I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and is eligible to be the Grand Prize Winner in October of 2008. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.”
Raed is an elderly, Jordanian man who seems to be a simple janitor at an airport. But things change for him when he finds a discarded Captain’s hat that he wears home. The neighborhood children promote him to a world savy pilot and he promotes himself to being an excellent and imaginative storyteller.
But Raed is not a simple man. We slowly find out that he is wise and well read. And, he has suffered tragedies in his life that would break most men and make them bitter. Raed resists being morose and adds positively to the world around him. He is kind to strangers, he mentors children with exploitive parents, and he makes other’s lives easier and more fun.
But this wouldn’t be much of a story if there weren’t a strong conflict. Next door to Raed there is a family dominated by a husband and father who is a wife-beater, child-beater, and drunk. What can an old man do to help?
It reminds one of the quote – “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Raed is a good man of courage and sacrifice. He does something.
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Second Hand Wedding
I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and is eligible to be the Grand Prize Winner in October of 2008. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.”
Amal is a 30ish autorickshawdriver in New Delhi. He appears to be simple and quiet and even naïve. He dutifully lives with and supports his Mother, and works long hours to make ends meet.
He is so out of place with the rest of the huge city of New Delhi. His fellow autorickshawdrivers seem to be hustlers and cheats. And his passengers and Delhi citizens are even worse. They include conniving lawyers, loan sharks, thieves, bribers, and spoiled adult children.
One day Amal chases a little girl who has stolen a purse from a regular passenger. Amal accidently causes her to be hit by a car and seriously hurt. Amal, out of the goodness of his heart, takes on the welfare of the child in a hospital. We begin to see Amal’s incredibly generous and giving nature.
Amal also has another chance, life-altering encounter when he picks up a surly old man who hates the world and tries to negotiate hard. Amal won’t play his game, and cheerfully acquiesces to the old man’s wishes. Unbeknownst to Amal, the man is rich and is so moved by their brief encounter that he leaves Amal in his will.
There is a painful irony between Amal needing money to help the hospitalized girl and almost being wealthy by a kindness of a curmudgeon. This irony drives the story, and
keeps your interest high.
Amal is unaffected by worldly matters that consume everyone else. He is centered by his goodness and honesty and integrity. Sacrifice is all he knows – except for his rich life in the help of others.
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
Amal is a 30ish autorickshawdriver in New Delhi. He appears to be simple and quiet and even naïve. He dutifully lives with and supports his Mother, and works long hours to make ends meet.
He is so out of place with the rest of the huge city of New Delhi. His fellow autorickshawdrivers seem to be hustlers and cheats. And his passengers and Delhi citizens are even worse. They include conniving lawyers, loan sharks, thieves, bribers, and spoiled adult children.
One day Amal chases a little girl who has stolen a purse from a regular passenger. Amal accidently causes her to be hit by a car and seriously hurt. Amal, out of the goodness of his heart, takes on the welfare of the child in a hospital. We begin to see Amal’s incredibly generous and giving nature.
Amal also has another chance, life-altering encounter when he picks up a surly old man who hates the world and tries to negotiate hard. Amal won’t play his game, and cheerfully acquiesces to the old man’s wishes. Unbeknownst to Amal, the man is rich and is so moved by their brief encounter that he leaves Amal in his will.
There is a painful irony between Amal needing money to help the hospitalized girl and almost being wealthy by a kindness of a curmudgeon. This irony drives the story, and
keeps your interest high.
Amal is unaffected by worldly matters that consume everyone else. He is centered by his goodness and honesty and integrity. Sacrifice is all he knows – except for his rich life in the help of others.
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
Amal
I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and is eligible to be the Grand Prize Winner in October of 2008. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.”
Amal is a 30ish autorickshawdriver in New Delhi. He appears to be simple and quiet and even naïve. He dutifully lives with and supports his Mother, and works long hours to make ends meet.
He is so out of place with the rest of the huge city of New Delhi. His fellow autorickshawdrivers seem to be hustlers and cheats. And his passengers and Delhi citizens are even worse. They include conniving lawyers, loan sharks, thieves, bribers, and spoiled adult children.
