Movie #3424 ........................."Flow" (Max )

 Movie #3424 "Flow" (Max)  -- this film is nominated for two oscars -- animated feature and foreign film.  I don't think it will win either one, but it is a lovely film and surprisingly without any dialogue.  It follows a cat who goes through all kinds of struggles with nature, including weather and other animals.  There's a tsunami, fires, attack of birds, where one of them defends him/her (not sure on cat's gender). But it's not all bad --- he/she learns he/she can lean on other animals, who aren't notoriously friendly with a cat --- like the cute dog that just wants to play with the cat through most of the movie.  It's really cute in some places, scary in the next --- and it flows quite smoothly on this adventure with the cat.  I thought it was a tad long, but I think many kids (and adults)  would enjoy this one.  I'd give it a 3.8 and recommend it.

"FLOW"        2024    PG    1 hour and 25 mins

Cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences.

Director:  Gints Zilbalodis

Writers:  Gints Zibalodis, Matiss Kaza, Ron Dyens

Movie #3423 ........................."Anora" (theatre

Movie#3423 "Anora" (theatre) This is the 9th  of the 10 oscar-nominated films for best picture that I watched, and I wanted to like it more than I did, but in comparison to the others, this is in the top 5 to me.(these would include:  Wicked, I'm Still Here, Emilia Perez, Conclave, and now Anora)  Do I really need to see the 10th one, Dune?  I wasn't a fan at all of the first one, so what are the chances.  Anyway, this is "Pretty Woman" on Qualudes.  If you are looking for action, this fits the bill.  If you are looking for humor mixed in with that action, this fits the bill.  If you are looking for a well-acted movie, this fits the bill.  Something topical?  A film that presents Russians as the bad guys is appropriate for this time period.  Now what does it have that some people might not like --- lots and lots of swearing, lots and lots of lap dancing and other sex acts, lots and lots of screaming and punching and fighting (some violence, but not overboard like the Substance);  In order to have some substance, I think the film is set up for a change in the main character  --- and I liked the way that was shown --- the ending scene elevated the film to me --- up to that time, I  just wasn't sure what it was trying to say --- and then, it said it in that last scene.  Is it one of the best films i have ever seen?   No.  Is it better than a lot of the other ones on this list?  Yes.  But it is an out-of-the-box kind of farcical romance, and for the most part it was an intriguing watch for me.  I'm not sure it will win the oscar for best picture, but better this than some others on the list.  I'd give it a 4 out of 5.  I recommend it to people who are looking for something different (esp. in the romance department), who don't mind the sex scenes and the language, and who have patience to wait for somewhat of a payoff.  

"ANORA"           2024        R      2 hours 19 min.

sA young escort from Brooklyn meets and impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairy tale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.

Director:  Sean Baker

Writer:  Sean Baker

Actors:  Mikey Madison, Paul Weissman, Yura Borisov

Movie #3422 ........................." Nickel Boys" (theatre)

 Movie #3422 " Nickel Boys' (theatre0   This  is another oscar-nominated movie for best picture 2025, and it is based on a book that I read by Colon Whitehead (author of Underground Railroad).  The film is getting a lot of comments on the subjective camera approach to filming; i.e. the eye of the camera are the eyes of the character --- so it is very common in this film to have people talking directly to the camera when talking to the lead characters (two boys, one Elwood  and the other Turner  - so close, they blend smoothly from one to the other  --- but because it has rapid time changes and point of view changes, and the violence is presented through the music sound effects and distorted photos, and a surprising ending some people get annoyed by watching the film.  I appreciated the artsy approach to it all, and I think it matches the way the book was written , too.  This place that Elwood and Turner are prisoners in is based on a juvenile delinquent home in Florida ---- when it was closed, there were tons of bodies buried there, mostly black.  I respected the film, and if you don't mind the artsy filmstuff , i think you might like it, too. I'd give it a 4 out of 5.

"THE NICKEL BOYS"     2024    PG-13       2 hours and 20 mins

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, "Nickel Boys" chronicles the powerful friendship between two young African-American men navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida.

Director:  RaMell Ross

Writers:  RaMell Ross, joslyn Barnes, Colson Whitehead

Actors:  Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Aunganue Ellis-Taylor

Movie #3421 ......................... "The Substance" (theatre)

