We're capping the Oscar short categories with the Documentary Shorts. With five “shorts” each running in the 40-minute range, plus intermission, this made for a long afternoon screening, but well worth it. In my opinion this is a two-horse race, with a third having an outside shot and a pair lagging behind.
Bringing up the tail end is “Kings Point,” a look into the lives of a few New Yorkers now transplanted to a Florida “senior living” condominium. It paints a weird mix of emotions because each of the five main subjects has a different perspective about their situation, but there are some truisms that seem to touch all of them: they are nostalgic for their old lives and families, and here nobody is really a close friend, people merely have acquaintances. It is chock full of uncomfortable humor and an odd cattiness about the behavior of some of the subjects, almost as though they are playing out the same predictable drama that one typically associates with high school immaturity. Ultimately, a quirky yet wistful slice of life that somehow manages to be bereft of much emotional punch.
“Redemption” also gets in on the quirky act, pointing a lens at New Yorkers who, in a helpless job market, are forced make their daily living by “canning,” collecting bottles and cans and turning them for the 5-cent-per-container refund. This is not really a new story, but it’s moving to encounter the broad spectrum of personalities and life stories reduced to scrounging for nickels. A Japanese man who worked on computers in the WTC before 9/11 now sleeps outside near the redemption center and has no access to water to clean himself. Another older woman worked for Microsoft and now “cans” to supplement her meager pension. There are hundreds of different stories to be told, but while each person has his or her own eccentricity and a dogged determination to keep doing what needs to be done, and that lends a certain verve to the piece, the tenor is a relatively resigned one, and as a sum the footage becomes rather repetitive. This is a much more fatalistic piece than, say, Agnès Varda’s charming documentary, The Gleaner’s and I (2000), which gathers gold out of similar subject matter. If there is one thing “Redemption” lacks, sadly, it’s a sense of hope.
Not to fear, though, for there is hope to be found elsewhere in the category. “Inocente” tells of an eponymous homeless San Diego teenager trying to build a better life for herself through her expressive artistic talent. With the help of a program called ARTS (A Reason to Survive), she is given the opportunity to do public street art and eventually her own local gallery show. It’s a large task that is hindered by confessions of anxious self-doubt and tempered with the sad, intermittent narrative of her unfortunate upbringing. Her art allows for a meaningful emotional outlet, and it is a joy to see her wild creations come to life before our eyes. By coupling the still-prevalent plight of homelessness with the importance of access to the arts and arts education, “Inocente” manages to adroitly and colorfully tackle a dual social-issue platform, making it a possible dark horse in the group. It has a tough row to hoe, however, as the final two are the true emotional powerhouses of the bunch.
“Mondays at Racine” centers on the Racine Salon on Long Island, which opens its doors every Monday to supply free beauty services to women suffering from cancer and the effects of chemotherapy, as well as provide a therapeutic place of comfort and encouragement. Each woman featured has her own unique story, but they connect through commonalities, especially the stressful, bitter process of shaving off their remaining hair once chemo has started to claim it, or the even more frightening and life-altering decision of mastectomy. It makes the argument that these two actions of loss are the most upsetting moments of the condition, that the loss of either results in an erosion of female identity resulting in feeling “not whole” or “less of a woman.” The hardship takes it toll and carries over into their personal lives and relationships, as well, each in different ways but always in a extremely profound manner. You’d have to be a monster to not be moved by this short.
That said, it’s not altogether perfect. Heavens forfend I should knock on the cancer doc, but there are some strange sidebar interviews that are meant to infuse a little humor and humanity into things, but they don’t always succeed. Also, I found it a bit out of sorts that the film highlights the two salon owners more than necessary from time to time, and in doing so it runs the risk of deviating from the heart of the story. This is a minor quibble, however, as I was still convinced by the end that this was going to take home the golden boy.
That is, until “Open Heart” came in and stole mine away. Thankfully, this is not the story of how Jane Seymour made a lot of money today with ugly jewelry designs. Instead, it follows eight Rwandan children transplanted to a newfangled, free-of-charge charity hospital in the Sudan for treatment on their rheumatic heart disease, an affliction that is still fatally rampant across Africa. Informed by the underlying reality of two nations wracked by strife, they are separated from their families with the very tangible possibility that they might not survive the trip, let alone the operation. Unfortunately, in true PSA fashion, this hospital is a bit of an experiment, the only one of its kind on the entire continent working under this model, making its efforts just “a drop in a bucket,” especially considering it must also compete with malaria, HIV/AIDS, starvation and civil war on the list of bad things going down. Money issues are inevitable, especially when Omar Al-Bashir (Sudanese President and wanted international war-criminal/embezzler) is in charge of the public funding.
“Open Heart” is a true heartstring-tugger if there ever was one, but far from being merely an emotional Sally Struthersization full of doe-eyed, sick kids, it shows flashes their personalities -- their bravery, their sanguine humor, as well as their insecurities -- and has some damn charming moments. That said, it doesn’t pull any punches: Hey, guess what? Here’s some open heart surgery in your face. You don’t like it? That’s what your heart looks like. Deal with it. Oh, and the chain-smoking Italian surgeon just said this adorable 5-year old girl has a a “shit heart,” and even after the surgery her heart is going to still be shit. How’s that for harsh truth?
To its benefit, "Open Heart” also has the strongest cinematographic style of the quintet, resulting in not just a raw storytelling experience, but also an evocatively beautiful visual one as well. In my book, this is the hands-down winner.
Only a little more than a week before the Oscars, and I’ve got most of my movie watching caught up. Will get my picks and predictions down within the week. Happy Valentine’s Day, Y’all!