One day Amal chases a little girl who has stolen a purse from a regular passenger. Amal accidently causes her to be hit by a car and seriously hurt. Amal, out of the goodness of his heart, takes on the welfare of the child in a hospital. We begin to see Amal’s incredibly generous and giving nature.
Amal also has another chance, life-altering encounter when he picks up a surly old man who hates the world and tries to negotiate hard. Amal won’t play his game, and cheerfully acquiesces to the old man’s wishes. Unbeknownst to Amal, the man is rich and is so moved by their brief encounter that he leaves Amal in his will.
There is a painful irony between Amal needing money to help the hospitalized girl and almost being wealthy by a kindness of a curmudgeon. This irony drives the story, and
keeps your interest high.
Amal is unaffected by worldly matters that consume everyone else. He is centered by his goodness and honesty and integrity. Sacrifice is all he knows – except for his rich life in the help of others.
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
Amal is a 30ish autorickshawdriver in New Delhi. He appears to be simple and quiet and even naïve. He dutifully lives with and supports his Mother, and works long hours to make ends meet.
He is so out of place with the rest of the huge city of New Delhi. His fellow autorickshawdrivers seem to be hustlers and cheats. And his passengers and Delhi citizens are even worse. They include conniving lawyers, loan sharks, thieves, bribers, and spoiled adult children.
One day Amal chases a little girl who has stolen a purse from a regular passenger. Amal accidently causes her to be hit by a car and seriously hurt. Amal, out of the goodness of his heart, takes on the welfare of the child in a hospital. We begin to see Amal’s incredibly generous and giving nature.
Amal also has another chance, life-altering encounter when he picks up a surly old man who hates the world and tries to negotiate hard. Amal won’t play his game, and cheerfully acquiesces to the old man’s wishes. Unbeknownst to Amal, the man is rich and is so moved by their brief encounter that he leaves Amal in his will.
There is a painful irony between Amal needing money to help the hospitalized girl and almost being wealthy by a kindness of a curmudgeon. This irony drives the story, and
keeps your interest high.
Amal is unaffected by worldly matters that consume everyone else. He is centered by his goodness and honesty and integrity. Sacrifice is all he knows – except for his rich life in the help of others.
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
Terra
I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and is eligible to be the Grand Prize Winner in October of 2008. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.”
This is an animation film clearly aimed at adults. There is a separate alien planet called Terra. Terra has different air, different plants, different animals, different terrain and different “people.” The “people” are physically different from humans, but emotionally and mentally are very similar to humans. They have no legs and move with a dolphin kick motion and have a tail attached to the back of their heads. They also use their own air and cannot use oxygen.
The Terra people are attacked by the remains of the human race. Earth and its warring neighbor planets have left our environment dead and the humans are on a giant space station desperately searching for oxygen to maintain what’s left of the human race.
We understand the Terra people through a teenage girl named Mala. We understand the humans through a downed fighter pilot named Lt. Stanton. Mala causes Lt. Stanton to crash on Terra and then she helps save Lt. Stanton’s life in their non-oxygen world.
But there is a terrible moral conflict facing the Terra people and the human race. It appears only one of them can survive. The Terra planet can stay as it is and support the Terra people or the planet’s air can be changed to oxygen to support the remnants of human beings who only have a short time left. Which side should the viewer take?
This is a powerful story, well told. The music and animation are more than satisfactory, but it is the pushing forward of the story that matters. There are good people by any definition on both sides who wrestle with what the right thing to do is. And the viewer is forced to dwell on what is right also. Powerful stuff.
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
This is an animation film clearly aimed at adults. There is a separate alien planet called Terra. Terra has different air, different plants, different animals, different terrain and different “people.” The “people” are physically different from humans, but emotionally and mentally are very similar to humans. They have no legs and move with a dolphin kick motion and have a tail attached to the back of their heads. They also use their own air and cannot use oxygen.
The Terra people are attacked by the remains of the human race. Earth and its warring neighbor planets have left our environment dead and the humans are on a giant space station desperately searching for oxygen to maintain what’s left of the human race.
We understand the Terra people through a teenage girl named Mala. We understand the humans through a downed fighter pilot named Lt. Stanton. Mala causes Lt. Stanton to crash on Terra and then she helps save Lt. Stanton’s life in their non-oxygen world.
