Indie Watch

Short Term 12

By Dan Krovich

January 23, 2014

You know you pierced the wrong ear, right?

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VOD Pick of the Week

Short Term 12
Filmed with an easy-going, naturalistic style that almost gives it the feel of a documentary at times, Short Term 12 centers on the events at a home for at risk youth. The title refers to the fact that most of the kids spend less than 12 months there, and the authenticity is no doubt due to the fact that the film was inspired by director Destin Daniel Cretton’s own experiences working in a similar facility.

The film is anchored by a revelatory performance from Brie Larson as Grace, a supervisor at the home. Even at a young age, in her early 20s she is not much older than some of the kids, Grace has the air of the wise old veteran who has seen it all. She has a deep empathy and connection to her charges, who are dealing with various abandonments and traumas. Grace is also dating co-worker Mason, and they seem perfect for each other, though Grace instinctively pushes him away when things get too intimate.

When Jayden, a new resident, arrives after being sent there by her upper middle class father who just can’t deal with her any more, Grace has an immediate connection. Jayden is angry and aloof and not interested in the house rules or activities or the other residents. Grace pushes Jayden and Jayden pushes back, bringing up memories and reminding Grace of a younger version of herself. When she almost simultaneously receives news from her past and about her future, Grace finds herself at a crossroads. It is then we realize that Grace does not follow the advice she gives the kids about dealing with problems and instead has thrown up walls to protect herself.

The performances in Short Term 12 are great across the board. Had the film been more high profile, Larson would have certainly been in the Best Actress Oscar conversation, but as it is she had to settle for the Independent Spirit Awards. Also, Keith Stanfield (who also starred in the short film that the feature was based on) gives a particularly performance as Marcus, who is about to age out of the system and although he likes to exude a gangsta image, he is deeply afraid that he is not equipped to handle life in the real world.

Short Term 12 is everything that indie film should be. It is the type of film that never would be told at a larger budget, or if so would have been caricaturized and sensationalized into a mawkish tale. I don’t know the statistics, but I assume that they may not paint a positive picture of the outcome for kids who grow up in the system. Short Term 12, without shying away from the reality, does try to present an optimistic outlook that is not about statistics but about the kids as individuals.
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New releases for January 24th

Gloria: Paulina Garcia plays Gloria, a 50-something divorcee looking for love in Santiago, Chile. With her children grown and now on her own, she spends her evenings at social gatherings at dance clubs for single adults hoping to meet someone to share the next chapter of her life. When she meets Rodolfo, an ex-naval officer, her passions are ignited, but she finds that romantic entanglements have challenges at any age and that even now she has a lot to learn about herself. Garcia won the Best Actress award at the Berlin Film Festival for Chile’s official Oscar entry in the Foreign Film category.

Knights of Badassdom: Peter Dinklage, Ryan Kwanten, and Steve Zahn play three best friends who spend their weekends LARPing. In the midst of their dungeon and dragons role-playing they unwittingly unleash a demon (Summer Glau), forcing the friends to use their make-believe talents to fight of real live evil.

Stranger by the Lake: At last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Blue is the Warmest Color was not the only film to gain notice at least partially for its explicit depiction of sex. The film takes place at a lake in rural France that serves as a gay cruising spot. It is there that the attractive Michel catches the eye and other body parts of Frank. When Frank witnesses Michel drowning his previous lover in the lake, instead of being alarmed, he becomes even more attracted to Michel in this erotic thriller from French director Alain Guiraudie.

Visitors: Thirty years after the ground-breaking Koyaanisqatsi, which turned out to be the first film in the renowned “qatsi” trilogy, director Godfrey Reggio returns with his latest meditation, Visitors. With a score by frequent collaborator Philip Glass, Reggio presents a mesmerizing sequence of images that focus largely on the human face. Shot and presented in 4K black and white, the film would be just as comfortable as a museum installation as in the movie theater.


     


 
 

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