 Movie #3421 "The Substance" (theatre)  Leaving the theatre after watching this movie, I really didn't know what to say except:  THIS IS A HORROR FILM, and it really isn't being sold as such.  Disclaimer:  I hate horror pictures, and if I knew it was really in that genre,  I never would have paid money to see this film (and I really didn't see all of it in my seat  because like others,  I walked out.  But my curiosity made me  watch the end  in the vestibule just to see how far it would go.  And it crossed the bizarre line way too many times for me.  However, the initial part of the film (about 30 minutes) sets up the  sci fi part well, with creepy music, stark white/black sets, unoccupied rooms with rusty doors, etc.  --- and it  deals with a type of cloning, but we are given very few rules -- actually only one -- that the two people have to take -7-day turns; i.e. they take turns --- while one is living a life,  the other one sleeps it off.  All the characters in the film are shallow and one-dimensional --- never has Dennis Quaid been type casted like this ---He is despicable - he  chomps on food,  puts his face in everyone's face with an annoying voice   - I have always found him to be an annoying actor so this fit the bill for him!  We know little how this doubling works (evidently neither do the characters because  as shallow as they are, they ask very few questions).  But simple greed sets in and the major rule, of course, is broken and all hell breaks loose --- but we don't know what that means until we see a literal bloodbath of kicking, slamming people against mirrors, bleeding, and....well, I don't want to give any more away.  If you still want to see it after what I've said above, you go ahead.  I hate violence and blood and guts, and when it's mindless (without thoughts behind it except revenge), I dislike this  film with every fiber of my body.  I was contemplating giving it a zero, but I do have to say the opening was worth some points, so I would give this a 2 out of 5.    I would never recommend this to anyone I know --- waste of time and film.  However, there must be people out there who might enjoy all the blood spurting, etc. --- I can't believe it has 75% from audience on rotten tomatoes, but I am thinking people are being told what this film is like and not paying money to see it --- so there's a small amount that like Horror films that are supporting it.  I can't believe Cannes gave this best script --- yikes!  Makes me lose trust in the Cannes film festival -- because I think they blew it this time. ONE MORE TIME --- THIS IS A HORROR FILM --- do not pay money to see it if you don't like to see blood and guts by the gallon!  

"THE SUBSTANCE"      2024       R    2hours, 21 minutes  

A fading celebrity takes a black-market drug:  a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.   (did I say it was a horror film and  just the creating of that second person rips Demi's body down the back and like "alien" it appears, blood and guts and all?)   

Director:  Coralie Fargeat

Writer:  Coralie Fargeat

Actors:  Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid)       

Movie #3421 ........................."I'm Still Here" (theatre)

 Movie #3421 "I'm Still Here" (theatre)  Since we are facing an authoritarian regime at this time, it was interesting to  see what it was like to live under one --- this film is based on a true story of Brazil in 1971 under a military dictatorship.  One day, they take the dad, and some time later they take the mother and one daughter, and no one ever knows why ---- The mother spends the rest of her life trying to get some answers ---- the actress does the whole gambit required to possibly win the best actress award, and I think she deserves it (after seeing all the other nominated women).  A cool twist the film uses is to have the actress's real mother (who is a famous Brazilian actress in her own right) play the lead when she's in her 80s.  The film gripped me from beginning to end ---- well done and very tense.  I'd give it a 4.5 (maybe could use just a little more information at times? and a better way to introduce all the kids in the opening of the film --- kept getting them mixed up for a while.  Highly recommend.

"I'M STILL HERE'            2024     PG-13           2 hours 17mins.

A mother is forced to reinvent herself when her family's life is shattered by an act of arbitrary violence during the tightening grip of a military dictatorship in Brazil, 1971.

Director:  Walter Salles

Writers:  Murilo Hauser, Heitor Lorega, Marcelo Rubens Paiva

Actors:  Fernanda Torres, Fernanda Montenegro, Selton Mello

Movie #3420 .........................."Wild Robot" ( amazon prime)

 Movie  #3420 "Wild Robot" (amazon prime)  Well, Dave saw this on the plane to Arizona and said he got tearful in a couple of moments, so I HAD to see what all the emotion was about --- he's right.  This was really good, probably the best of all the oscar- nominated animated feature --- And it's so topical right now because it deals with what happens in nature when a member of AI joins the environment.  Roz, the robot lands mistakenly (like E.T.) in a forest and scares most of the creatures, but makes friends with a wolf and begins to parent a tiny bird named Brightbill.  She shows how invaluable she is as nature takes its course and causes problems for the creatures.  A fine comment on AI and climate change and how culturally diverse animals can get along --- so why can't we, right?  I'd give this 4.5  (there was rather a long high point dealing with Roz going back to the mothership that I could have done without) Highly recommend.

'THE WILD ROBOT     2024          1 hour and 42 mins      PG

After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island.  To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.

Director:  Chris Sanders

Writers:  Chris Sanders, Peter Brown

Actor:  Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor

Movie #3419 ........................."Sing, Sing" (amazon Prime)

 Movie #3419  "Sing, Sing" (amazon prime) I have now seen all the movies nominated for oscars for best picture this year, and I think I like this one the best , but wait.  IT WASN'T NOMINATED!!??! ----this one and "Wicked" would be my favorites  of all the movies I have seen 2025..... for obvious reasons -- the theatrics of both, Wicked for musical, and Sing, Sing for nonmusical.  They both show a lot of humanity from the individuals in the film (contrary to many of the other films  on the list that were nominated) while still preserving the art of the film.  They both take brave leaps into doing something creative and different (something all the films nominated tried to do) , and they were most successful to me.  They brought me in to a new world that I enjoyed inhabiting  for the most part.  Sing, Sing draws the viewer into a prison environment, and some of the prisoners are seedy and disrespectful to each other at first, but once they work on stage with each other and form a theatre family, they find they can face the brutalities of the prison on a daily basis.  This is based on a real program in our country, and I recommend you see what theatre can do for these prisoners.  I give this a 5 out of 5, and I wish it was nominated for a best picture  oscar --- it is definitely a mistake that was made this year.  

