Prodigal Sons opens with filmmaker Kimberly Reed returning to her Montana hometown to go to her high school reunion. The reunion was the first time she had seen her classmates since transforming from Paul McKerrow to Kim. Initially, a side story is her reunion with her adopted brother Mark who was in a serious car accident at 21 which required the removal of part of his brain which resulted in serious behavioral issues.
Seemingly to the disappointment of Kim, her classmates were very accepting of her new identity, leaving not much to explore for the film. Prodigal Sons then switches to focus on Mark. The film presents a complex relationship among the siblings (which also includes their brother Todd who doesn’t appear much in the film). Mark was left behind a grade early in school putting him in the same class with Paul who was a successful student and athlete. Mark clearly resents his brother’s success and never came to fully accept his transformation.
Part of the film is dedicated to Mark’s search for his biological parents. He discovers that his mother is Rebecca Welles, making Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth his grandparents. This discovery temporarily gives him some sense of importance. Unfortunately, this positive turn does not last very long.
Prodigal Sons is fascinating at times, but often feels exploitive of Mark’s condition and his violent tendencies, especially toward the end of the film which includes extended scenes of his violence toward his family. Prodigal Sons provides some interesting insights into gender identity and mental illness but never goes deep enough and favors drama over depth.
Tying Your Own Shoes portrays 4 people with Down Syndrome. Shira Avni’s film mixes interviews with animation and emphasizes the independence and artistic interests of the 4 interviewees as well as their frustrations with dealing with people’s lack of understanding regarding living with Down Syndrome.
Tying Your Own Shoes is a short film (about 16 minutes) so these portraits are very cursory. Unfortunately, these brief portraits feel slight and left me wanting to know about these people. The film works as a brief introduction to what living with Down Syndrome is like and provides an enlightened view of the condition. Unfortunately, it does present any new information to anyone other than those totally unfamiliar with the topic. Because of this basic approach, the short run time, and the animation, Tying Your Own Shoes seems more appropriate for a younger audience. That’s not a criticism of the film, just a concern of its appropriateness for the Notable Videos for Adults list.
The film implies that the animation was done by the 4 interviewees; however the end credits reveals three additional animators, leaving one to wonder how much of the animation was done by the individuals portrayed in the film.
As with last year, as the deadline neared for the American Library Association’s Midwinter Conference where the Notable Video for Adults Committee meets to compile its list, I was unable to keep up with my reviews. My entire list of scores and links to the films I did review are here.
The official announcement includes annotations and purchasing information. Below is the list of the selections with links to my reviews, where available:
Lake of Fire is an impressive documentary, 18 years in the making, about abortion. At times, it is difficult to watch due to some graphic footage and descriptions, but the graphic nature of the film is never gratuitous nor exploitative. Lake of Fire provides an honest look at many aspects of the issue and does not shy away from some of the more gruesome details.
Although the film rests definitively on the side of pro-choice, it allows defenders on both sides of the issue speak their minds. At nearly two and a half hours long, the film allows the issues to develop slowly and thoroughly and with intelligence. Despite showing the pro-life movement in a bad light by focusing a good deal on the violence perpetrated by some of the more extreme people, the film is most concerned with showing the complexity of the issue.
With a lengthy running time and with covering a long period of time and a wide-variety of voices, Lake of Fire could have easily lost it’s narrative path, but it never does. The film is well-organized, brilliantly edited and beautifully filmed. The choice to film or convert footage to black and white helps take away any distractions of the different time periods and allows the filmmakers show graphic material in a way that has an impact but it not so graphic as to feel gratuitous. Read more »
Renewal is a promising but ultimately disappointing film about religious communities who focus on their role as caretakers for the earth. Comprised of 8 stand alone stories, Renewal shows the diversity of the effort by portraying the environmental concerns of Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Muslim traditions. Unfortunately, not all 8 stories are equally interesting and the more interesting segments are in the beginning of the film giving the entire project a feel of diminishing returns. Because each segment is between 9-12 minutes, none feel substantial. The film would be strengthened by removing some of the weaker episodes (Eco-Justice, Sacred Celebration, Interfaith Power and Light) and deepen the more notable ones (A Crime Against Creation, Going Green, Food for Faith, Ancient Roots, Compassion in Action). Each segment is easily accessible on the DVD, so these more interesting stories can be shown as stand alone episodes.
Second Skin examines the lives of various people who immerse themselves in the world of online gaming, specifically Massively Multiplayer Online Games. The film shows some of the positive aspects of these games, such as people meeting and falling in love, and the liberating effects the games can have for those with physical disabilities. It also delves into the serious problems addiction to these games can have. The strength of the film lies in the compelling subjects interviewed for the film. Second Skin is a good introduction to the issues raised when people spend such a significant amount of time interacting through an online environment. The insights won’t be new to anyone who has been following the effects of any kind of online social interactions, but the interviewees make for engaging viewing.
Second Skin provides a lot of statistics throughout, but sometimes they seem out of context. The numbers are often only tangentially related to the story.
The section about the liberating effects of online gaming for those with physical disabilities is disappointingly short and feels like a bit of an afterthought. The film would have been stronger if one of the subjects from this short segment were one of the people the film follows more thoroughly. Read more »
Trouble the Water is a fascinating and multi-faceted film about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. The film intercuts footage taken during the storm by Kimberly Rivers Roberts with the story of their attempt to return to normal life after the storm. Rivers Roberts and her husband, Scott, did not evacuate and shot some amazing footage of the rising water. Their efforts after the storm speak to how poorly the local and federal governments handled the tragedy. Focusing on the personal stories of Kim and Scott and their friends and family makes Trouble the Water engaging as we watch people with difficult pasts pull together to become heroes and survivors.
As with the best documentaries, Trouble the Water transcends their personal stories. Trouble the Water is as much about poverty, racism, and the role of the government as it is about these specific individuals. Trouble the Water is an intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging film.
Film Criticism, Movie Trailers, Movies, Notable Videos | Tom | September 3, 2010 | 
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