Today I went to a special showing of the Academy Award Nominated Documentary Shorts. Surprisingly, all five of the nominees were very good. Not as surprising is that ALL were incredibly depressing films. After they ended, I wondered how many depressed folks see these five and then begin having suicidal thoughts! Yes, they were that depressing. Now having a depressing documentary is not a bad thing--often the films are about social problems and being depressing isn't bad. But ALL of them being depressing? Next year I wouldn't mind seeing at least one that isn't about old people waiting to die, cancer, homelessness, poverty or dying African children--like this year's crop! But, again, they ALL were quite good....
"Mondays at Racine" is a film whose title is a bit deceptive. PART of the film is about a beauty salon named 'Racine's'--and this is a marvelous part of the film. But it's not all about Racine or its owners but is more a story that BEGINS at Racine's and goes from there to follow the lives of two particular ladies with cancer--and also interviews, briefly, a few other folks with cancer.
Apparently, once a month (on a Monday), Racine's beauty salon in New York opens its doors exclusively to ladies undergoing cancer treatment--and it's all free. The ladies who own the shop saw their own mother struggle with cancer and her feeling ugly when her hair fell out. So, now they work through this by helping other women in similar situations to feel beautiful, loved and accepted. It truly is marvelous what they are doing.
But there are also two women you meet here who form a bond--which is something what wouldn't normally occur as they are different races and ages. But, their dealing with cancer brings them together--and their life stories end up being very similar BUT also very different.
The bottom line is that the film is incredibly sad but uplifting at the same time. I appreciated that the ending offered a lot of hope--too many of the documentary shorts this year didn't. Also, whether or not you've had cancer, you will most likely enjoy or at least respect this incredibly well-made film. My friend and I both cried during the film--one of us beat cancer and the other never had the disease. Well worth seeing--just have a few tissues nearby!! It is my favorite of the five nominees and I think the winner will be either this film or "Open Heart". I'll report back to post the winner when it's announced.
By the way, I really want to commend this film (as well as "Kings Point"), as it took years to make. They didn't just introduce the characters and end it at that but followed them--which REALLY made the film come to life.
"Mondays at Racine" is a film whose title is a bit deceptive. PART of the film is about a beauty salon named 'Racine's'--and this is a marvelous part of the film. But it's not all about Racine or its owners but is more a story that BEGINS at Racine's and goes from there to follow the lives of two particular ladies with cancer--and also interviews, briefly, a few other folks with cancer.
Apparently, once a month (on a Monday), Racine's beauty salon in New York opens its doors exclusively to ladies undergoing cancer treatment--and it's all free. The ladies who own the shop saw their own mother struggle with cancer and her feeling ugly when her hair fell out. So, now they work through this by helping other women in similar situations to feel beautiful, loved and accepted. It truly is marvelous what they are doing.
But there are also two women you meet here who form a bond--which is something what wouldn't normally occur as they are different races and ages. But, their dealing with cancer brings them together--and their life stories end up being very similar BUT also very different.
The bottom line is that the film is incredibly sad but uplifting at the same time. I appreciated that the ending offered a lot of hope--too many of the documentary shorts this year didn't. Also, whether or not you've had cancer, you will most likely enjoy or at least respect this incredibly well-made film. My friend and I both cried during the film--one of us beat cancer and the other never had the disease. Well worth seeing--just have a few tissues nearby!! It is my favorite of the five nominees and I think the winner will be either this film or "Open Heart". I'll report back to post the winner when it's announced.
By the way, I really want to commend this film (as well as "Kings Point"), as it took years to make. They didn't just introduce the characters and end it at that but followed them--which REALLY made the film come to life.