
boblipton
Joined Feb 2002
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Ratings40.8K
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A surgeon operates on someone who has had a terrible accident Then he walks tot he doctor's lounge, puts his feet up, and the images become minimally animated cartoons, while his voice asks if accidents just happen.
Given the title of this short, I'm sure you won't be surprised to discover the answer is no. We get a glimpse of some of the issues -- haste, psychological problems, poor eyesight -- that lead to accidents.
It's an informative short of the "illustrated radio" variety, in which the weight of the message is carried by the words, with the images contributing very little. COnsidering the cheapness of the illos, that's not surprising.
Given the title of this short, I'm sure you won't be surprised to discover the answer is no. We get a glimpse of some of the issues -- haste, psychological problems, poor eyesight -- that lead to accidents.
It's an informative short of the "illustrated radio" variety, in which the weight of the message is carried by the words, with the images contributing very little. COnsidering the cheapness of the illos, that's not surprising.
In 1967, Brian Wilson -- played by Paul Dano -- was at the height of his powers. Pet Sounds had just been released and he's chaotically producing "Good Vibrations" -- arguably the best rock song ever produced -- while his family and band members have no idea what he's doing. Fifteen years later, he's played by John Cusack, certified insane, alienated from his family and under the thumb of his abusive psychiatrist, played by Paul Giamatti. He meets Elizabeth Banks, and his life begins to turn around.
Genius is not a term to be thrown around. I like to define it as someone who does something that no one has thought of before, or that everyone has thought impossible. And now the world is never the same again. Wilson's ability to grok a complicated piece of music in his head was not unprecedented. But his applying it to pop music, to rock & rock was novel*. But genius is closely aligned to insanity -- the distinction being that the genius is right this time.
Does this movie show this struggle? Well, it does, if you know how to read between the lines. As it is, it's a heart-warming story of a second act in an American life, made possible by the love of a good woman. Which is fine, if not brilliant. It's certainly not genius.
*Yes, I know. Gershwin.
Genius is not a term to be thrown around. I like to define it as someone who does something that no one has thought of before, or that everyone has thought impossible. And now the world is never the same again. Wilson's ability to grok a complicated piece of music in his head was not unprecedented. But his applying it to pop music, to rock & rock was novel*. But genius is closely aligned to insanity -- the distinction being that the genius is right this time.
Does this movie show this struggle? Well, it does, if you know how to read between the lines. As it is, it's a heart-warming story of a second act in an American life, made possible by the love of a good woman. Which is fine, if not brilliant. It's certainly not genius.
*Yes, I know. Gershwin.
A young boy prefers to play marbles with his dog rather than join in the other children's games. He buys some new marbles. They turn out to be candies, which let him hold conversations with his couch, his dog, and so forth. Along the way he finds he has to leave some things behind.
There's no subtlety in this Japanese short about coming to terms with yourself and learning to deal with other people. It's magnificently designed -- you can see the pilling on the boy's shirt. I'd rate it good, but in a year where I wasn't terribly impressed by the competition, this looks like it might win the Oscar for Best Animated Short.
There's no subtlety in this Japanese short about coming to terms with yourself and learning to deal with other people. It's magnificently designed -- you can see the pilling on the boy's shirt. I'd rate it good, but in a year where I wasn't terribly impressed by the competition, this looks like it might win the Oscar for Best Animated Short.