Author Archives: Ron

About Ron

I like to watch movies and share my thoughts on them. I have been writing reviews and distributing them since 2013.

2019 Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films

2019 Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films

There was a wide variety of subjects addressed in this year’s short films, but all were very serious.  Not one of the shorts could be called a comedy which is unusual.  Perhaps that is a sign of the times we live in.  Four out of the five actually involved children being placed in danger strangely enough so several of them should be considered disturbing.  The one I liked the best was called Mother is from Spain.  The short largely consists of one single continuous scene where the only people on screen are a young woman who is a mother and her mother.  The two go about their business in the apartment as normal until the mother receives a phone call from her six year old son who is calling from an unknown beach.  It seems he was with his father, but now the father is missing and the boy is left all alone on a barren beach with no one in sight.  The mother is forced to deal with this terrifying situation, trying to figure out where he is and notifying the police of the terrible predicament.  It is a harrowing, well-acted scene.  My guess is that the eventual winner will be Skin which deals with the matter of hate and violence between the white and black characters.

Blindspotting

Blindspotting                     4 ½ stars

Blindspotting deals with some very familiar issues to the movies but does things differently from what we are used to.  Two friends, Collin and Miles are childhood friends, one white and one black.  They work together at a moving company and Collin has three days left on probation stemming from an assault charge because of a bar fight.  Then he witnesses a police shooting of an unarmed black man which has a profound effect on his life.  Both characters go through some challenging situations where they realize that all individuals have many aspects to their lives, but others tend to limit their view of them, thus creating the term Blindspotting, invented by the filmmakers.  The film was co-written by the two main actors (Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal) who have been friends for many years.  The film is set against the backdrop of Oakland, California as it undergoes a transformation brought about by rapid gentrification.  Also, many scenes in the movie are done in spoken verse, also known as hip-hop.  The movie was one of the main features at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and received some rave reviews.  There are some very violent scenes to be aware of as expected for this kind of movie.

Robot Dreams

Robot Dreams   4 ½ stars

I had not heard of Pablo Berger’s animated movie, Robot Dreams before but after viewing it I have to call it a masterpiece about lost friendships. Set in 1980’s NYC, the movie is based on a graphic novel by Sarah Varon. Using a simple style of animation with no dialogue, all the characters are animals living in a busy urban environment. The main character, DOG, lives alone in a small apartment and is very alone. That is, until he sees an ad for a mail order robot, which he acts on. After a few days he receives a package in the mail containing the mechanical robot, plus some assembly instructions. Before long ROBOT is up and running and a fresh relationship blossoms. The pair become fast friends, sharing activities in the city as ROBOT takes it all in with a sense of awe. DOG is equally inspired as they go roller-skating to Earth, Wind and Fire and hang out under the Queensboro bridge. They spend a day at Oceans Beach going swimming and sunning, until ROBOT suddenly freezes up and can’t move since salt water is bad for his circuitry. The tone changes as DOG is forced to abandon his friend at the beach but hopes to return to retrieve ROBOT the following summer. This is where the movie turns sad, as DOG pursues other activities such as sled riding alone and endures the abuse of other riders like an evil pair of anteaters and going bowling with a snowman. ROBOT, still alone on the beach encounters other creatures too, some abusive, but others caring. We also find out that this mechanical being can dream as he fantasizes of being reunited with his new friend. As time goes by, the close friendship slowly fades and the relationship becomes a thing of the past, though each character treasures the memories. The audience is left wondering if the two friends will find a way to reunite. And if they do, what will it be like. This is the Spanish film director’s first effort at an animated film. Previously, he made Biancanieves, a take on Snow White. He has an effective style of portraying human emotions in his characters using facial expressions and a lack of any dialogue. Aspects of the film have been compared to Charlie Chaplin, who the director is a fan of, as he gives us moments of hilarious comedy alternating with a punch in the gut. The movie is available on Disney + and Hulu. If you see it, I advise that you be emotionally prepared and be ready to be humming EW&F’s September. The movie is also appropriate for children. Robot Dreams was nominated for the Animated Feature Academy Award but lost out to The Boy and the Heron in 2024.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You                 4 stars

