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minamiakiiku
Reviews
The Lunch Date (1989)
A trick in The Lunch Date
This short movie 'The Lunch Date' is an American comedy drama directed by Adam Davidson in 1980. An old white lady misses her train, so she decides to have lunch at a cafeteria. Then her misunderstanding causes a silent fight at the lunch table. There are two fascinating elements that make the film great. First, what my interest quite piqued is what the 1980's large station really looks like because it is my first time to see it. Especially, split-flap display was totally new to me, and its flap was amusing. Next, I was taken in by the lady's great performance that made the viewers stand on her side. She is so expressive that it makes her look charming and makes her behavior look plausible. So, I completely believed that at the restraint the black man is eating her salad greedily and he even takes her bags. Therefore, when it was shown it's actually not, I was astonished and I felt sorry about my discourteous misinterpretation. Then I got embarrassed when I realized that I also had a prejudice in my mind.
Green Book (2018)
Dramedy
Peter Ferrelly's 'Green Book' is a 2018 American movie, whose genre is comedy-drama. The story was inspired by a true event where an Italian-American bouncer accompanies an African-American jazz pianist, Don Shirley, on his concert tour to 'Deep South'. 'Green Book' means the guide book that aids African-Americans to find their lodgings, restaurants, and service stations during Jim Crow in the 1960s in America. The one of the striking points of this movie is the representation of the characters. First, I was amused by the clear contrast and the conversation between the protagonists. For instance, the Italian rough guardian, Tony is repeatedly pointed out about his inappropriate behaviors by the sophisticated man, Don. Then what I found fun is Tony complains about it at first, however, he reluctantly accepts the order. There are the noticeable differences of the individual personalities depicted enough in the story, so I could understand the characters obviously and enjoy the interaction. This is a great and worthwhile movie that let us entertain the process that Tony and Don build their friendship, and simultaneously learn about how the racial segregation and prejudice were going on in 1960s, America.
The Gift (2010)
Mysterious sci-fi film
Carl E. Rinsch short sci-fi film 'The Gift' was created for the Phillips's parallel line project in 2010. In Russia, a messenger delivers a well-crafted box to a wealthy man, who is killed by the man after he touches the gift. Later, it changes hands one after another. The story is quite imaginative and especially, the getaway that the humanoid robot makes is thrilling and exciting. First, there are lots of mysteries unsolved in this film, so we can enjoy many interpretations that differ depending on the individuals. Furthermore, a constant tension keeps going through the story. I felt a little nervous because of the colorless backgrounds and no sign of other living things on the street. It made my eyes stick to the screen. On the other hand, to be honest, it is hard for me to have a clear understanding of the story. The unrevealed detail of the mysteries reminded me of many questions; why does the mailman kill the wealthy man? Why does the humanoid robot run away with the box? And what exactly is it? One thing I could find was that the box brings people death. Interesting movie.
New Boy (2007)
After the foes are gone
"New Boy" is a 2007 short film directed by Steph Green. This portrays a black boy's school days when he transfers to a school in Ireland from one in a rural area. I was impressed with how well-organized the structure of the whole story is. Throughout the story, though the outline is the same, we can find the marked contrast in portrayal between his previous school days and current ones. For example, the boy used to describe himself as 'a hero' with a smile, but now he is called 'live-aid' and teased by a few classmates and he frowns. The boy's past and present are associated effectively at several points, which enables me to find easily the difference between them and imagine his feeling. Moreover, what was gripping was the ending because I thought it's quite interesting that the two enemies, armed men and a female teacher, who appeared in his life bring a completely different result to him. Also, I felt so glad that the boy can share a funny joke with his peers. The thought-provoking story, great presentation and the protagonists' charming performances will fascinate you. So I recommend it.
J'attendrai le suivant... (2002)
Comedy
I'll Wait for The Next One' is a French short film directed by Philippe Orriendy. A single woman, who longs for romantic love, gets on the train. Then there is a single man who says he is looking for a woman, and he starts his story. At first, I took his action to mean he is such a brave person that he openly calls for a new girlfriend. But it's actually different, so I was surprised. Also, the conversation between the two men was amusing. The contrast between a gently responding man and the other roughly complaining man was striking, and I could really understand the personality of each character. However, for me, I found their performance was not well-accepted. In my opinion, shows which can lead to audience getting disappointed are not good ones. Actually, the woman unfortunately fell in the situation and I imagine she would get embarrassed or disappointed later. The ending was contrary to my idea, so it's not my cup of tea.
