Caroline (I) (2018) User Reviews

It's tense...

[riyad-40776 · 8/10 · 11 June 2021]

Close up shots, sweat, tears and a confined space. It's tense.

Caroline is a nerve-wracking short film directed by Logan George and Celine Held centered around a six year old girl who's mothers is in distress and the responsibilities of looking after her siblings have fallen upon her. Caroline's mother is in need of a job and the film begins with the family in the car on the way to what seems to be a job interview on a very hot day. Being the only adult, Caroline's mother must leave her children in the car in hopes that a six year old will be able to handle anything that may arise during the time that she is gone. 3 young children alone, inside of a hot car with no AC on. Attention is drawn to them and tension rises as the film progresses.

Caroline is a film that keeps you on your toes, creates tension and makes you uncomfortable in the best way possible. The sweat, uncomfortable movement and the cry of the children all serve to keep the audience invested in each scene.

Although it had a little bit of a lackluster ending, the film successfully kept me interested in the storyline. I would recommend it to older audiences who are able to understand the struggle of the mother and the burden that is constantly put on this 6 year old child so that they may better comprehend the film as a whole. .

Emotional

[oshan-50194 · 7/10 · 11 June 2021]

Provoked a emotional response from its audience. Whether you connect with the characters or not it's a memorable short film that allows the audience to be immersed in the storyline. The story follows a young girl and her family as she deals with the harshness of the inner workings of society. The single mother of three decides to leave her children inside the car on a hot Texas summer day in order to attend a job interview that she desperately needs. The views sympathize with her even though her actions were morally incorrect. As she frantically attempts to find a solution for the issue at hand. Her helplessness is present from the first moment of the film and escalates as the film progresses. By making the viewpoint Caroline, an innocent and vulnerable child, we the audience become conflicted between siding with the mother and her situation and what society norms.

The relationship between the director (Held) and children really shone though in this film, to make a believable and authentic performance. Inorder to create this bond both directors moved in with the children for a period of time in order establish a more comfortable atmosphere. The children acting has very impressive as it made the audience feel uncomfortable

This unique storyline and well executed acting made the film worthy of the praise it received. My criticism on the film was the little backstory it gave to what led up to the events at hand. Viewers had to make many assumption about the living and financial situation of the mother. The film exerted many emotions but abrupt ending made me personally left with many emotions and unable to feel with it. I would recommend this film to a more mature audience as it addresses mature concepts about our society. Overall I thoroughly enjoy the craft of this film and would watch again.

12 Minutes of Tension

[mounademon · 8/10 · 8 June 2021]

12 minutes of tension and uncertainty heightened by the blazing sun and the intermittent cries from the children. The short film "Caroline" follows of a young girl, Caroline, as her desperate mother is forced to leave her and her siblings alone in an attempt to secure a job during her job interview. Her mother leaves them in the car during a hot summer day. The issue arising when their babysitter does not pick them up as planned and they are instead approached by a stranger with unknown intentions while their mother is absent.

The film uses close-ups and tilted frames along with a shaky camera as it portrays a stressfully realistic scenario. The camera techniques does not allow you to get a clear and calm image of the situation, allowing one to be fully immersed in the emotions of the young girl. It ties in with the emotions of Caroline as the story is told through her limited and child-like perspective. The cries of her baby siblings as well as her harried yet caring mother's desperation adds to the crafting of the tension and unease Caroline feels when confronted with the unfamiliar situation. It is about Caroline. Her emotions and perspectives regarding the events, leaving her and the audience much in the dark to the specific details (a child's innocence and ignorance) of the events occurring while still leaving enough evidence for the audience to comprehend more fully what a child cannot.

With sensational acting from the characters, Catherine Held playing the mother in a convincing and moving play with the young girl. The film displays the dilemma of what a person must do what the best decision would be as they are backed into a corner or left with no options or proper aid.