But there is a terrible moral conflict facing the Terra people and the human race. It appears only one of them can survive. The Terra planet can stay as it is and support the Terra people or the planet’s air can be changed to oxygen to support the remnants of human beings who only have a short time left. Which side should the viewer take?
This is a powerful story, well told. The music and animation are more than satisfactory, but it is the pushing forward of the story that matters. There are good people by any definition on both sides who wrestle with what the right thing to do is. And the viewer is forced to dwell on what is right also. Powerful stuff.
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Karla's Wedding
I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and is eligible to be the Grand Prize Winner in October of 2008. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.”
Karla is a 10 year-old Danish girl that faces an all too common problem around Christmas-time. She wants to have a traditional, old-fashioned holiday season, but is part of an extended family. She has a father with a drinking problem who lives alone. She lives with her Mother and Stepfather and brother and step-brother. The logistics are hard and everybody is so busy.
She finally concludes, “…grown-ups don’t care about Christmas.” And this will be “… (her) worst Christmas ever.”
Karla finds a respite with an eccentric older man called Buster. It’s hard to tell whether Karla is watching over Buster or Buster is watching over Karla. But at least they have each other.
Karla’s despair and quest for holiday joy might make her family re-examine their lives …
or maybe it won’t. Karla has a lot to teach all of us if we will only stop being busy and listen and watch.
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
Karla is a 10 year-old Danish girl that faces an all too common problem around Christmas-time. She wants to have a traditional, old-fashioned holiday season, but is part of an extended family. She has a father with a drinking problem who lives alone. She lives with her Mother and Stepfather and brother and step-brother. The logistics are hard and everybody is so busy.
She finally concludes, “…grown-ups don’t care about Christmas.” And this will be “… (her) worst Christmas ever.”
Karla finds a respite with an eccentric older man called Buster. It’s hard to tell whether Karla is watching over Buster or Buster is watching over Karla. But at least they have each other.
Karla’s despair and quest for holiday joy might make her family re-examine their lives …
or maybe it won’t. Karla has a lot to teach all of us if we will only stop being busy and listen and watch.
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
I saw this film on September 20th, 2007 in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival’s Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.” Heartland gave that award to this film.This is a fantasy tale of a magical toy store. It’s big. It’s weird. The toys perform! And there are live animals too! But above all it’s magical. The owner (Dustin Hoffman) is 243 years old and has had the store for 113 years. But he has decided to “depart” and leave it to his store manager (Natalie Portman). He, in the meantime, has hired a straight-laced accountant (Jason Bateman) they affectionately call “mutant” to help out. And they have one other retail clerk, a nine year-old boy.
The humans are as motley as the toys and animals!
All the humans have issues. The store manager was a child piano prodigy, but now she can’t compose or perform. The accountant only knows how to work and has no life. The nine year-old boy has no friends. How are they to manage when Mr. Magorium “departs”? And…that’s the story.
The cinematography and sets are lavish and gorgeous. The acting is superb. Realism and fantasy are a blur.
Can the remaining threesome rely on each other? Can they grow into their new roles when the owner “departs”? Can their hope sustain them? Can they be optimistic? See for yourself!
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Martian Child
I saw this film on July 25th, 2007 in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival’s Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.” Heartland gave that award to this film.John Cusack is a grieving widower who tries to turn his emotional life around by adopting a young boy. The widower was an oddball child, but today is a successful and rich science fiction writer. But he calls himself only half-jokingly “…a deranged successful person.” He questions his ability to be a good father, but he dives in.
His young boy has a lot of problems. He stays in a large cardboard box during the day because he hates the sun. And, more importantly, he thinks he is a Martian, who someday will go back to his Mother Planet to report back on earth.
The widower tries to accept the boy the way he is and just love him, with the help of his sister and his friend who happens to be a woman. But it is not easy. The young boy has a wide array of quirks such as only eating Lucky Charms, borrowing/stealing items to study, constantly hanging upside down, requiring a gravity belt so he never floats away, and much more.
It quickly becomes apparent that the relationship is symbiotic. The widower needs the boy just as much as the boy needs the widower. But will the relationship making any progress? Will they both be damaged goods for life? It is unsure and the story has many ways to play out.