"SING, SING"   2023      R          1 hour, 47 mins       oscar-nominated for best actor 2025 and script

Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art.

Director:  Greg Kwedar

Writers:  John H. Richardson, Brent Buell, Clint Bentley

Actors:  Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Sean San Jose

Movie #3418 ........................."Yuck" (theatre)

Movie #3418 "Yuck" (theatre)  This is the 5th and last oscar-nominated animated short that I saw, and it was cute.  The gimmick here is every time people are thinking about kissing someone else, their lips turn a bright pink.  Kids in a campground discover all of these people who are doing it --- and it is terribly funny, until it's two kids from their own group.  They soon discover not to call them "perv" but to see love all around.    Kind of silly, terribly French, and cute.   I'd give it 4.5.

"YUCK"      2024       13 mins           animated short

Yuck.  Couples kissing on the mouth are gross.  And the worse is, you dan't miss them:  when people are about to kiss, their lips become all pink and shiny.  Little Leo laughs at them, just like all the kids at the sumer camp.  But he has a secret he won't tell his friends:  his own mouth has actually been glistening.  And, in reality, Leo desperately wants to give kissing a try.  

Director:  Loic Espuche

Writer:  Loic Espuche

Actors:  Noe Shabbat, Katell Varvat, Enzo Desmedt

Movie #3417 ........................."Wander to Wonder" (theatre)

 Movie #3417 "Wander to Wonder" (theatre) This is the 4th oscar-nominated animated short film that I viewed, and it is the strangest.   It deals with a puppeteer who dies and the puppets are left to survive on their own -- one puppet is nude and tries to fight dragons, and the others are a bit creepy and try to find food.  Then a further tragedy strikes them.  But again, I was left with the question .....so what?  It was pretty how it was filmed, but meh.  I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

"WANDER TO WONDER"       2023       14 mins        animated short

In the 1980s Mary, Billybud, and Fumbleton starred in the children's television program "Wander to Wonder."  They are left alone in the studio after the show's originator passed away.

Director:  Nina Gantz

Writers:  Daan Bakker, Stienette Bosklopper, Simon Cartwright

Actors:  Neil Salvage, Toby Jones, Amanda Lawrence

Movie #3416 ........................."Magic Candies" (theatre)

Movie #3416 "Magic Candies" (theatre)  This is the third oscar-nominated short animated film that I watched, and I liked this one the most.   It was a cute quirky idea that plays into a kid's world --- he is bullied by  and sequestered from the rest of the kids  so he plays marbles alone....until a guy who runs a candy shop sells him magic candies with special powers.  I found the story easy to follow and relate to, and I'd give it a 4.5.

"MAGIC CANDIES"      2024       21 minutes                animated short film

The other kids at the park never ask Don-Dong to play.  That's ok.  He's fine just playing marbles on his own.  One day, he buys a bag of colorful candies instead of new marbles.  The first time he pops one of them into his mouth, his old sofa starts talking to him.  The two share an unexpected conversation before the sweet melts away.  As it happens, the people, animals and objects in Dong-Dong's life have a lot to say.  With each candy, he discovers new voices and perspectives, including his own.  Heartfelt and totally strange, Magic Candies will have you rethinking how you treat the objects and others, in your life.

Director:  Daisuke Nishio

Writers:  Heena Baek, Ichiro Takano

Actors:  Yoshifumi Hasegawa, Hiroshi Iwasaki, Haruto Shima     

Movie #3415 ........................."In the Shadow of a Cypress" (theatre)

 Movie #3415 "In the Shadow of a Cypress" (theatre)  This is the second oscar-nominated animated short film I watched , and the characters all looked like flat stanleys to me --- didn't much care for the animation or the story --- no dialogue, so that didn't help.  Man has PTSD (an overused ailment in my opinion, and used quite often just to get away with sowing things hat might not be happening --- and we the viewer have the figure out what's the real story.  And that's what we had to do here --- daughter leaves after realizing she really can't help her dad --- a whale wishes up to the shore -- she tries to help her dad pull him back into the water so he can survive.  Dad gets in a small motor boat and tries to drag it away to safety, but the rope snaps and breaks the motor.  So agitated , he rows his boat to a houseboat he has at sea and stay there.  Not sure why, but he finds himself needing help, but daughter can't get to him to help.  So I was left with the question .....so what?  What is the takeaway theme here?  Some people with PTSD you can't help because they are too proud to ask for it?  Maybe..... but I didn't like this one ---- too many moments not explained.  I'd give it 2.5.