It's getting hot in herre

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 21 December 2018]

This is "Caroline", an American live action short film in the English language that runs for a bit over 10 minutes and was written and directed by Logan George and Celine Held. The latter is also a prolific actress playing a crucial character in this little tale, but not the one the film is named after because Caroline is a girl sitting in a car during hot weather when her mother is away for a while and left her and her younger siblings there. The situation is witnessed by other people outside who come to help the children in the car. This is a little film about people making unlucky decisions, but also about chance and circumstance adding to these events and making things worse. I think it was an okay little film with some interesting tension, not a perfect film, for example on one or two occasions I felt Caroline was acting too much like a grown-up the way she was written, but it was nothing bad or deal-breaking when it comes to the movie's quality. Still I cannot deny that I am a bit surprised how well the reception for this film has been until now with all the awards recognition and also how it did not only make the Oscars shortlist, but is even considered a frontrunner for the win by some at this point. That good it is not in my opinion. Butt decide for yourself and go see it. I certainly give this little film a thumbs-up. It's a story right out of the life and feels very authentic.

I'm not crying, you're crying!

[BeckDonna · 10/10 · 5 January 2019]

Every time I watch this 12 minute short, it brings me to tears! The anxiety of the situation in this short film had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The emotional roller coaster brought out the mama bear in me and the cliff hanger left me wanting more. God forbid you're in this situation and how horrible for the moms that are!

A Texas Hot Car

[jaceyk-68282 · 7/10 · 10 June 2021]

The camera zeros in the salty sweat dripping down from the hot childrens faces after spending the day in and out of a hot Texas car. Throughout the film my mind went through a variety of emotions: confused, chaotic, stressed, and anxious. The single, stressed, mother of 3 is struggling to provide enough of a healthy lifestyle for her children. She runs around town frantically to the babysitters to find out she isn't home, then to the store because her son had to go to the bathroom, then ending at a job interview still with her 3 children. She obviously cares for her children, but it is clear she lays a lot of responsibility onto her 6 year old daughter Caroline. Which makes Caroline feel she has a lot of duties when it comes to her younger siblings, that she should not necessarily have because she is only 6 and is still a child. There are a lot of roadblocks that show up for the mother, for example, she has to leave her kids in the car while she goes to her interview, but she can't leave the car running because that uses a lot of gas which costs a lot of money, and when your a single mother of 3 kids, money like that is hard to come by. She proceeds to show Caroline how to turn on the car, but Caroline being 6 couldn't figure it out and started to overheat, she would tell her siblings about their favourite TV show to calm them down. While the kids are stuck in the sauna-like car, the camera never gives you a clear calm shot of all the children, it is full of tension and anxiety.

After watching the film and talking to others about it, most people thought that when the lady got into the car with the kids, that she was going to kidnap them. But in my mind, my first thought about it was she's going to get the keys and turn on the AC for them. Personally at first I didn't like how the director ended the film abruptly because I wanted to know what happened after Caroline bit the lady who was helping her moments before but was protecting her mother anyways, if the cops ever got involved, if the mother was going to lose her children, if she even got the job after that big fiasco in the parking lot. But as I watched it more it grew on me, in the way that the intention was to make the audience feel that cliffhanger and keep them hooked, give them that sense of wonder and suspense.

I saw this in Cannes

[Trooper1995 · 10/10 · 9 January 2019]

This short should have won the Palme D'Or at Cannes. It was the only US short nominated in 2018. The coolest thing about Caroline- you can watch it over and over again and pick up nuances that you missed the first time- it is packed with hidden meaning. It is BRILLIANT. Well done - love the kids and the mom <3

I can see this happening

[tolebrush · 10/10 · 8 January 2019]

Wow, that was an intense short film. I can see a mom struggling with three young children like this. If a film leaves me wanting to see more, I know I've become involved in the story. And isn't that the point?

BEAUTIFUL FILM

[mpzez · 10/10 · 10 January 2019]

No wonder this short has won so many awards, it is a brilliant made film. So intensive and filled with emotion, what all films should be!

Stressful and piercing!

[campbelljrogers · 5/10 · 14 June 2021]

There is no other way to describe "Caroline" other than stressful. The entire time I was watching I was expecting disaster. The in-vehicle camera angles and eerie silence of the car keeps you on the edge of your seat and instils a tremendous amount of worry. Logan George and Celine Held achieved their clear intentions when creating this film by describing every mother's worst nightmare through thematic elements that would make a Buddhist monk lose his cool.

