Short Film Movie Review

Film Review: MY LIFE I DON’T WANT, Myanmar, Animation

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Played at the March 2017 ANIMATION Film Festival

MOVIE POSTERMY LIFE I DON’T WANT, 12min, Myanmar, Animation
Directed by Nyan Kyal Say

A short animated film about the life of a Myanmar girl inspired by a true story.

Review by Kierston Drier:

With bright simple visuals and powerful symbology, this dramatic and powerful Myanmar animation coming to us from director Nyan Kyal Say is the story of one sunny optimistic young girl put through the hardest sides of life simply because she is born female.

Victim of a systemic gender bias family and society, our heroine is a unrelenting easy to love, even when she walks alone down a road that will lead her to endless heartache.

What makes this piece so admirable is it’s ability to draw on hope- our character is broken again and again by life’s cruel circumstances. She is shuffled from family to family, from one abusive situation to the next, from one misfortune to another- all while appearing to never give up. Until, of course, all seems dark…

But what happens to our heroine is just one story in a sea of heartache. For the issues of gender injustice in our world are plentiful, and the fight for equality rages on.What choice does our heroine have?

Where does she go when all is lost? To know, you must watch the beautiful, simple, powerful and bright film that is My Life I Don’t Want.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO. Moderated b Matthew Toffolo:

Film Review: HANGING, USA, Animation

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Played at the March 2017 ANIMATION Film Festival

MOVIE POSTERHANGING, 6min, USA, Animation
Directed by Nick LeDonne

An abstracted animated documentary based off of Nick LeDonne’s personal struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts after a near attempted hanging in November 2014. His feelings of depression are personified through a dark luring fog and a loving mother desperately trying to keep her son alive.

Review by Kierston Drier:

Hanging a USA animation directed by Nick LeDonne, is a deeply emotional, deeply powerful piece that takes a raw and honest look at the seriousness of the depression in the mind of a misunderstood boy longing for comfort.

Told through a voiceless abstract lense, our character battles the onslaught of words and labels- symbologies for the troubling thoughts that plague his mind- and must choose between the relief of death or the trauma of continuing to live. The personification of a mind of suffering may be a difficult viewing experience for some- but for many it will be an eye opening and important film.

There are very few films that so clearly capture the sense of entrapment and suffocation of mental illness. The visual style personifies the depth of despair- something that is perhaps difficult to understand if never experienced first hand.

While Hanging has a darkness to it, it also has unspeakable bravery- a clear and heart wrenching look at the battle one men wages between his inner demons and the sanity of his mind and soul. A difficult film to distill, because it is such a powerful film to witness.

 

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO. Moderated b Matthew Toffolo:

Film Review: KAROUMA, United Arab Emirates, Animation

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MOVIE POSTERKAROUMA, 12min, United Arab Emirates, Animation
Directed by Boubaker Boukhari

Karouma is a Unique gift striving to break through and to leave his parent’s nest to live pursue his dreams and live his life in its full potential.

Review by Kierston Drier:

This UAE animation is the story of a strong bright child born without arms. Despite the limitations of their lives, our hero Karouma refuse to lose his sunny disposition and bright optimism.

Perhaps most surprising in this film is that the dialogue is nonsense words- the inflection of speak is certainly there, but what is actually being said is unknown. This creates a beautiful sense of anomie within films’ universe and the child’s world.

Through the eyes of childhood, Karouma is sheltered from the gazes and whispers of the world around him. What matters is not the dialogue, but the actions.

Although fairly sheltered, Karouma is able to break free and see the world, only to discover it a difficult place to be when you are different. But Karouma’s uncrushable spirit allows him to rise above his differences- literally.

Whether symbolic and based on true events, Karouma is a tale of triumph over adversity. Karouma reminds us we are as free and boundless as our imaginations.

 

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO. Moderated by Matthew Toffolo:

Film Review: BABY AND GRANNY, Animation

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Played at the March 2017 ANIMATION Film Festival

MOVIE POSTERBABY AND GRANNY, 2min. USA, Animation/Comedy
Directed by Zheng Kang

A 2D animated action-comedy about a baby and granny who share a common bond (Baby’s Mother is Granny’s Daughter) but who fight like crazy when left alone. The visuals are highly-influenced by the work of 60’s Pop Artist Roy Lichtenstein

Review by Kierston Drier:

 
Short, punchy and full of action Baby Vs Granny will turn classic familial love of a grandmother and a grandchild on it’s head. This two minute UAE animation directed by Boubaker Boukhari boasted bright colors, lighting fast reflexes and two family members ready to square off when no one else can see them.