"IN THE SHADOWS OF A CYPRESS "    2023          20 mins          animated short

Living in a ouse by the sea with his daughter, a former captain wh has PPTSD leads a tough and secluded life.

Directors:  Hossein Molayemi, Shirin Sohani

Writers:  same as above

Actor:  Zahra Moosavi

Movie #3414 ........................."Beautiful Men" (theatre)

 Movie #3414 "Beautiful Men" (theatre) This is the first oscar-nominated animated short that I saw, and it was full of angst and fog --- maybe the fog symbolized the angst or struggles and confusion these guys were in --- they are on a trip to Istanbul to get hai transplants, but the lead guy screwed up and accidentally scheduled  only one to get it done.  While waiting, they are filmed in their respective hotels and meeting once in a while at a coffee shop, but also wrangling with a lump one of them fines in his testicles.  The film finally ends up pretty good as far as the transplants, but does that solve everything for them?  It kind of was left up in the air.  I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

"BEAUTIFUL MEN"     2023                18 minutes       animated short

The insecurities of three bald brothers intensify during their stay in an Istanbul hotel for hair transplants.

Director:  Nicolas Keppens

Writers:  Nicolas Keppens, Angelo Tijdens

Actors:  Peter Van den Begin, Peter de Graef, Tom Dewispelaere 

Movie #3413 ........................."The Only Girl in the Orchestra" (theatre)

Movie #3413 "The Only Girl in the Orchestra" (theatre)  This is the 5th and final oscar-nominated short documentary that I saw at the theatre, and one I really enjoyed.  First female musician in 1966 for the NY Philharmonic had famous parents (both actors), and never wanted to be famous --- just to be one of the guys.  They didn't even have a bathroom for her to change in at the time.  This covers her beginning time with Leonard Bernstein at the helm, all the way to post retirement.  There were many speakers on her behalf, mostly former students. Her name is Orin O'Brien, and she played the double bass.  I really enjoyed her philosophy about playing the instrument, how to get along with all the men, how she never wanted to be in the limelight, etc.  The film was just a tad long, I felt.  I noticed it when some of her philosophy was repeated.  But , overall, I found this quite enjoyable.  I'd give it a 4.

"THE ONLY GIRL IN THE ORCHESTRA"       2023        G     34 min.    short documentary

This unsung hero story celebrates trailblazing musician, Orin O'Brien, and the Double Bass she plays.

Director:  Molly O'Brien (niece of Orin)

Actors:  Orin O'Brien, Carlos Barriento, Leonard Bernstein 

Movie #3412 ......................... "Instruments of a Bleeding Heart" (theatre)

Movie #3412 "Instruments of a Bleeding Heart" (theatre) The 4th oscar-nominated short documentary that I saw was this one --- with an adorable little japanese girl named Ayame.  Last year a girl with an instrument won in the shorts category, so this might be the winner this time.  However, I didn't like it as much as the "Death by Numbers" one --- but it did show a completely different culture and how it deals with their arts education, a subject near and dear to me.  It deals with the subject of doling out criticism to someone trying out, another subject near and dear to me.  But I thought, along with I think many others who watch this film, that they are just little kids --- and the band director came down pretty hard on this little girl when she was having trouble.  You could take just looking at her that she was trying really hard, and in front o everyone he chewed her out.  Then came the tears ---- quite a few.  But the teacher came through and gave her the support she needed to come back the next day and try out on a different instrument -- one that was less played in the whole song, but one she could be more successful with.  And the band director had a talk with her that showed he wasn't the heartless director from the opening minutes.  But at the end, the "Death by Numbers" was more important of the two films to me.  It hit me harder.  But I would give this one a 4 out of 5 and recommend it, too.

"INSTRUMENTS OF A BETING HEART"            short documentary     2024      23 mins

First graders in a Tokyo public elementary school are presented a challenge for the final semester:  performing "Ode to Joy" at the ceremony for the new incoming first graders.  Ayame, who often struggles to keep up with the group, is determined to play a major part -- the big drum.

Director:  Ema Ryan Yamazaki 

Movie #3411 ........................."Incident" (theatre)

 Movie #3411 "Incident" (theatre)  this is the third oscar-nominated short documentary I watched , and I question why it is in this category.  It is a brutal shooting in Chicago of a black man by two police people (one is a female) because they think he is aiming a gun at them --- he had proof on him that he could carry a gun and it was holstered until they jostled it out of his holster.  At least that's what the web cams show --- and we just see it from webcams --- a film?  that is supposed to have film elements?  I didn't get why it was here and oscar-nominated.  It did show the dead man lying on the ground for a good 20 minutes, and mostly focused on getting the cops out of the way who shot him because the people in the are were yelling their protests at them.  I'd give it a 2.