An aspect of this film that I found interesting was the fact that in the end, it is impossible to pick a side! There were serious mistakes made on both sides of the conflict, and the directors did a very good job at leaving the audience split and uneasy. There was also a great juxtaposition created between the car and the outside world. When the children are alone in the car, there is complete silence other than the chatter from the kids. Whenever the mother is on screen the scene gets more chaotic. This is illustrated perfectly through the barking of the dog and the sound of a stick hitting the chain link fence at the very start of the film. This background noise was designed to inspire a sense of stress in the audience and highlight the turbulent nature of a single mother wrangling her kids. As for symbolism in this piece, the clearest example is Caroline's tooth. The tooth falling out after she bit the lady in the parking lot represents a loss of innocence and a literal taste of the real world. The point of this powerful symbolism was to bring attention to how kids are brought into tough situations and exposed to the harshness of the world before they are ready.

One criticism I would have about this piece is how the people trying to help Caroline and company in the car were painted as villains. Because this film was primarily brought to us from the perspective of Caroline, I found myself feeling sorry for her even though she left her children in the world's most uncomfortable sauna for thirty minutes. This entire movie was gripping and stressful and although I enjoyed it the first time, I would not want to watch it again in fear of having a panic attack.

Yikes!

[rh0907 · 10/10 · 9 January 2019]

I found myself getting very anxious about what was going to happen next. Were the strangers about to help the children or were they kidnappers? Were the police going to show up? This was the most riveting twelve minutes I think I've ever seen. Very well done!

An emotional and moving piece

[ilovefood-92108 · 10/10 · 19 January 2022]

"Caroline" is a gripping and well-articulated piece that depicts the harsh reality of being forced to grow up at a young age. This film is centered around a mother and her three children on a hot summer day. The events that take place are shown through the perspective of the oldest daughter, Caroline. As the film starts, the mother seems very frantic, and the audience soon finds out that she has an important job interview to go to. The mother is unable to find anybody who can watch her three children, so she is forced to leave them in the car despite the heat. The fact that this mom chooses to leave her kids in the car in such weather conditions, shows the audience that she has no choice, she needs this job interview more than she wants it. It highlights the struggles that she may be facing in her personal life. Throughout the movie, focus is brought back on to Caroline's loose tooth occasionally. The mom leaves Caroline with the car keys in case it gets too hot, and they need to turn on the air conditioning.

As the film progresses Caroline tries her best to distract her little brother and sister, reinforcing this role she has of being the big sister, taking on responsibility she shouldn't have to at her age. Seeing three young children locked in a car in the scorching heat, would be an alarming sight for anybody. This is proven true when multiple concerned people later approach Caroline and call the police. A lady begins to speak to Caroline politely but when the mom returns, the same woman is very hostile towards her. Nobody present considered that there may be more to the story and this may not be a case of negligence but simply a mother who is just struggling and trying her best. More and more people gather around the car and surround the family, trying to prevent the mother from leaving and even going as far to tackle her to the ground to try and restrain her. This scene brings forth the idea that these people may not care about the well-being of the kids as much they're trying to appear to. To them, Caroline's mother is the villain in the scenario, they have their minds made up, failing to see that the mother is the only one who is trying to get her kids out of the situation and prevent them from seeing something happen. These strangers don't care about the children because if they did, they wouldn't make them watch such a scene, all they want is the mother to be taken away. Caroline seeing her mother in this situation, runs to help her and bites the woman on top of her mother, as a result her loose bloodied tooth falls out in her hand. The camera focuses on this shot for a while before abruptly ending the film, leaving the audience with an unfinished scene and mixed feelings.

The symbolism of the tooth is quite significant. In our childhood, baby teeth symbolize innocence and losing them is a sign of growing up. Caroline's tooth is loose throughout this film, until she sees this traumatic scene with her mother being tackled. Seeing such a sight, Caroline is forced to grow up, she loses her tooth in pursuit of helping her mother from being taken away from her. The tooth being lost at the end of the film symbolizes the innocence and childhood that Caroline lost that day, she was forced to grow up by being put in a position no child should be put in. The directors of this short film, Celine Held and Logan George, were inspired by multiple news stories to make this short film. All the actors have remarkably lived up to the film's theme with their impressively unforgettable performances. This short film evokes a strong emotional response from viewers by humanizing a situation that many mothers face and that society overlooks by making assumptions and sticking with them. People failing to recognize that not all is black and white and that how something looks isn't always how it is.