You might remember a movie from last year called Nightbitch, starring Amy Adams about a mother of a young child dealing with the stresses of motherhood. Well, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You by director Mary Bronstein and starring Rose Byrne (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and the voice of Mother in “I Am Mother”) takes that premise and puts it on steroids. The movie appeared at the Sundance Film Festival last year and got a lot of attention. It comes from A24, the studio known for movies with darker themes and complex characters. Linda, played by Byrne, is dealing with many stresses in her life at the same time. She has an overly anxious daughter who has a mysterious illness requiring her to have a feeding tube, and she can’t seem to put on enough weight. She has a doctor (played by director Mary Bronstein) for the daughter who keeps insisting that she come in for a face-to-face meeting and that she should participate in a support group. (Here we see the feelings of guilt some mothers experience.) Linda’s husband (Christian Slater (True Romance)), who she has conversations with over the phone, is perpetually absent and is not at all helpful. She is a therapist who sees patients that are generally confused about life and are very self-centered. She herself is seeing a therapist (Conan O’Brien like you’ve never seen him before) who is hostile toward her and doesn’t seem to care about her problems. If that isn’t enough, the living room ceiling of her rented house has collapsed leaving a flood of water all over the floor, forcing her into a hotel room with her daughter until repairs can be made. All these events combine to make the audience feel a high level of stress. (If you have been a mother, you will probably be thinking “I never had things this bad!”) Although the agony that Linda goes through is exaggerated, the movie successfully portrays the stress that can go with being a mother, especially one who isn’t getting enough support. Her one source of relief comes from a neighbor in the hotel, a handyman named James (A$AP Rocky (Highest 2 Lowest)) who occasionally watches her daughter while Linda is out (as well as supplying recreational drugs). Much of the credit for the feel of the movie has to go to Byrne, who portrays a mother trying to find solutions to problems while nearly breaking down from all the pressure. At no time does any real relief come for Linda, even when she removes the feeding tube from her daughter in a particularly graphic scene. It’s definitely not a feel-good movie and there are times when it drifts into full blown horror (like when Linda is examining that awful hole in the ceiling). I have to agree with the choice of nominating Rose Byrne for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She expresses the overwhelming feeling of anxiety from being a mother and how one must set her own needs aside. After watching this movie, you might want to talk to your mother and apologize! For the curious, some other notable movies about motherhood are Minari, Parallel Mothers, The Lost Daughter, Tully and The Kids Are All Right. (Later this summer watch for Toy Story 5 when Conan O’Brien will appear as Smarty Pants.)

Roma

Roma                    5 stars

Last year’s Roma, by master filmmaker, Alfonso Cuaron brings us an expertly told story of a house maid in 1970’s Mexico City working for a well off middle class family.  Filmed in black and white and spoken in Spanish and an indigenous language with subtitles, seems simple in outlook, but looks at many broad issues with its choice of scenes and character interactions.  The whole movie is told from the point of view of young Cleo (Yalitza Apaticio) the dark skinned poor maid and nanny of the white family consisting of a father, mother, four children and a grandma and dog.  She is not closely involved with the family but is just close enough for us to get the sense that something is wrong in their world.  The movie takes place in the early seventies and has sets that look exactly like you would think they would.  The turbulent times are reflected in scenes of civil unrest and there are even references to the pop culture of the times like a recording of Jesus Christ Superstar.  The most obvious theme of the movie is the disparity between the wealthy employers and the poverty of the world around them characterized by Cleo’s situation.  Another theme relevant for our times is the role of the women in maintaining order while the men are the one’s responsible for most of the suffering going on.  Alfonso Cuaron previously gave us Gravity, Children of Men and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  Roma is possibly his best work so far and may be the best film of the year in spite of the choice made this week by the Academy of Motion Pictures.  However, Cuaron was appropriately rewarded with three Oscars including Best Director.  A special warning should be made that there are a couple of scenes in the movie that may be hard to watch.