"INCIDENT"      30 minutes (of this!!!)      2023

Incident reconstructs a 2018 police shooting in Chicago , reassembling the event and its immediate aftermath from a variety of sources, including surveillance, cCTV, dashboard, and body-worn cameras, as a synchronized split-screen montage.

Director:  Bill Morrison

Movie #3410 ........................."I Am Ready, Warden" (theatre)

 Movie #3410 "I am Ready, Warden" (theatre)  Is the 2nd Oscar-nomiinated short documentary I watched and it was effective, but was confusing as to its message at the end.  I think it was just supposed to show both sides of the issue of capital punishment using one It starts at 6 days before this man is to be executed and it goes through his story  and also the film follows the victim's son.  The high point is when we  listen to the final comments the executed man says to the victim's son before he dies.  Very powerful and very confusing to him as to his reaction --- it kind of is the point --- this has never been a black and white issue to many people, including me.  There are witnesses and there doesn't seem doubt he killed the man brutally; he even says that many times in the film, but he says he's changed.  But in the final note he says, if it gives the son closure, than he should die.    Interesting film, and I'd give it a 3.8.

"I AM READY, WARDEN"         2024        37 mins        short documentary

John Henry Ramirez is convicted of murder and sentenced to death in the state of Texas.  During his incarceration, Ramirez tries to reach out to his victim's son while also preparing to say goodbye to his family.  

Director:  Smriti Mundhra

Movie #3409 ......................... "Death by Numbers" (theatre)

Movie #3409 "Death by Numbers" (theatre)  Now for the oscar-nominated documentary shorts  - this first one is the best one, I felt.  I'm not sure it will win, but it was the best, in my opinion --- most emotional for me.  It dealt with following very briefly , the courtroom trial of the Parkland school shooter, through the eyes of one of the victims - Sam Fuentes.  If she hasn't written a book of her poetry reactions to this tragedy, she should because she certainly has a way with words, and her comments are heard throughout this short film.  She starts with numbers and ends with them, including the  number 17 for the  students/teachers that were killed.  She is a witness , and it shows brief excerpts from other witnesses as well.  The high point was really effective because Sam got to tell the shooter off in the court -- she put into words what many of the students and adults greatly affected by his tragedy had felt.  It was a wow moment.  I give this film a 5 --- really well done.

'DEATH BY NUMBERS"       short documentary     33 minutes     2024

Four years after being shot with an AR-15 in her high school, Samantha Fuentes reckons with existential questions of hatred and justice as she prepares to confront her shooter.

Director:  Kim A nyder

Writer:  Sam Funetes

Actors:  Sam Fuentes, Ivy Schamis

 

Movie #3408 ........................"The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent" (theatre)

 Movie #3408 "The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent" (theatre)  The 5th and last oscar-nominated live action film of 2025 is this one.  It starts immediately on a train with no backstory on any of the people we will spend time with in the film --- the lead guy has a family but he never interacts with them --- he spends time looking out the window at the military who have stopped the train and they are looking for "ID" --- tenseness goes up a notch when he is telling the guy sitting across from him not to worry , just to sow his ID -- the guy says, he doesn't have one -- uh oh.  They are taking those people off the train.  The title guy is just that --- the man who stands up to them --- no background, no details except what he tells the military -- that they have no right to do this --- it seems everyone feels that way --- that no one has the right to make all thee people fear for their lives --- to be removed from a train and never seen again.  But no one else, of all these people, agree with this man out loud ---- And therein, lies the problem.  If they all did speak up , would this  in humane removal of people continue?  Once again, the story doesn't have a complete ending --- just a hold on the main characters face as the train moves on.....I'd give it a 3.5.  The tenseness was good, but a little bit more information? For example,   Did the guy with no ID do something terribly wrong ?  But even if he did, do these military men have the right to pull him from the train?  More importantly, if they are just looking for him, why go after everyone else? 

"THE MAN WHO COULD NOT REMAIN SILENT"      2024      13 mins

1993 Fosnia and Herzegovina.  A passenger train is stopped by paramilitary forces in an ethnic cleansing operation.  As they haul off innocent civilians, only one man out of 500 passengers dares to stand up to them.

Director:  Nebojsa Slijepcevic

Writer:  same as above

Actors:  Dragan Micanovic, Goran Bogdan 

Movie #3407 ........................."The Last Ranger" (theatre)

 Movie #3407 "The Last Ranger" (theatre)  This is the 4th oscar-nominated live action short for 2025 , and it deals with the subject of poaching rhinos -- which I didn't know was a huge problem in the animal world.   We are introduced to a son and his dad, who leaves for a new job --- it was such a short scene, I totally forgot about him by the end of the film, so I was left a bit confused momentarily --- my fault, I think, because with short films/stories, we must look at all the details and remember them --- every word becomes important in a short film like this.  Anyway, the little boy leave his place to find his dad later, and he hooks up with a female ranger who tries to give him info on the poaching --- of course, that's when a couple of dangerous poachers with guns approach .....we, like the little boy, are thrust into awareness of just how cruel the world can be to animals.  I'd give this one a 4.5  ---the positives are the cinematography, the musical score, the careful set up of shots of the animals and the locations, the tight story.....it was a bit lengthy toward the end where pacing slowed down, but otherwise, well done.  Both the topics of this one and the first one on immigration are important, but I felt the one on immigration was more powerfully presented.  This is a good one, though, if you get a chance to see it.