Great film

[skibaemma · 9/10 · 8 June 2021]

A hot summer day in Texas puts a mother of three in a very difficult situation between work and her kids. The camera is focuses on 6-year old Caroline who is distracted by her fingers wondering in her mouth while the mother of three is scrambling to find someone to take care of her kids as she is late for a job interview at a tax service place. Held and George's created a situation with many controversies over the outcome of this short film. By using techniques which lead the audience to anticipate the worst of the situation, then realizing that the final outcome was not as treacherous as it could have been. A great technique used to pull the audience in as Caroline is faced with a situation way above her age level of problem solving. The perspective the directors put the audience in allowed the audience to feel as though they were in the car as well but with no power over the situation. The camera angles and the effects of the noise levels Held and Georges used to set the situation helped create a more uneasy feeling for the audience. The love felt between Caroline and her mom, and the mom to the kids was very moving and helped reinforce a good intention when the decision between work and the kids came to light. While Caroline and her two younger siblings were unaware of the significance of their situation many times, we noticed Caroline without hesitation stepping in to calm them down. As the situation becomes more heated when a lady in the parking lot steps into help, and the mom comes out fully aware of what her decision has led to as she runs through people swarming her car. The situation goes of a slippery slope shortly after that as people are screaming and trying to get the mom out of the car. During which there is a short fight which breaks out we notice how Caroline only being 6-years old steps in to defend her mom by biting the arm of the lady who saved them in order to get her off of her mom. As Caroline is scrambled back into the car by her mom, she notices that her tooth fell out which symbolizes the loss of youthfulness and innocents. Although the film kept the audience on the edge of their seat not knowing what would happen next, the one downside to the film was the lack in detail over the location changes throughout the film. Overall, this film brings light to current problems and stereotypes of mothers and their children, and the way people view working moms. I would recommend this stressful and thrilling film to teens and young adults.

Gripping!

[vikki-83782 · 10/10 · 12 January 2019]

This short film had me gripped from the start and as a mother I can empathise with the situation.

What was the point of this short?

[InsightfulCritic · 3/10 · 16 October 2023]

What was the point of this short? I mean, very little happened. It started abrupt and ended abrupt. So there was no beginning, middle. Just an ending which was unsatisfying. Everything that happened was over the top forced writers drama.

I didn't believe a thing that happened. A mom just left the kids in the car to go in and see a tax dude in scolding heat? I mean, really? Even if i believed that, once Caroline told them where the mom was, they should have gone to get her. And then the overreaction of the crowd, getting into physical fights etc.

The kids seemed fine, because they could have opened the door at any time, which she did anyway.

I never sympathized with the mom, nor any of the random people in the parking lot.

Everyone says the kids were amazing, but they literally had no idea they were being filmed, at least the two youngest and with Caroline they just grabbed candid moments of her.

This has potential to go somewhere, but it didn't. Instead it just frustrated me with one bad decision after another.

It was trying WAY too hard to be dramatic and ended up being melodramatic.

Powerful Short Film

[timmah45 · 8/10 · 11 June 2021]

The short film "Caroline" is a powerful story that will show viewers the struggles of a single mother and her three children. The film puts viewers in the shoes of 6 year old Caroline. Caroline is a child that has had incredibly unreasonable responsibilities handed to her by her single mother. Carolines mother has a very important job interview but she has hard luck finding someone to take care of the kids. Ultimately she decides to leave her children in the car on a hot summer day in Texas and leaves Caroline responsible for her siblings. She gives Caroline the keys so she can turn on the AC but ultimately the mother still made an awfully irresponsible decision. Celine Held is an American/British film director/actress and her short film Caroline received a nomination at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Celine played the role of Caroline's mother in this short film. Personally I would recommend this short film to any older individuals who have children, the film shows the struggles that some parents have to deal with. Personally I know alot of parents who probably give their children way too much responsibility. Young children are fragile beings and parents like Coralines mother fail to understand this at times. Some criticisms I would have of the film is the lack of details present in the film, while I was watching the film I was craving more details/backstory. From the scenes leading up to the climax, you could sort of get an understanding of this familys day to day life but a little more content would have really elevated the film.

