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Little Seen Film of the Day: Jellyfish

JellyfishJELLYFISH won the Golden Camera, and the Screenwriter’s Award at Cannes in 2007 when I saw it at the Toronto International Film Festival, but it was little seen here in the States.  The theme of JELLYFISH is disappointment. There are three central stories in JELLYFISH, involving three young women living in Israel. All three of these women have suffered severe disappointments, the first years ago during her childhood, another just a day ago at her wedding. Batya lives alone in a rundown apartment, working as a waitress for a wedding caterer and continuously being overlooked by her parents. Joy is a Filipina domestic who doesn’t speak Hebrew and is trying to raise enough money to return to the Philippines to be with her young son. Keren is just married to Michael, but their honeymoon has been curtailed after she ends up in a cast at an embarrassing accident at their reception. The three women’s stories intersect at various points of the film, and it isn’t until the conclusion that the theme of the film unfolds.

Directors Geffen and Keret employ gentle magical reslism, most notably in the form of a mysterious little girl who appears from out of the sea to Batya and leads her without speaking to a path of realization. To tell anymore of the plot would surely take away from the enjoyment of watching things play out while enjoying the film. This is a delightful film, worthy of the accolades it has already achieved, and definitely worth the time of anyone to see it.

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Little Seen Film of the Day: Colma: The Musical

Colma: The MusicalA charming if somewhat amateurish indie musical that tells the coming-of-age stories of three teenagers recently graduated from high school living in Colma, CA.  Billy, Rodel and Maribel are facing the challenges of young adulthood, and chasing their dreams.  Billy aspires to be a performer, and auditions for the regional musical where he meets a college student named Tara, who is also an aspiring actor.  Rodel is being raised by a single parent and is struggling with how to tell his father that he is gay.  Maribel just can’t figure out what to do with her life.  When Billy’s ambitions threaten to tear the three friends apart, all three must re-assess and find away to move on.

With its micro-budget and low production values, COLMA: THE MUSICAL is a tiny movie, but it has a really big heart.  The musical numbers are strong.  COLMA is the debut film by  Filipino-American H.P. Mendoza, who stars, co-wrote the screenplay, and wrote all the music and lyrics.  Director Richard Wong also co-wrote the film.  There aren’t a lot of films out there telling the Asian-American experience, and it’s nice to see one that is so fresh and accessible.  The film is far from perfect, but it’s a lot of fun and worth a screening.

 

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Little Seen Film of the Day – Blues for Willadean

Blues for WilladeanBLUES FOR WILLADEAN is not a perfect film – far from it.  However it’s got heart, it tells an important story that will resonate strongly with some, and it features amazing performances from three spectacular women that make a viewing worthwhile no matter what you think of the film as a whole.   Beth Grant is a fantastic character actor known for her comedic appearances in such films as DONNIE DARKO, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and most recently on the television show, “The Mindy Project.”  It’s incredibly rare to see Beth in a leading role, and a dramatic leading role to top things off.  And it’s wonderful to see.  Beth is a real talent, and she gets to show her stuff in this tough role for which she won all sorts of awards on stage.  Backed by Octavia Spencer and Dale Dickey, this is one power trio that knows how to infuse a movie with heart and soul.

Willadean is the wife of a blue collar truck driver, who attempts to escape the abusive prison she is trapped in.   She dreams of one day getting a job, supporting herself and reuniting with her son who has escaped to live his own life.  Her neighbor and best friend LaSonia does what she can, but as is often the case with domestic abuse, it is difficult to interfere, but with her own experiences with domestic violence driving her, LaSonia can’t stand by and do nothing.  Then there is new neighbor, Rayleen, who is the catalyst for Willadean’s final rebellion.  The three women, as well as Willadean’s husband, J.D. portray the different aspects of abuse with chilling truth.  But Shores wisely infuses the dark tale with plenty of humor, and it is those scenes of humor, that also show the women bonding, that are really powerful stuff.

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Little Seen Film of the Day – Whisky

WhiskyAmong my friends in the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film, WHISKY is not a little seen film as it was a Buried Treasure nominee at the 12th annual Awards Ceremony in 2006.  But among non-Chlotrudians, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who has heard of, much less seen this little film fromUruguay.  And that’s a shame, because it’s quite marvelous.

Jacob is the taciturn and solitary owner of a run-down sock factory, whose successful, younger brother, Hermán, is coming to visit from Brazil for the first time in years for their late mother’s Matzeivah ceremony (at which her tombstone will be unveiled).  Jacob asks Marta, his forewoman at the factory, if she will pose as his wife while his brother is in town.  With Hermán’s arrival it becomes clear that Jacob resents him for running off and becoming successful, while he cared for their mother in a nursing home rather than focusing on his own career.  Yet when Hermán asks Jacobo and Marta to accompany him on a visit to a seaside resort where they spent time as children, Marta is keen to go and Jacobo reluctantly agrees. During the holiday Marta and Herman grow closer. Jacobo remains cold and unemotional towards both the other characters and seems keen for the experience to end.

This charming film is short on dialogue and filled with subtle, black humor.  The characters manage to convey quite a bit despite their unexpressive faces and their minimal conversation.  Filmmakers Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll crafted an endearing story that yields great rewards if the viewer can manage to stick with it long enough.  Sadly, Rebella committed suicide at age 32.

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Little Seen Film of the Day – Double Happiness

Double HappienssThis Canadian film is notable because it is Sandra Oh’s first feature film, released in 1994.  In DOUBLE HAPPINESS, directed by Mina Shum, Oh plays Jade the dutiful daughter of a very traditional Chinese family living in Canada.  Jade’s parents want nothing more than for Oh to marry a successful Chinese man and live a happy, prosperous life.  Jade’s desire to be an actress is frowned upon by her parents for its instability.  As Jade’s parents continuously find eligible Chinese bachelors for her to date, she finds herself living a double life, keeping the life that her parents wouldn’t approve of, such as her burgeoning romance with the slightly awkward and completely Caucasian English teacher (played by Callum Keith Rennie, in one of his first features) hidden from them.  Much of what drives Jade’s behavior is the fact that her older brother was disowned by her parents, a situation that causes them significant pain.  Naturally with such a delicate balance being played in secret, things are bound to be discovered, and so it is in DOUBLE HAPPINESS.

This was a great debut for Oh, who has since appeared in a number of Canadian and U.S. films, and achieved significant success on the television show “Gray’s Anatomy.”