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The Gift (2010)
Mysterious box!
This short film is a sci-fi story about a mysterious present box. The
setting is the world in the near future. A man carries the box to an old
man who looks rich. The old man opens the box and then the man kills the old man. He leaves with the box, but gets run over by a bus and dies.
The robot which is in the old man's house sees that scene and takes the
box away without a word...What is the mystery of that box?
My recommendation is that this film makes the viewers guess what the box is. In addition, the background music in the scene where the robot is
running away from the police is effective in expressing the scene of
speed and thrilling. The last scene that a boy finds the box in the
frozen river makes us imagine whether he will pick it up or not. In my
mind, I said "Don't pick it up!!!!" This film makes the viewers'
emotions thrill, so if you like thrills, I recommend it!
The Lunch Date (1989)
Selfish and impolite!
This short story is a comedy. There is an unlucky white woman who drops her stuff when she bumps into a guy, drops her wallet, and so misses her train. After that, she buys a salad somehow but forgets a fork. When she gets a fork and returns to her seat, there is a black man sitting there eating a salad...! What will she do then? And how does it end?
In this film, black men are featured in some places. I felt that each scene expressed her shifting prejudice against black people. At first, I couldn't understand the meaning of this title 'The Lunch Date', but after I watched the whole story, I understood that and found the title interesting! However, I didn't think this film was romantic, as this title implied. Anyways, I found the woman selfish and impolite. Well, I guess it depends on how you perceive it, so please watch it!
Porcelain Unicorn (2010)
Imagination
This short film is a drama about a man holding a box. He walks to visit a house, and finds it. As soon as he stands in front of the door, he recalls an old memory of his childhood...I focus on the time order which works well. In this film, 'flashback is incorporated as a technique. At the beginning of the story, who the man visits, what his purpose is, and what is in the box, are a mystery. However, the current scene switches to the past scene, and viewers can guess the mystery. Furthermore, although this film has only a set of lines, it captures our imagination. For example, in the later part, before he tries to turn back to stop visiting, his facial expression comes into focus. From the expression, I guessed that if the door is opened, it would have revealed that maybe the girl at that time had been persecuted soon afterwards, and that there might already be different people living there, so he is afraid to find out the truth and turns back. I just don't know if it's true. There's a lot of room for imagination in this film, so I recommend it!
New Boy (2007)
Good balance, sad and happy!
This short film is a drama about an African boy, Joseph, who leaves his hometown and starts at a new school in Ireland. During the class, he gets messed with by two boys. As he goes about his day at his new school, he looks back on his past and feels the cultural differences.... In my opinion, I'm not sure but I think this film conveys the difficulty of entering a new environment for the first time to us. In addition, the point I should focus on is the comparison between the past and the present. In this film, the past scene of local school life and the present scene of school life in a different country are compared, so these scenes show the movement of Joseph's mind. Furthermore, the last scene is nice, because Joseph and two boys who are made to stand in the hallway by the teacher eventually laugh with each other. This story isn't a sad scene all the time, so it has a good balance, so it's worth seeing!
Three Days in Kamakura (2012)
What is the nature of family?
This film is a drama about an international marriage couple and a half boy. The husband takes care of the boy temporarily and they spend three days. The boy brings about a change in the relationship between the couple... In this film, there is a description where the wife, Keiko, traces a cut on her stomach. This description implies that her body is incapable of having children even without lines or explanations. Furthermore, what I want to evaluate the most is her expression on her face. It conveys the subtleties of her emotions to us very well. This film makes us think about the nature of family, so I want to recommend it!