Three Days in Kamakura (2012)
What is " family"?
The short film "Three Days in Kamakura" was directed by Alec McAulay, and released in 2012. The genre is drama, and this portrays a few days that an international couple shares with a 'hafu' boy, who brings a change to their tense relationship. One day, an English school teacher, David, notices a hafu boy's mother doesn't come to the school to pick him up. David determines to bring the boy to his home. After finishing watching the movie, I wondered if the couple can have their own children later. Personally, it seemed that David is persuaded by his wife, Keiko, to give up adopting the child, and they can get on the same page. However, I believe David's desire to have their own children and form 'the family' wouldn't disappear so easily unless they are given a blessing. So, I worried if their different hopes would divide them again. Though I want them to lead a fulfilling life with their own children, actually I hope they won't have them and live supporting each other. It's because they can reach the answer about what the truly indispensable thing is.
Whacked (1998)
Well-formed awkwardness
"Whacked!" is a 5-minute film that brings us an awkward feeling. It is directed by Rolf Gibbs and was released in 1997. A man, who works as a ball collector for a golf course, is stressed out by aggressive actions by some of the customers. Then one day, he stands on a rooftop of a high-rise building, and takes an action. This film caused awkwardness in my heart. The reason is the ending, I mean the man's action should not have been applauded, nevertheless, it is treated like it should. His action seems justified by applause and whistles coming in afterwards. I heard ambulance sirens telling us an emergency and the applause praising him at the same time, and felt weird. If we try to find a lesson from this movie, I think it would be "chill out and rethink". I imagined his treatment after this incident, believing he would certainly be judged as just a criminal: his selfish and impulsive action would lead to his own life being ruined. He should have rethought and looked for another peaceful way to reduce his stress. Then so should we.
A Moment (2012)
Forget-the day-not
This short film "A moment" was directed by Akira Sasaki. The drama features four international figures in some kind of dissatisfaction. They lead their melancholic life, but 'a moment' makes a change in their mind and life. In my opinion, visual expressions clearly displayed the feelings of the protagonists. Firstly, we can consider the setting of lights. For instance, a Japanese worker looked bothered in his dark room. However, at the end, he was on a brightly lit train, and his face showed his agony was got rid of. This contrast indicates his emotion shifted. Moreover, facial expressions of the protagonists are awesome. Especially, a Taiwanese cook, who mourns his father's death, did a great job. Even without any words, his acting performance showed his suffering and deep sorrow. Throughout this visual approach, I felt emotional, and really impressed. Having said that, I found some unrealistic aspects. After 'the moment', they looked so refreshed. The scene made me wonder why their agony was gone so soon. Some scenes are not plausible for me, but I recommend this film because it is a good reminder of 'the moment'.
Knick Knack (1989)
The snow globe and the tropical world
"Knick Knack" is a short computer-animated movie created by Pixar in 1989. On a bookshelf, a snowman in a snow globe is looking enviously at small knick-knacks next to him enjoying music. Then he finds a charming toy girl, and determines to break his globe to meet her. I was amazed by the snowman's humorous efforts. For example, in order to get out of the container, he manipulates a variety of construction tools many times, but he fails. Then the shift of his emotions is shown distinctively in his expressions, which made me chuckle. If I dare to find a message from this funny story, it could be that it is challenging to escape from your traditional life. I think every group of toys represented a different social community. For example, we can find the snowman in the snow globe and tropical-fashioned toys were in a constructive group in this case. Therefore, I thought this film depicted the man who dreams of outer world but fails to get in. To summarize, I enjoyed this movie with an interesting message a lot, so I recommend it to you.
Father and Daughter (2000)
Painful but beautiful
"Father and Daughter" is an animated short film directed by Michaël Dudok de Wit, released in 2000. That world is drawn by black, white and sepia colors, which develops nostalgic and sad feelings in our hearts. One day, a man says goodbye to his adorable daughter at a river bank and leaves. Afterwards, she often visits there, and waits for him to return. Personally, the biggest mystery is why the father has to leave. From my perspective, I suppose it is because he represents a father who is forced to join an army, and heads to battlefields. There is a visual effect that reminds me of war. It is a tall black tree focused on the screen all of a sudden after the father bids farewell to his daughter. Then it struck me that the plume-of-water shape and colors, black and reddish-orange, tried to imply fire and black clouds of smoke generated by bombing. In a split second, I found the father's mortal fate. The visual composition, music, and the love between the father and the daughter would surely touch your emotions. That's why I recommend it.