"THE LAST RANGER"    2024        28 mins

Nominated for the Best Live-Action Short Film, 2025, this multi-award winning short is the second film in the anthology called, "When the World Stopped".  Longline:  When young Litha is introduced to the magic of a game reserve by the last remaining ranger, they are ambushed by poaches.  In the ensuing battle to ave the rhinos, Litha discovers a terrible secret.  

Director:  Cindy Lee

Writers:  David S. Lee, Darwin Shaw, Will Hawkes

Actors:  Ayumille Qongqo, Liyabona Mroqoza 

Movie #3406 ........................."I'm Not A Robot" (theatre)

 Movie #3406 "I'm Not A Robot" (theatre)  This is a third oscar-nominated live action short for 2025, and it has some humor in it (unlike the others).  The film pulled me in from the get go -- it started with a woman working in an office trying to get into some website and she has to do one of those captcha things to prove she isn't a robot --- I can feel her frustration when she is unable to pick the ones they want us to pick (annoying, right?)  She begins to wonder if she is a robot --- it's a humorous idea, but then take on the major thrust of the rest of the film --- If you see the ending, you know that if I say this film ends up in the air, that would be quite ironic --- but I wanted to know more about this ending, too..... It seems to be a good film fest film because this one you could really interpret it in various ways about how AI is giving us some form of paranoia --- that we are left out, that our work places are dehumanizing us, that people around us become colder (esp if colleagues are AI) and give us the feeling we don't fit in..... if you see the one and want to talk about it, contact me --- I would be anxious to know how you interpret the ending.  I would give this a 4 because filmically, it gets across the push to dehumanize our lives, esp. in the work place.

"I AM NOT A ROBOT"     netherlands               2023     22 mins

After repeatedly failing Captcha tests, music producer Lara becomes obsessed with a disturbing question:  could she be a robot?

Director:  Victoria Warmerdam

Writer:  Victoria Wamerdam

Actors:  Ellen Parren, Henry Van Loon, Thekla Reuten

Movie #3405 ........................ "Anuja" (theatre)

 Movie #3405 "Abuja" (theatre)   This is a  second oscar-nominated live action short for 2025.  All of these really had one underling thread --- none of them had complete endings, really.  That is, the viewer wonders what happens next, and this one had the most questions at the end of it for me.  I wanted to know more, and that is reflected in my score for it - a 3.5 out of 5.  It is about a little girl working in a sewing factory who is obviously smarter than that job --- when offered to take a test, the film shows all the pressures that would keep her from taking it.  The little girl and her older sister are very charming to watch, and the film seems to reflect real life in their village  But a stuck life, with very little place for advancement without education.  Their boss is not good and supportive --- using women to get the job in his garment factory done.  All that is shown, but it's  too bad the ending doesn't help the viewer with questions I think remain.

"ANUJA"             2024     22 minutes     netflix 

When a gifted 9-year-old girl, who works in a garment factory, is offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to attend school, she is forced to make a heart-wrenching decision that will determine her and her sister's fate.

Director:  Adam J. Graves

Writer:  Adam J. Graves

Actors:  Nagesh Bhonsle, Rudolfo Rajeev Hubert, Sajda Pathan

Movie #3404 ........................."'A Lien" (theatre)

 Movie #3404 "A Lien" (theatre)  I saw the Live Action Shorts that are oscar-nominated this year , and this was tops for me  -- very powerful, and if you want to see it, I will post the link below (the powers that be may take it off, but I would like as many people as possible to see it  - it's about immigration) Note:  if the link is removed, contact me so I can send it to you, if it is still available.  Anyway,  the opening is tense -- a husband/wife/child are getting ready  to go to immigration offices where he has an interview (he is married to an American  citizen and he is trying to do the paperwork for his citizenship) -- once they step into the office and see him (and label him possible muslin/dangerous) all hell breaks loose -- hand held camera adds, overlapping dialogue, sporadic editing all add to the chaos --- I had to turn away I was so disturbed by how the whole family  was treated --- see what you think -- The rest of the films were very good, but didn't pull me in like this one.  I would give this a 5, but if you get a chance to see all five of the live action, this looks to be like the event that has the best offerings.

"A LIEN"      2023     15 minutes  

A young couple face up to and deal with a dangerous immigration process.