J'attendrai le suivant... (2002)
trick
This short film is a comedy about a woman who wants love. She gets on the subway, and catches sight of a man who start speaking out alone, then with another passenger. As she listens to the man, she realizes that his offer matches what she wants. However, she makes a big mistake... Perhaps some people don't realize it is a comedy and implies a joke until you hear the last line that the man says. In my opinion, the reaction will be different depending on who watches it. I'm not sure but I think for Japanese, they don't think the performance of the men is a sketch and they think he looks strange because Japanese culture is to be quiet on the train. On the other hand, for French people, something like talking aloud on the subway is an everyday affair, so they'll be amused, then realize it's a sketch. Also, I focused on the movement of her eyes. Although she has no dialogue, we can know she wants love. She follows the lovely-dovey couple with her eyes and gazes at the man and sometimes smiles at him. The film is worth seeing. Wouldn't you be taken in by their trick, too?
Knick Knack (1989)
Funny? Sad?
This animated short film was made in 1989 before TOY STORY was made. It is a story about ornaments, especially a snowman in the snow globe. He tries to go out of the snow globe by all possible means in order to meet an ornament girl in person, but he can't get out. In my opinion, this film implies his fate as an ornament. He has to play a role as an ornament until he breaks or is thrown away. Besides, I paid attention to the contrast. He is trying so hard to get out. On the other hand, other ornaments including the woman wearing a bikini keep up a steady rhythm at their ease. Except for him, they are ornaments related to warm season and warm climate like summer. Furthermore, summer and winter are more contrasting. This conveys to us that summer and winter will never intersect. Whether you find him funny or sad is up to you. I think this film is easy to understand, so it's worth seeing it.
Whacked (1998)
stress society?
This story begins with some people suddenly falling down in the middle of the street while the siren screams in the background. Then, a man who collects golf balls with a car at the driving range appears. What's the relationship between that scene and the man? At the end of scene, the man is hitting golf balls at the city from the rooftop of the building. That balls hit some people, so they fall down. This film seems to be comedy, but I didn't think so. I was shocked at that scene because the man looks selfish. In my opinion, I suppose that he gets irritated since many balls come flying towards him. His stress accumulates, so he acts like that in order to dissipate stress. Stress is effectively expressed with the sound of the balls hitting the car. This film implies that self-centered stress release might hurt someone. However, guests who come to the driving range might also hit golf balls for stress release. It's like stress impacts on other stress. In other words, this film shows a stress society. I think you either love or hate it. It depends on your own preference.
A Moment (2012)
Encourage you
This short drama was made in 2012. In this story, there are four main characters who live in different places. They don't know each other, but
what they have in common is that they feel lonely. They are inspired by
'a moment'. In my opinion, this story conveys a message that you're not
alone no matter how painful things are for you. By noticing they're not
alone, they can move forward. In this movie, although this movie has no
dialogue, each situation which they are in is expressed by their facial expressions, their belongings like a picture, a ticket, a photograph of a deceased father, two cans of coffee, and so on. Especially, we can read
their loneliness in their eyes and the camera is focused on them. Besides, what 'a moment' is doesn't appear directly, but it is implied by a certain time. When it comes to a certain time, some people stop walking and think with their eyes closed. Also, the camera is focused on a certain time displayed on some clocks. The camerawork gives some hints. This movie encourages you to overcome sadness or difficulty, so it is worth seeing.
Father and Daughter (2000)
Strong belief
This short family film was made in 2000. The father and his daughter go
to the shore by bicycle, and then he rows a boat and leaves the place. After that, she visits the place by bicycle again and again and keeps waiting for his return. In my opinion, I felt she has a strong belief that he will definitely come back. She keeps waiting for him on sunny, windy, rainy, and snowy days and for many decades. Even as she gets older, she rides or walks her bicycle. That means there is consistency to her behavior. Besides, although this film doesn't have dialogue, subtitles, explanations or facial expression, it makes me imagine various things from the change of melody, of her figure, of characters except for her, of the landscape, and so on. For example, she rides a bicycle alone, with friends, with her boyfriend, with her husband and two children, and alone after being an old lady. Besides, her bicycle tire that is going round and round attracts attention. These will suggest the passage of time. In other words, these show that a long time passed waiting for him. In conclusion, this film stirs our
imagination, so it is worth seeing it.