Obsession

Obsession           4 ½ stars

What is a guy to do when the girl he loves doesn’t quite feel the same way about him, but he really wants her to? This is the question that is asked and answered in Obsession, by second time feature film director Curry Barker who at age 26 has already been making short films for years. This film could also be called Be Careful What You Wish For. Poor Bear (or Baron) (Michael Johnston) is a nice guy who has a massive crush on longtime friend and co-worker Nicky (Inde Navarrette). But Nicky is comfortable with them being friends and working with him in a family-owned music store where they are also friends with co-workers Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless). Ian knows about Bear’s problem and gives him suggestions of things to try. Bear is still afraid but knows he has to do something. Then one night while in a novelty store looking for a necklace to give to Nicky, Bear finds a mysterious item called a One Wish Willow. The container says that if the user makes a wish and breaks the stick of willow wood, then his wish will come true. So, Bear figures why not. What could he lose? He buys the item and at an opportune time while with Nicky makes the wish that Nicky would love him back and breaks the stick. Almost immediately Nicky changes and is attracted to Bear but starts to exhibit strange behavior. Ian and Sarah notice that the two always seem to be hanging out together and become very concerned over the sudden change in behavior. Nicky becomes so obsessed with Bear that she can’t stand it if they are not together to the point that she becomes like a whimpering child or she lets out a piercing scream. When in the company of others Nicky even lashes out in a jealous rage when she perceives that someone else may be giving too much attention to Bear. It is like an inescapable force has taken over her and Bear’s lives. This is very upsetting to poor Bear, and he is once again in a quandary as to what to do. When he contacts the seller of the Willow, asking them to cancel the wish he is told that they don’t do that. He must live with his choice. Obsession starts out as pure psychological horror that slowly becomes increasingly extreme. Not everyone will survive the last night! What really makes the movie pay off is the performance of Navarrette as Nicky as she transforms herself from the lovable version of Nicky to the raging psycho that strikes terror in Bear and those around her. She doesn’t do much for women’s issues though. The movie is very similar in theme to 2001’s Wishcraft, with Obsession being the superior of the two. (In that earlier movie the special item was the penis of a bull, and it allowed three wishes!) I found Obsession to be entertaining, and I rank it among the top two horror movies I have seen so far this year (the other being Send Help). If you like bloody horror that is more than sudden gotchas, then I recommend it. Curry Barker’s next project is Anything But Ghosts which has a much bigger budget.

Greta

Greta                                    2 ½ stars

Greta by writer/director Neil Jordan brings a different twist to the stalker movie genre.  It stars Chloe Grace Moretz as young naïve Frances who having recently moved to New York City finds herself making friends with a French widow named Greta (Isabelle Hubbert) whom she has recently met.  The two met after Frances returned a lost handbag to the woman after finding it left on the subway.  The two seem like a good match since Frances has recently lost her mother.  Of course this is all too good to be true as we find out that Greta has some rather sinister motives that put poor Frances in peril.  Fortunately for her (and the movie) she has a very concerned roommate with good advice and a beautiful apartment in Manhattan who is played by Maika Monroe (from that great horror film It Follows).  The film follows much of the formula that goes along with your standard stalker movies including misfortunes befalling a pet (a dog in this case).  There was nothing especially noteworthy about this film other than the performance by Hubbert who is especially well-suited to the role of Greta.  Also present in the film is Zawe Ashton of Velvet Buzzsaw fame.