This piece totally delivers where color and character are concerned. Stylishly animated mostly in black and white with special attention paid to coloring the main characters, it is a lightening fast and never skips a beat.

It speeds through it’s short time with whirl-wind intensity, feeling like it is only a few seconds long, rather than a few minutes.

A comedy which needs little to know dialogue and is outstandingly visual, BABY AND GRANDMA is an awesome film to watch!

 

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO. Moderated by Matthew Toffolo:

Film Review: WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN, 9min, UK, Comedy

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Played at the March 2017 COMEDY Film Festival

MOVIE POSTERWHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN, 9min, UK, Comedy
Directed by Charlie Francis

Amanda is pulled away from a one-night stand to rescue her best friend Nick. The young gay man’s mother is on her way. Will out-and-proud gay women Amanda bury her pride and act as girlfriend?

Review by Kierston Drier:

This UK comedy from Charlie Francis is a gem that is worthy of copious replays. There is nothing but the deepest platonic affection that would propel Amanda to ditch her sexy one-night stand to save her gay-best friend.

Why does he need saving? His mother is visiting and doesn’t know he’s gay. She needs to be the beard.

What transpires is part slapstick, part wit and all genius. Every frame is full of visual comedy and ever line crackles with character in this laugh-a-second joy ride. Best of all, it has a heart-stoppingly hilarious twist ending.

When A Man Loves A Woman will show you the lengths we will sometimes go for our friends and the lesson we learn- like honesty being the best policy. With actors boasting exceptional comic timing and a great concept full of fun, this is a piece you’ll want to watch over and over again.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO. Moderated by Matthew Toffolo:

Film Review: POKER NIGHT, 11min, Canada, Comedy/Romance

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Played at the March 2017 COMEDY Film Festival

MOVIE POSTERPOKER NIGHT, 11min, Canada, Comedy
Directed by David Metcalfe

A fun, comedic short film about a group of twenty-somethings living in Toronto; poking fun at stereotypes, and breaking expectations.

Review by Kierston Drier:

This subtle, sweet romance-comedy film will test your knowledge of relationship boundaries. Poker Night is a great Date-Night discussion piece directed by David Metcalfe. When the girls’ poker night is crashed by the hosts boyfriend, the tension is palpable. But it gets worse when the boyfriend invites over his own friends to alleviate his boredom.

His heart’s in the right place it would seem, as he brings his friend to set him up with the one single-lady of the group- but is this ill thought plan going to work?

Falling more on the romance spectrum of comedy, this bright, Canadian piece will remind you of (or make you think of) the youth en metropolitan. The cheap beer, late nights, romance-in-the-eyes-of-every-stranger intoxication that is so often associated with the youth that almost has life figured out. Too old to be kids and too young to be adults, Poker Night will make you chuckle at the good-will but sloppy execution of our leading man and will definitely lead a viewing couple to discuss who “crossed the line” in crashing poker night.

Poker Night does one more amazing thing- it gets tops marks with this reviewer for a kissing scene nothing short of magical. It captures the nervousness, delight and excitement that all the best movie moments have- maybe even more, as it feels so authentic. For that, bravo to Metcalfe, and the ensemble of Poker Night.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO. Moderated by Matthew Toffolo:

Film Review: A BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE, Australia, Comedy/Crime

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Played at the March 2017 COMEDY Film Festival

MOVIE POSTERA BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE, 7min, Australia, Comedy
Directed by Sam Reiher

This job doesn’t turn out quite as well as hoped for these two loveable, yet useless, thieves.

Review by Kierston Drier:

This Australian comedy from director Sam Reiher will remind you that there are bad days in every profession. Two professional criminals case a local house. Unfortunately, they are so practiced at their work and relaxed with their comical discussions that they forget the most important part of their job- like making sure the house is empty before they walk in to rob it.

 

This is one of those short, laugh-a-minute films that ties together slap-stick and witty banter. The characters are loveable flawed anti-heroes that you can’t stop watching. Like any good comedy, the stakes slowly mount higher and higher until our heros are undone by their own faulty desires. The best part of this film is waiting to the final joke. The entire film will keep you laughing, but that end punch line is totally worth it!

