My Name Is Lisa (2007) User Reviews

A simple little snippet of a film

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 4 June 2008]

This is an interesting short film. Unlike many stories, there is no back story or context. The film simply begins with a child (who looks about 11) talking into the camera as if she's making a video diary. Mom wanders into the scene and begins making comments that seem odd. As the scenes change, it becomes more and more apparent that the mother is losing her memory. With each cut, the change is more drastic. At first it looks like simple forgetfulness but by the end of the film, it's obvious that the lady has Alzheimer's and she's moving into the more dangerous stage as she no longer even recognizes her daughter.

The film is very moving exceptionally well made. Good acting, script and direction make this a sad yet informative film about a fictitious family in crisis. I'll look into showing this to my psychology classes next school year.

Carlie Nettles

[love_platipus · 8/10 · 10 September 2009]

Don't miss this one. Well written, efficiently shot and well directed. I'm trying to think of something I would have changed... nothing.

So congratulations to the Sheltons, but the reason you absolutely should see this movie isn't their smooth and wholly inoffensive style. Its their casting.

The reason you absolutely should see it is Miss Carlie Nettles; the amazingly talented young actress who starred in this and one other of the Shelton's short films. Her performance is smart, prickly and wrenching. She's painfully honest and most importantly, she doesn't hide in any of the tidy places the movies usually shove young actors. You don't like her, you love her. Watch her.

Quite touching

[Horst_In_Translation · 10/10 · 23 December 2017]

"My Name Is Lisa" is an American 7-minute live action short film from 2007, so this one has its 10th anniversary this year. It was directed and co-written by Ben Shelton and it tells us the story of a teenage girl facing her mother Alzheimer's getting worse and worse. The film is partially depicted as a video diary by the title character and she tells us a bit about her passion of reading while including pop culture references about Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. I enjoyed the watch today, maybe not as much as I did when I first saw it, but still really liked its take on a complicated subject. It doesn't try to be funny, which is good too. It just depicts life the way it is. Quite a shame neither Shelton nor either of the two very talented actresses here has managed to make it big since a decade ago. The fact that the film looks a bit amateurish is not a problem at all, on the contrary it adds to the charm of it all. 2007 was such an amazing year for short films and even if this one we got here may not be as good as "Il supplente", an Italian Oscar-nominated short movie from that year, I still recommend checking this one out. It's poignant, touching and well-acted. I never felt one bit that I am actually watching people perform here. Plus it deals with a very timeless subject and if you have Alzheimer patients in your inner circle, maybe even friends or family who died from it, then this will be an even more impactful film to watch. But even if you don't, it is an absolute must-see. I also really liked how they included the film's title near the end. Excellence all around and I highly recommend the watch. I also wish it could have been longer and I without a doubt would have loved to watch it for another 10 minutes at least, or even better as a full feature film. Make it as such and cast the same actors again! It's not yet too late.