Blood-pumping

[Epic_Bookworm · 8/10 · 12 June 2021]

"Caroline" is a gripping short film co-directed and written by Celine Held and Logan George. Over the course of 12 blood-pumping minutes, the film provokes a debate about the clash between individual and societal morals. Based on true events, the film follows the titular character, Caroline, as she and her two younger siblings are left in a vehicle on a sweltering day while their struggling and single mother attends a job interview.

The film starts in medias res as the mother (Celine Held) desperately searches for a babysitter after her intended babysitter bails at the last minute. Although it is clear the mother is trying to do her best under the circumstances, she ultimately makes a choice to task her eldest daughter, Caroline (Caroline Falk), with supervising her younger siblings in the car while she goes into a strip mall for the interview.

Although leaving young children in a hot car is dangerously wrong, the situation is presented in such a way that the audience can sympathise with the mother's position. Cinematic and theatrical effects such as diegetic sound, close up shots and shaky camera movement make the realistic portrayal of the situation even more believable. The mother clearly loves her children and desperately needs this job to support them but has been put between a rock and a hard place with no help from the state or from friends and family.

Nevertheless the minute the mother leaves her children in the car the audience knows that the situation will not end well and nail biting drama unfolds from there.

The tension. The heat. Everything.

[ellar-95801 · 9/10 · 7 June 2021]

Caroline By Logan George and Celine Held By: Ella Ritchie

In the middle of a scolding hot summer day, plans for a babysitter fall through, resulting in a tense mother to make a conflicting decision. Leaving her six-year-old daughter Caroline in charge of her two younger siblings. This nail-biting short drama created by Logan George and Celine Held was recognized as one of the most accomplished short films in the year 2018. It was nominated for the Short Palme D'Or at the 2018 Cannes music festival as well as nominated for an Oscar in the live-action short category. This film has received large amounts of appreciation and awards for its narration and performance. As it's evident that Logan George and Celine Held made sure to create a personal bond with their cast members to really demonstrate a genuine and real connection that would help magnify their performance. Caroline also conveys an important message about the struggles single mothers have in society which brings up concerns about the system and allows for the viewers to acknowledge the desperate measures single parents must go through to ensure their family benefits. The mother, played by the director, Celine Held, is forced to leave her children in a scorching hot car, as she has a job interview and she knows that bringing her kids in with her it would ruin her chances of having a fair opportunity to gain this employment. Nevertheless, as the film progresses, bystanders are becoming more aware of the young children in the car and their natural reactions further intensify the situation. Young Caroline is innocently trying to enlighten this serious position, which she was obligated to adapt to. This brings up the question as a viewer of whether we should sympathize with the mother, or judge her decisions to put her children in danger.

This short film focuses on the strong devotion held through family and how no matter what the circumstance is, family will always be there to support or help you regardless of the consequences.

I would recommend this film to a more mature audience, as there is quite a lot of symbolism hidden throughout the film. This can be hard to recognize as the ending of this film escalates quickly and leaves you speechless, needing a few seconds to digest and recognize what happened within that climax.

According to Film Maker Magazine, George and Held are planning to release multiple new short films this upcoming year, and after watching Caroline, I am excited to see what they come up with.

The dread...

[Juliette-Amaya · 8/10 · 7 June 2021]

A single mother bearing the responsibility of her three young children struggles with maintaining her family safe and happy while balancing the efforts of earning money in order to support them. Allowing the viewers to become connected and more aware of the little girl's, Caroline, life was a smart move on the directors, Logan George and Celine Held's, part. Creating a connection and sense of trust between the audience and the characters allows there to be a sense of comfort and pity when watching. Since we know that this family already isn't living in the best possible conditions they could be, causing us to be wary of their surroundings.

Also making the camera angles from the perspective of the children added more of a wary and anxiety driven experience since often children are ignorant of their surroundings. So adding these camera angles made me feel as if there was a much, much worse outcome awaiting the children. Considering that all the other characters who ever looked at them were full grown adults who would just stare.

