Sometimes a Good Notion

Archive for the tag “short”

15 May 2014

New & Notable: SLOMO

Dir: Josh Izenberg

A beautiful documentary about a man who found the light and now pursues his own form of divinity. You can call him crazy or you can call him free, however you interpret it will say more about you than it does about him.

Izenberg needs to be commended here on some gorgeous cinematography and style. His camera glides, very much like Slomo, throughout most of the film to excellent effect. There is also a surprising mix of styles that blend together naturally. The director uses animation, time lapse, and slow-motion to enhance his subject’s story. He keeps it visually compelling which adds a playfulness to the narrative that matches the own inner freedom the Slomo seems to be experiencing.

Do what you want.

slmo

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28 Jan 2014

New & Notable: 43,000 Feet

Directed By: Campbell Hooper

“My name is John Wilkins. I’m a statistician.  And I have a few things to say to those that will one day find themselves in the position of trying to survive falling from a great height.” 

images (1)When statistician John Wilkins is sucked out of a plane at 43000 feet, he calculates that he has exactly 3 minutes and 48 seconds before he hits the ground.  This is devilishly witty writing because it is mostly all a ruse. As this man contemplates the past and the future, it is his current predicament that is most clearly in his head.  The present triggers his contemplation, it leads to the conclusion that only the past matters, and he accepts his utter lack of control over the present with a simple “Good Luck”.  It’s funny as hell and a little bit scary.

Hooper relishes in the humor and does it with great visual style. The color and lack of clarity as it relates to the physical world allows the audience to focus entirely on the words. He never gives a full picture, but each frame is beautifully composed.  His manipulation of the image serves as a terrific counterpoint to the eerily monotone voice that carries the narration. His angles, sound, and the sudden changes in style drive up the tension very effectively. This is a must see.

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25 Sep 2013

New & Notable: Margo Lily

Directed by: Dane Clark & Linsey Stewart

Clark and Stewart previously directed Long Branch which you can find here and it is certainly worth watching.

Margo Lily drops us right in the middle of a heart wrenching  drama.  A couple dealing with the premature loss of a child and expressing their pain in their own unique way.  This plays out subtly and margo lilywith an incredibly delicate touch.  The couple is performing a ritual of sorts to help cope with their loss.  One of the steps in the ritual is to “say something personal”.  When the film arrives at that moment it leaves us in total silence,  everything that has been said and seen has already been personal enough.  Words would only ruin it.  It’s quite a thing to watch two filmmakers who understand just how powerful and quiet intimacy can truly be.

Somebody PLEASE give Clark and Stewart a feature directing job soon! They need to DISCOVERED ASAP!

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04 Jun 2013

New & Notable: Jonah

Directed By : Kibwe Tavares

whaleThe Greeks and Romans had the Ketus, slain by Perseus and Heracles. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all have their versions of Jonah. Disney gave us Pinocchio and Monstro. Monstro swallows Geppetto which forces Pinnochio to attempt a daring rescue and ultimately sacrifice himself for his father. Talk about a mindf***. Giant Fish have been transforming men since stories started being told. In each case, these monstrous creatures play with the allegory in their own way, but they all point to one reliable source of meaning; the undisputed power of God.

“Jonah”, directed by Kibwe Tavares, follows in these traditions. The main character, Mbwana, a young man uninterested in the picturesque fishing village he lives in, happens upon a giant fish. jonah 2Mbwana takes the image of this beast and uses it to transform his small town into an international tourist attraction and bring the excitement he longs for into his life. In the process, he corrupts everything and at the end Mbwana is left with nothing. He is a fool to the world, when it happens again; Mbwana stumbles upon the giant fish. This time however, Mbwana must destroy it and everything it represents. It is an intelligent and intense struggle.

I cannot shower the filmmaking here with enough praise. All I will say is that this is a must see.

Kibwe Tavares TED Fellow

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08 May 2013

New & Notable: The Youth In Us

Directed by: Joshua Leonard

 

Like most great short films, this one takes you by surprise.  It goes to great lengths to set you up and allows you to believe that you are in one story when in fact you are not. The camerawork facilitates the trick. It never gives us a full picture. It remains on the actor’s faces, invades their intimacy, and allows the words to build the tension. It’s a ride, a well written one at that.  There is something interesting being said here as well.  On my first look I thought it was about love, but watching a second time I understood it to be about something different.  Coming of age perhaps, our first time, and how that moment marks us for the rest of our lives. What strikes me about this film is not the sex, love, or death. It’s the way that he remembers the choices that he made the moment he lost his innocence and how that allows him to be  who he is and hints at what he is capable of doing in the future. There is some truth in that.  Definitely worth a watch.

 

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21 Jan 2013

New & Notable: I Beat Mike Tyson

Directed by: Joshua Weinstein

ibmt

We love a comeback story.   There is something about the self trying to get back to the place where it used to be that is immediately relatable and aspirational.  I Beat Mike Tyson begins with this promise, but this short documentary takes us to a very different place.

It tells the story of boxer Kevin McBride who in 2005 knocked out Mike Tyson to the chagrin of many.  He never lived up to the promise of that accomplishment and has been trying to fight his way to that level of competition and opportunity ever since.  It is a terrific story of a man on the verge of a dream deferred and the realization that perhaps there is no coming back, that perhaps he is just the guy who beat Mike Tyson.

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