite an eternal while, in fact). Ken
P.S. Just to show that I haven’t fully flushed Texas out of my system here’s an alternative destination for you, Home in a Texas Bar, with Gary P. Nunn and Jerry Jeff Walker. But wherever the rest of my body may be my heart’s always with my longtime-companion, lover, and wife, Nina Kindblad, so here’s our favorite shared song—Neil Young’s "Harvest Moon"
—from the performance we saw at the Desert Trip concerts in Indio, CA on October 15, 2016 (as a full moon was rising over the stadium) because “I’m still in love with you,” my dearest, a never-changing-reality even as the moon waxes and wanes over the months/years to come.
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