I also enjoyed the attention to detail that was sprinkled throughout the short film of insinuating that it was a hot day rather than one of the characters clearly pointing it out. These include what everyone was wearing, the little fan toy that the children held, the fact that we were shown them sweating and breathing heavily. And the bumper sticker indicating that the film was set in Texas was a great touch since it is common knowledge that the weather over there is extremely hot and humid, especially on a summer day.

A criticism I would give to this short film is that I would most likely not watch it again due to the undeniable dread I felt throughout the whole watching. The experience of watching this film is unlike any other, more so with the choice of sound and the lack of a musical score. That being said I do recommend this film to viewers who are first made aware of the possible intense feelings of anxiety and dread.

Dramatic, fast paced, exciting

[meteosa · 8/10 · 18 June 2021]

When plans fail one after another, a struggling mother has no choice but to leave responsibility to her six year old on a hot Texas summer. We are brought into the film through a third person perspective, where a loving mother's plans to have someone watch over her kids are unachievable, and has no choice but to leave her six year old in charge of the AC in a public parking lot in the scorching summer of Texas. With the use of sound and pacing, Logan George wreaks anxiety and stress onto the audience to resonate with the main character, Caroline. While maintaining a presence of anxiety and havoc, Caroline explores the sudden transition from innocence to experience while using the conflicts of adulthood to create tension. With Caroline being a short film, I would compare it with films such as The Lion King as a longer movie with a similar theme of childhood trauma.

Filmed in Texas, the noises of a baby's cry sets an uncomfortable and anxious tone. We start off right at the scene of the drama and as soon as we start to watch, we already feel an established sense of stress in the air. By hearing the atmosphere from inside of the car and keeping the camera right beside the main character, we are brought closer to her thoughts and feelings. And we start to feel the stress that Caroline is feeling. Without a narrator we rely on the words of the characters to pick up on the emotions set.

Although the plot and pacing might have been too fast, resulting in us not absorbing what was happening, it contributed to ensuring a sense of stress into the audience. I would recommend this short film to anyone who likes stories about development and responsibility, as the main character in the film was introduced to both by the end.

Beautiful film

[hayyanishaq · 9/10 · 11 June 2021]

A scalding summer day in Texas leaves a mother and her 3 kids in a dilemma. The camera pans on 6-year old Caroline who watches as her mother struggles to find someone to take care of her kids while she attends a job interview at a tax service place. Held uses a technique that causes the audience to anticipate that the worst possible thing will happen. A small feeling of peace is felt when the ending was not as traumatizing as you would expect. This technique was perfectly executed by having Caroline deal with problems that are way above her level of understanding. The directors are also able to make the film disconcerting by having the camera perspective be from the perspective of the children who are unable to do anything, basically helpless. The camera effects as well as the sound effects make this film even more unsettling for the viewer. As the viewer, it was easy to get emotionally attached to the characters in this story and the plot. The love between Caroline and her mother makes this film very emotional and moving. While the chaos ensues, Caroline makes sure to take care of her siblings and ensure their safety. The situation becomes heated when the man and the woman break into the car to turn on the air conditioning. When the mom returns and sees what is happening she immediately reads the situation and realizes what has happened which is why she tries to leave immediately. The situation gets even worse when a fight ensues and Caroline is forced to bite the woman attacking her mother to protect her mother. When Caroline bites the woman; her tooth falls out. This symbolizes the loss of innocence. Held was able to create a film that kept the viewer on the edge of their seat the whole time. While also being able to have the audience become emotionally attached to these characters. I would recommend this suspenseful film and stressful film to teenagers and adults.

Rollercoaster of emotions

[bengong-26962 · 9/10 · 7 June 2021]

What happens when a single mom leaves three kids in the car, by themselves, in a hot summer, 40 degrees outside? Well, that's what happened in this emotion filled short film Caroline. A single mom has a job interview, she tries to drop of her kids in a friend's house, didn't work. So she called another friend to meet her, so her friend can take care of the kids. Then she left the car for the job interview. This short film is made by Logan George and Celine Held, both are American film director and writer. Celine was also one of the actors in the film. This film serves as a powerful criticisms to social issues. It criticizes how a vulnerable group of people are not getting help they needed. The mom shouldn't be stressed over bring kids to interview, and she should had options to drop off her kids in a childcare centre for a short time. It also criticizes social norm, which I describe it as "bandwagon". In the film, when the strangers were criticizing the mom, other people joined in as well, without knowing the full context. They think they are doing a justice for protecting the kids, but they have no idea what struggles the mom has, and she has to overcome those. All in all, I would definitely suggest my friend to watch this amazing short film, but there are certain scenes that would make most people feel uncomfortable. I wouldn't recommend this to kids under 12, and I would rate this film a 9/10.

