| Chicago Film Festival 2011: The Short Films |
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Short Film Jury: Domenica Cameron-Scorsese, Nick Davis, Todd Lillethun
Program #4: Spice — Program #5: Worlds — Program #6: Time — Program #7: Documentary
Program #1: City & State (Oct 10, Oct 14 & Oct 16)
Grouping a truly impressive range of locally-made work
✓ The Doctor's Wife (USA, dir. Julian Grant) - Corpse Bride meets Frankenstein meets Dangerous Method; dense overlays of feeling, theme, texture, and irony
Though the character designs and eccentrically lugubrious atmosphere may recall Tim Burton's work
as well as the recent, acclaimed animated short and eventual feature 9, The Doctor's Wife has an imagination and shifty emotional tone all its own. The restless, ambitious doctor, so anxiously
immersed in his work that he perches on his haunches in his chair rather than sitting in it, is trying to reverse a dehydrating disease that seems to have overtaken his spouse, whose grip on life seems to diminish
by the day, if not by the hour... (read more...)✓ The Ghosts (USA, dir. Eddie O'Keefe) - Deliciously cool, like George Romero doing "Cool Rider." Witty with a chill breeze, snazzily edited and scored.
Though the character designs and eccentrically lugubrious atmosphere may recall Tim Burton's work
as well as the recent, acclaimed animated short and eventual feature 9, The Doctor's Wife has an imagination and shifty emotional tone all its own. The restless, ambitious doctor, so anxiously
immersed in his work that he perches on his haunches in his chair rather than sitting in it, is trying to reverse a dehydrating disease that seems to have overtaken his spouse, whose grip on life seems to diminish
by the day, if not by the hour... (read more...)✓ The Vacuum Kid (USA, dir. Katharine Mahalic) - Sprightly bio of 12-year-old vacuum collector plays like a put-on but isn't; comic and sympathetic in equal degree
Though the character designs and eccentrically lugubrious atmosphere may recall Tim Burton's work
as well as the recent, acclaimed animated short and eventual feature 9, The Doctor's Wife has an imagination and shifty emotional tone all its own. The restless, ambitious doctor, so anxiously
immersed in his work that he perches on his haunches in his chair rather than sitting in it, is trying to reverse a dehydrating disease that seems to have overtaken his spouse, whose grip on life seems to diminish
by the day, if not by the hour... (read more...)Also playing in this program...
✓ The L Train (USA, dir. Anna Musso) - Cheats on core details (there's clearly another escalator!) but day-in-the-life conceit is sobering and well-told
The Truth (USA, dir. Hill Harper) - Admirable intentions, but so overplays its hand that mystery lacks traction. Heavy-handed devices mitigate feeling.
✓ Winter (USA, dir. Alaric Rocha) - Atmospheric, artfully distressed and overexposed. Editing feels wonky at times. Not sure about score, bold final coup.
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