First Man

First Man                             4 stars

First Man from director Damien Chazelle gives us a spectacular look of what it must be like to be on board those early space missions of the sixties.  It follows the career of astronaut Neil Armstrong from 1961 until the Apollo 11 moon mission with all the perils involved in space travel.  I found the moments about the time during the missions to be mesmerizing, but the parts of his personal life to be less so.  Maybe Ryan Gosling was not best suited for the role.  That cannot be said about Claire Foy who played his wife who brought some very painful emotion to her role.  Chazelle is best known for previous works La La Land and Whiplash both of which I found to be superior films.  First Man comes close but just misses that level.  The visual effects were first rate and the movie received a well-deserved Oscar in that category.

BlackkKlansman

BlackkKlansman                 5 stars

I finally watched the Spike Lee movie BlackkKlansman from last year and have to say the wait was worth it.  This film about a black cop in Colorado Springs in the seventies who infiltrates the local Ku Klux Klan chapter in every bit as relevant today as it is for the times that it portrays.  The movie is quite graphic with the colorful language that the white racists to describe the blacks that live in their city.  There is little left to the imagination here.  And the cops who are working undercover to infiltrate “The Organization” have to appear to be every bit as racist as those they are investigating.  I understand that when Lee was introduced to the book it is based on, he took an immediate interest in it and wanted to include some comedic elements that he is known for and he wanted to relate it to events today.  To that end he shows us the confrontation that happened in Charlottesville in 2017 so that we are reminded that this hateful element of American society is still here and shows no signs of lightening.  Both John David Washington and Adam Driver were excellent in their roles.  And Topher Grace does a creditable job of portraying David Duke, the leader of the Klan.  The film well deserved its Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and will provide plenty of opportunity for discussion and analysis.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny      2 ½ stars

My tour of the Disney channel brought me back to the fifth and final installment of the classic Indiana Jones adventure movies first created by Steven Spielberg back in 1981: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The movie appeared fifteen years after the previous film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, where Jones (Harrison Ford) did battle with a Russian speaking Kate Blanchett, which I was not impressed by at the time. It’s not Spielberg this time, but James Mangold (A Complete Unknown, Logan, Wolverine) who is running things from the director’s chair for his second Indiana Jones movie. (Yes, he did Crystal Skull too.) Now it’s a nearly eighty-year-old Indy who must battle the bad guys while trying to recover a valuable ancient artifact, in 1969 New York City. But before all that we must travel back to the closing days of World War II when the younger Indy (thanks to the magic of de-aging special effects) was escaping from the Nazis and fighting to keep one half of the Antikythera or Archimedes’ Dial out of the hands of the evil Professor Jurgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen (Another Round)), who believes it has time travel properties and that he can use it to change the outcome of the war. We get all the trademark scenes that the Indiana Jones movies are known for: the chase scenes at a breakneck pace and the narrow escapes as Indy dispatches the enemies, one by one. But then back in 1969, Jones is approached by Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag)), Indy’s goddaughter. She has been studying the circumstances of her father, Basil, and Indy’s encounter with the Nazis and thinks she has an idea of where the two halves of Archimedes’ Dial may be. But as things go before Indy can agree or not agree with Helena’s plan, Professor Voller, who has survived the war, appears and together with his former Nazi henchmen try to acquire the dial for themselves and get rid of Indy. So, it’s off to another wild chase, this one through the streets of New York (with Indy on horseback), in the middle of a parade that is honoring the three Apollo 11 astronauts who have returned from the first moon landing. And there also happen to be war protesters to add to the mayhem. But this is just the beginning. The adventure continues in places like Tangiers, Greece and Sicily, as Indy and Helena try to stay a step ahead of their Nazi pursuers, always with the obligatory fight scenes and imminent danger. And as usual, there is the required reference to Indy’s fear of snakes. Ultimately, we find out just what powers the dial does possess and they may not be what these villains expect. Mangold has incorporated all the elements of an exciting Indiana Jones here, but one cannot escape the feeling that this has all been done before and better. Perhaps it would be better to leave our favorite aging heroes be and just keep their heroic acts and death-defying feats active in our memories.