Beautiful and Evocative Film

[moyowa · 9/10 · 12 June 2021]

Caroline is a film that explores the far-from-glamorous life of a presumably single mother with 3 children, the eldest of which is the titular Caroline. Through young Caroline's eyes, we are able to feel the array of emotions that she experiences, paired with the childish sense of innocence that made the film so endearing. I rate the film highly because of the visceral response it is able to evoke after each watch. The directors' brilliant and deliberate use and juxtaposition of cacophonous sound versus silence, creates an atmosphere where the viewer is quite literally on the edge of their seat. The film does an excellent job of evoking some of our most primal instincts - sensing danger, and foreboding.

The film's pacing felt natural, and yet was able to convey the sense of urgency that plays a prominent role in the film. All in all, it is a beautiful piece that tackles the realities that many individuals face today.

I would definitely recommend this film to anybody who enjoys the feeling of mounting suspense, as well as cohesive and intense story-telling.

Caring for a child

[seanthedr · 9/10 · 13 June 2021]

On a hot summer Texas day, outside of a tax service centre, Caroline (Caroline Falk), her brother, and sister are left in the car. Their mother (Celine Held), who is going to interview for a job, gives Caroline the keys to turn the A/C on. Unable to start the car, a woman (Tam Jackson) comes to the children's aid, sitting in the car while they wait for mom to return. The woman confronts the mother and an altercation breaks out. Directors Logan George and Celine Held explore the ideas of poverty, motherhood, and growing up fast in the Southern US in their 2018 short film Caroline.

The setting of a minivan struck out to me to symbolize the state the family is in. The car was littered with toys. It's clear that the children had spent a lot of time in the car. The routine of putting on the mother's lipstick and entertaining her siblings was something Caroline had experience with. Without a second parent in the picture it seems that Caroline has taken the role of caregiver when the mother is gone. The mother is the family's breadwinner while Caroline cares for the children.

The choice of sound design was very apparent. The sound was from Caroline's perspective throughout the film. Noises of adults outside the car were constantly Charlie Brown muffled. But when conflict starts to occur George and Held bring the sound to a disorientating high. The reason being it creates the sense of panic a young child would have seeing their mother in a state of danger.

The directors have created a truly unique film that utilizes interesting setting and sound choices. But these choices pale in comparison to the acting skill of Caroline. She was the linchpin of the film. She created a character that any viewer would naturally care for and emphasize with. The viewer immediately connects with Caroline and wants the world for her. Caroline is a superb movie that everyone with children should see.

A film worth watching

[ceanamac · 9/10 · 8 June 2021]

Inside a car with no air conditioning on a blazing summer's day in Texas. Certainly not a safe or comfortable environment for anyone, let alone three young children. "Caroline" is a realistic but heartbreaking film with no winners, focused on the experience of Caroline and her two younger siblings as their mother leaves them waiting in a car while she goes in for a much needed job interview. Pair of directors, Logan George and Celine Held, based this film on several news stories of similar events, resulting in a powerful and emotionally resonant piece that has viewers on the edge of their seat as they watch the tension rise and the situation escalate.

This film has masterfully developed the struggles and desperation of the mother by setting up criticism for the society that put her in that position. The audience is both sympathetic towards the characters and fearful of the consequences they could face. The eruption of loud sounds, accompanied by the presentation of this film from the perspective of a child, makes Caroline's subsequent loss of innocence all the more stressful and heartbreaking, and the abrupt ending leaves the audience with unresolved emotions, reeling from what just took place. The short ending is the only polarizing aspect of the film, but it is overall an amazing piece of work that humanizes real-life stories that we tend to feel detached from.