 

A classic structure, with a fresh take on a bad day at work, this is a delight little comedy to unwind to at the end of your own long working day.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO. Moderated by Matthew Toffolo:

Film Review: BEING SEEN, Documentary

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Played at the March 2017 DOCUMENTARY Festival

BEING SEEN, 15min, USA
Directed by Paul Zehrer

A combination of funny, acerbic, and heart-wrenching, these people’s candid and articulate self-awareness quickly shatter preconceptions of the disabled.

Review by Kierston Drier:

An American film from director Paul Zehrer, BEING SEEN follows the spirited occupants of an adult group home for the developmentally challenged.

At times gut wrenching painful, and other times embarrassingly honest and frequently disarmingly funny, this film does something magical: it opens your eyes.

Candid and articulate, our subjects recount their understanding and acceptance of who they are, while others describe the loneliness that plagues them since losing loved ones.

There are couples, like Jared and his girlfriend, who decide to get married although they know the difficulties that come with that decision, since they both wheelchair bound. And there are Randall and Katie, a steady couple whose banter will strike many as hilariously familiar.

Self aware, self accepting, beautifully shot and well composed, this is a film that is worth seeing. Above all else, Being Seen will show you that all people are more alike than they are different.

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Film Review: RIVER & OAK, Documentary

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Played at the March 2017 DOCUMENTARY Festival

MOVIE POSTERRIVER & OAK, 13min, Canada
Directed by James Malekzadeh

As Toronto’s Regent Park Housing project is demolished and rebuilt for the second time in its history, two women reflect on the complicated past of their neighbourhood. Through archival footage, the past is brought to the present and the audience is left to decide whether the current revitalization is the best solution for the residents of this often overlooked community.

Review by Kierston Drier:

This Canadian gem, directed by James Malekzadeh, speaks closely to anyone who has ever been affected by urban sprawl. River and Oak follows the lives of a handful of honest, hard working humans who lived and loved Regent Park before the area’s housing project was demolished to make way for upscale (and highly priced) replacement housing.

The interwoven stories of two women show their connection to the place and the people, now pushed out of their historical homes.

Gentrification is a hot topic anywhere that housing is at a premium. While it may boost economy and local real estate, the human displacement is another issue. A population linked to the city by employment, family or any other necessity must remain in the area but where do they go?

River and Oak can not give us an answer to that question. All it can give us is a human look at real people who remind us that your postal code does not reflect the content of your character.

Passionate, strong and hitting-close-to-home, River and Oak reminds us what it means to be neighbours and what forgetting that can cost.

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Film Review: THE GENTLEMAN NEXT DOOR, Documentary

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Played at the March 2017 DOCUMENTARY Festival

MOVIE POSTERTHE GENTLEMAN NEXT DOOR, 16min, USA
Directed by John Mollison

Sometimes the old man next door turns out to also be a young man of a different, violent age.

Review by Kierston Drier:

 “When a man dies a library is burned”. That may very well be the theme of John Mollison’s documentary The Gentleman Next Door, a heart wrenching and touching look at one man’s journey through World War Two. To many he is simply the sweet, always giggling elderly neighbour, slight of build and frequently smiling.

But behind his gentle British accent and kind eyes is a tale of service in the name of his country during one of the most horrific wars of the 20th century. John Wilkinson was just a boy when he entered the war to be a pilot, and was exceptionally good at his job. He kept meticulous records, and took great care his equipment, items that are now considered priceless antiques.

John Wilkinson is impossible to not love. You hear him speak and you feel as if you have always known him. His disposition is bright, cheerful, and he talks almost fondly of his time in the service. A keen eye though, will see him change topics when asked to discuss the darker bits of his work. The keen eye will see his smile flicker, and a shadow dim his eyes when he talks of watching concentration camp liberations at the end of the war.

John Wilkinson, no doubt, was part of a generation taught that war was noble, honest, just and filled with glory. That generation lived those words, and many paid a dear price to uphold them. Today, many of us see war in a less than glorified light. But the shifting public opinion does not change the sacrifices made by so many. Untold numbers lost their lives, and some, like John, lost their youth and innocence.

What makes John’s story beautiful, touching, and unforgettable is his bright and sunny disposition. It is hard to believe a person so gentle has seen and been part of so many horrors and when asked, he brushes those horrors aside. John Wilkinson’s story, is a story of courage and bravery. It is never more noticed, than how effectively he can mask those tragedies behind a genuine smile. No one will tell you war is a good thing, but good people fight in them. John Wilkinson is one.

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