But through it all, the widower never gives up hope. The widower keeps faith that a good outcome is always possible. And he is willing to sacrifice everything to help the young boy. Whether he is successful or not, any parent, guardian, teacher, and mentor can admire the widower’s effort.
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
Friday, October 5, 2007
The Seeker
I saw this film on September 25th, 2007 in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival’s Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.” Heartland gave that award to this film.Walden Media has a record of creating inspiring and moving fantasy films that are based on books and are driven by the story and characters and not the movie star(s); specifically, “Bridge To Terabithia” and “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” “The Seeker” continues this tradition.
Will Stanton seems like a normal 13 year-old schoolboy. He and his large family are in England because of his father’s work. But to his great surprise, he has been chosen as the only possible person to save the world from the darkness. Only he can go through time to seek and recover the six signs that are needed to succeed. The future of the human race rests with Will. And, he only has five days to complete his mission. Will, unbeknownst to himself, is a warrior.
And so Will’s adventure begins. Going back-and-forth in time he fights off dogs, snakes, barbarians, birds and more to attempt to complete his very difficult mission.
Will shows exceptional traits for a 13 year-old or for that matter any aged man. He has courage and spirit. He has faith and is willing to sacrifice everything. Will also gathers strength from his family, demonstrating it’s easier to succeed at anything when you have a good and supportive mother and father and siblings.
All Walden Media films have exceptional art direction and cinematography. They have big budgets and you see the budget on the screen. This film is no exception. This is an artistically lush film.
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Lars and the Real Girl
I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and is eligible to be the Grand Prize Winner in October of 2007. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit organization that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.”Lars, played by last year’s Academy Award best actor nominee Ryan Gosling, is an unusual 27 year-old man. While he is somewhat normal in that he can drive a car and hold a job and go to church, he is painfully introverted and shy. He lives in a small room off of a garage and not in the main house with his normal brother and normal sister-in-law.
His life is an ever-repeating internal life with no other human breaking in. And then, his fellow cubicle worker gives him a web site address where he can order an anatomically correct plastic woman, and to exact specifications. She, a very attractive piece of plastic named Bianca, arrives via UPS and his immediate family and the town are never the same.
How should the family and the small town treat Lars and Bianca? They can’t ignore it because Lars takes Bianca everywhere in his car and a wheelchair. His family seek advice from a Medical Doctor/Psychologist. They convince Lars that Bianca is sick and needs weekly check-ups. And the plot thickens as everyone is affected by Lars and his delusions.
This is a very funny story. This is a very dramatic story. Ryan Gosling is incredible. You suspend disbelieve. This movie examines the question how do you love a person effectively when they have a mental illness. The answer or, one answer, will surprise you.
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Man in the Chair
I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and is eligible to be the Grand Prize Winner in October of 2007. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit organization that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture “…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.”This is a story of two unusual and non-conformist people. The first is a curmudgeon or surly old man, played by Christopher Plummer, and the second is a troubled high school junior. What they have in common is that they live in the same neighborhood in L.A. and they love movies, especially old classics.
The old man used to be a gaffer or electrician and made many movies at Hollywood studios, but now he is alone in the Motion Picture Residence of the Elderly. He is scruffy, a drunk, cynical, sarcastic and loudly and proudly acts badly. After he gets into an argument with patrons at a movie theater proclaiming, “I made more movies than you’ve been to”, the junior follows him to his old age home.
The junior wants to submit a short film to a contest that hopefully can get him a college scholarship. So he begins his quest to get help from the old man. The junior has serious adjustment problems. He challenges a high school gang leader and continually gets in trouble with the law for fighting and stealing. At home, he has a terrible relationship with his stepfather.
However, there is a goodness and decency in these two people and they slowly and painfully bring out the best in each other. For them, the journey is more important than a successful outcome. They simply both need a purpose to their lives.
The acting is remarkable and not just from Christopher Plummer, who dominates the movie. M. Emmet Walsh and Robert Wagner are particularly convincing. There are unusual, funky visuals and a hip sound track throughout the movie. They really work to hold your attention because they are such a contrast to the many elderly characters.
This is a very different and very good movie.
FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.
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