In between the madness at SXSW I managed to catch some films:
This film took the breath out of the audience the night I saw it screened. Without being sentimental, it builds incredible sympathy for all involved. Feels written straight from the gut. It cleaned up the awards, winning both the Audience Award and also the Grand Jury Prize.
Update 04/28: Short Term 12 was bought by Cinedigm and who is planning a late-summer theatrical release. Hopefully including Chicago.
Beautiful but aloof and strange. Need to see it again before I’m able to rationally process. Shane Curruth draws from a unique well to create his images and I was left feeling there’s something important and revelatory happening. But what? Less beer and more caffeine will help.
A testament to the worst aspects of humanity, containing some of the most violent and surreal images I’ve ever witnessed on a screen. After the screening, director Joshua Oppenhemier explained the widespread impact that the film has had in Indonesia, having lifted a veil of fear and silence. It helped me put into context both the movie’s length (long) and true purpose, which is not always easy to gauge.