Directors:  David Culter-Kreutz, Sam Cutler-Kreutz

Writers:  David Cutler-Kreutz, Sam Cutler-Kreutz

Actors:  Victoria Ratermanis, Sydney  Afriyie, Mike Aquilino

link:  https://vimeo.com/channels/staffpicks/997805490

Movie #3403 ........................."The Apprentice" (Amazon Prime)

Movie #3403 "The Apprentice" (Amazon Prime) This movie was despicable and raunchy, and everything I expected it to be considering the subject matter.  The film shows the slow climb of  Donald, The  Sociopath, as he moves  up the ladder of power, with Roy Cohn as his guide.  Cohn deserves his own movie/play --- wait, he has one entitled "Angels in America," an ironic and fitting title for this low-life human who was McCarthy's right-hand lawyer during the McCarthy trials, who was a homophobe who died of aids, and who Donald, The Sociopath  was an apprentice to on the climb to his presidency.I didn't like anyone in the film, but that stands to reason because Donald The Sociopath just hangs around despicable people like himself.  They feed off each other.  I kept  waiting for the "bad guys" in the film to screw up like they do in so many films and turn on each other, but no such luck.  He bullies and strikes fear wherever he goes.  He rapes his wife, he has his home fumigated after Cohn's visit  because of his fear of aids, he has fat removed around his belly and the bald spot on the back of his head, he buys fake diamond cufflinks for his lawyer,  he tries to get his father to sign his "empire" away on his death bed, and lies and bullies his way up.    It's a film I didn't want to see, but since it got an Academy Award nomination I felt the need to.   The AA nod is for  Jeremy Strong's  robot-like rendition of Roy Cohn  in the first part but who gets better in the second half, when he's dying of AIDS. I didn't feel vindicated after seeing this film; I didn't feel sad for anyone in it,; I didn't feel like cheering anyone on while watching.  On the contrary, I felt like taking a shower to wipe off all the hate, venom and lack of empathy that was spewed on the viewer by the apprentice.  He repeats as his mantra three lessons on the abuse of  power that he learned from Cohn:  1) attack! attack!  attack!, 2) Admit nothing, Deny everything and 3) always claim victory, never admit defeat.  He also learns: " Truth is whatever I say is truth," and he pretty much either says those rules over and over again or shows them.  This write up and the film really  is way too much time to spend on Donald, the Sociopath --- I'd give it a 3.  And I'd rather not ever see or talk about it again.

"THE APPRENTICE"    2024     R      2 hours and 2 minutes    Amazon Prime

A young man took over his father's real-estate businesss in 1970s and 80s New York, and got the helping hand of an infamous closeted gay lawyer who helped him turn this young man into a notorious legend.He teaches his new apprentice how to amass wealth and power through deception, intimidation, and media manipulation.  The rest is history.    Based on true events.

Director:  Ali Abbasi

Writer:  Gabriel Sherman

Actors:  Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong

 

Movie #3402 ........................."Will & Harper" (Netflix)

 Movie #3402 "Will & Harper" (Netflix)  Are you looking for a good documentary to watch that might warm your heart a little?  This might appear as a friends' roadtrip at first glance, but it becomes so much more ---- why?  Because it's a trip Will Ferrell takes with his good friend Andrew (a former SNL head writer) who has come out as trans and  now goes by  the name "Harper" --- The trip deals with meeting up with Harper's kids, going  back to Harper's home town in Illinois, and various other places that either Will or Harper found important (mostly Harper) in their cross-country trip.  They have some easy discussions, but many of them are hard -- both of them facing the truth -- that their relationship will naturally have to change a bit, while still keeping their great memories alive -- they will need to start making new memories, and the film gives hope that that will happen.  I liked a lot of things in this kind of rough documentary --- I liked that Will Ferrell didn't try to steal all of the scenes --- this was a different Will Ferrell, giving up the spotlight to his old friend.  I liked that when we first meet Harper, it's hard to see her as a woman, but by the end of the film, I really see Harper as a woman and with that comes  a huge acceptance of her.  It seems as she gets more comfortable in her body and clothes, so does Will and so does the reader. The film shows it isn't always so easy, but oh, it is well worth any effort.  I'd give this film a 4.  And recommend it.  And make sure to check out Kristin Wiig's song for them that she wrote while they were on the trip --- she sings it in the closing credits (it was nominated for a critics' choice award because it was so touching!)

"WILL & HARPER"     1 hour and 54 minutes        Netflix       2024

In this intimate portrayal of friendship, transition and America, Will Ferrell and his close friend of thirty years decide to go on a cross-country road trip to explore a new chapter in their relationship.

Director:  Josh Greenbaum

Actors:  Will Ferrell, Harper Steele, Tina Fey  

Movie #3384 ........................."Remembering Gene Wilder" (Netflix documentary)

 Movie #3384 "Remembering Gene Wilder" (Netflix documentary)  Are you looking for a very entertaining documentary on someone like Gene Wilder, well look no more because this is one of the best documentaries I have seen in a long time.  It moves well from one movie project to the next using oftentimes Gene Wilder's narration --- with his narration, with various film clips, with famous people making comments on him, the film moves swiftly, honestly and sometimes whimsically through this wonderfully talented man's life.  I thought I knew a lot about him, but I was wrong.  And the backstories to some of the most favorite scenes in film history are insightful and amusing ---- just like the man himself.  This was a WOW documentary, and even if you don't know much about this man, it's worth the time to watch him in action. I'd give it a 4.5 out of 5.

