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Reviews
Blue Violet (2017)
Powerful hard-hitting film drives message home
Sometimes you come across a film that is not easy to watch. But not for the reasons, you typically think. This is an excellent, well-made and powerful short film but it tackles issues that many of us often turn our head away from. Though it might be a hard film to watch, it is an important one and well-deserving of the many honors it garnered on the festival circuit.
The acting is superb. Kaitlyn Johnston is strong in the lead role of Steph and Jillian Mason really shines as the character Grace - a flighty, hyper young woman with a deep, dark emotional layer that comes out at the end. Most of the film takes place in a small, nearly empty room but yet the cinematography is real, lifelike and gritty. We get a bit of a claustrophobic feel, yet I think that's the feeling the filmmakers are going for.
The ending is a punch to the gut. It surprised me, though I knew something was not as it seemed, and as the film jumps through it's final non-linear narrative, all the pieces come to life. I won't give anything further away, but if you have about 10 minutes of time - watch this film, you'll likely not forget it for anytime soon.
Pride of the Blue Grass (1939)
The Pride of the Bluegrass
Tried to find this film for many years....Thank you TMC for having the old horse stories marathon last week. PLEASE DO IT AGAIN.
After watching the film ( a real B Movie with a capital " B " ), you get the feel it has been minced in the editing room BUT, the acting is great and using a cute foal in the opening scenes later to become the " real blind horse, Elmer Gantry - quite an amazing animal " draws you into the story. Now, the question - HOW MUCH IS THE TRUE STORY ? Did he run in the Derby to finish 2nd and then his blindness was discovered, and did he win the Grand National in Europe? Makes you want to do some research homework. I did.
I fell in love with a gray roan mare named " LADY " at a farm close to my home who had moon blindness due to an infection - but just one eye affected....so I was a "sucker" for this movie. It's a film of REDEMPTION and OVERCOMING A DISABILITY and I highly recommend it.
Now how much is TRUE ------------------------ due your homework.
A Teacher from NY did, HGB
Graveyard Girl (2016)
It's all about the healing
Everyone has experienced loss. The grieving process is natural and the cemetery an all too familiar place for most. "Graveyard Girl", as the title would allude to, starts off in cemetery, and it ends there too. And strangely enough--these are the scenes that feel most comfortable. Dahlia sits and draws pictures of the graves. It's her safe haven.
When we find her at home, life is chaotic. Fights with Mom and Step-dad. An adorable (but feisty) little sister that drives her crazy. The darkest scene finds her lying in her bed, a small razor blade hidden in her hand--and luckily the knock of the door brings her back to this reality, and prevents any further scars. But the scars are already there. We all have them. Dahlia just can't seem to get past them.
And then one chance meeting, one small moment, seems to change everything. And no--it's not one of those big, boisterous life-altering moments that seem to live in lesser movies. It's quiet and subtle, but real. Everything feels right. Right up until the end and the final movement when Dahlia seems to finally grow into something different, and the person she needs most is by her side.
This is a really strong short film. Great production value (beautiful widescreen cinematography, clear sound, nice musical touches) and the acting is equally strong. Giordan Diaz as Dennis has the showier role of the leads and handles himself gracefully. His big moment is understated enough to feel real but emotionally powerful. Susan Hedges is a strong mother--great non-verbal facial expressions. And Kaitlyn Johnston as Dahlia really drives the film home. She's great at not being too flashy. Not trying to hit a home run at every moment but letting the emotion bleed out, just like the scars hidden beneath her surface, she lets everything slowly seep out and we can feel what she is feeling.
We've all been there before. Here's a short that really hits all its marks and while not "over- the-top", is a subtle, smart, sophisticated little drama about loss and how we all must move on.
Captive (2015)
Captive holds you captive
In just about twelve minutes of time, the unique settings and mysterious happenings of this film will mesmerize you and make you really wonder where this short film is taking you, as the path keeps turning. It's quite an interesting ride for a short and really intricately designed.
Many twists and turns throughout, the suspense keeps building. Very well-written and directed, beautiful widescreen cinematography (the beach scenes look gorgeous) and some terrific acting across-the-board which really makes it stand out. Great work by the lead actress who is excellent and a future star! It's one of the better shorts I've seen recently and should do well on the festival circuit.
The best part: The ending. I'm usually pretty good at figuring these things out but this one caught me off guard and was a big surprise. A nice twist, I didn't see coming at all. Check it out if it's playing at a festival by you.