"REMEMBERING GENE WILDER"     Netflix   1 hour and 32 mins    2023

A special tribute documentary honoring Gene Wilder's life and career.

Director:  Ron Frank

Writer:  Glenn Kirschbaum

Actors:  Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks, Rochelle Pierce

Movie #3401 ........................." The Brutalist" (movie theatre)

 Movie #3401 " The Brutalist" (movie theatre)  I waited several days to get my thoughts in order about this one --- just one of what seems to be one of several out-of-the-box movies offered this year to the viewers who still enjoy seeing a movie in a theatre.   I went in not knowing much about it at all --- I knew it was going to run long (3 and 1/2 hours with a 15 minute intermission ) , but I've sat through longer, so length doesn't usually worry me --- I once went to three Woody Allen movies in a row (because that's how they were being shown), and I sat through all of them with no problem.  However, with this one I did feel the time because of the pacing of the film, which I felt was extremely slow --- I am used to all kinds of pacing, too, because I am a big indie movie watcher, but this was the kind of movie where the actors treat each piece of dialogue as a golden nougat --- to be cherished and thought about.  Yes, it happens in films where that approach is taken, but I am not usually a fan of that.  Maybe while watching "Lord of the Rings" I had that same feeling?  (sorry, all you P, Jackson//Tolkien fans)  Any way, I also thought there would be more of the end of the Holocaust, but that was taken care of in one scene, a quick 2-3 minutes , and  suddenly we  were on the move with Lazo Toth, a hungarian architect (without his wife who ended up in some other camp) to move through USA to Pennsylvania by himself.  There was a lot of confusion during the opening of the film/the return after WWII  (as it was for him) , so the pacing was pretty fast in the opening, but once it plopped him in Pennsylvania, it started to slow down --- I wish I could say the treatment of a Jewish immigrant after WWII coming to the US for an architect job was kind and loving, but it wasn't --- the married couple he settles with don't trust him, feel it is their "duty" to give him the job, but once there's a problem are ready to drop him.  We, the viewer, are not surprised --- we still have that, even moreso, now, so the film seems to become topical at this point --- But then he gets involved in projects for this robber baron kind of guy (played by Guy Pearce) who comes across as maniacal, unsteady mentally, and bullish (sound like someone we know?) and his words become the nougats I was talking about earlier --- he slows the film down with giving long speech  and proselytizing with this new architect who needs help getting his wife to him in Pennsylvania --- So when the bully does that, Lazlo owes him --- and the relationship gets even stickier.  There's a son of the bully who moves in and out (not sure why), there's a black man that Lazo befriends who has a kid that needs to be fed who moves in and out, there's narration from Felicity Jones and once she's there, she becomes his conscience and a big supporter of his work (but she's not treated importantly until one big scene), and lots and lots of drug taking --- which all slow the film down.  i get that he and his ego and artistic integrity are being questioned on a daily basis, but it becomes a stagnant tool the director uses to fill in scenes, in my opinion. One critic referred to it as : "unfolding of persistent misery."  But along the way, the film does  cover many subjects/themes, including:  capitalism, immigration, addiction, Zionism, architecture,  materializing art, inequity, class, violence, and even filmmaking (it is shot on 70 mm in monochromatic coloring to bring out the brutalism architecture it depicts).  I didn't know that the title referred to on the surface the architecture  until seeing the film, nor that not many European architects were alive after WWII (saw that on line).  So the film is ambitious in telling this individual's story while giving us a history lesson of the times.  I just didn't find it as interesting as I wanted it to be -- the photography is wonderful, the production design is worthy of being nominated, the musical score is creative  --- there's homage to films like "Kane," but it wasn't Kane in the story line -- in that classic  each piece of the puzzle fit together in a tight story line , but this one, not so much --- It might win editing,  but I think that would be a mistake because I think it needed more tightening all around --- it didn't need to be that long --- we get that it spans the guy's life, but it can be done in a tighter amount of time.  I'd give it a 3.8 out of 5.  I would only recommend it to people who would find the story interesting --- It's a different kind of watch and not for everybody.  Best Picture?  not my vote because I've already seen "Wicked" and "Emilia Perez" that I thought were better.  But that's why we have such a bevy of diverse films getting nominated --- hopefully, a few of these will speak to you in a special way and win your heart!  This one did not for me.  

 "THE BRUTALIST"     R   (some rough scenes!)     3 hr, 34 mins

Then a visionary architect and his wife flee post-war Europe in 1947 to rebuild their legacy and witness the birth of modern United States, their lives are changed forever by a mysterious, wealthy client.  

Director:  Brady Corbet

Writers:  Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold

Actors:  

adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce