Chimpanzee (1:17) 2012

Filmed in the jungles of the Ivory Coast and Uganda, the Tim Allen narrated story of the orphaned
Oscar is a wonderful family movie. There is a scene that may be unsettling for children - a rival group led by Scar attack and kill Oscar's mother. This happens off screen and is reminiscent of the long ago Bambi scene. Being orphaned at such a long age makes Oscar's outlook for survival bleak. Rejected by other chimp mothers in is group, Oscar starts to lose weight. Then a little miracle happens, the alpha male, Freddy takes Oscar under his wing. And nurture overcomes nature. Chimpanzee is the best of the recent Earth Day releases.  The panoramic views of the jungle, the sunrise and sunset shots, and the waterfall shots are worth the price of admission. Oscar is adorable and captures the hearts of the viewers. This is a must see of animal or nature lovers.

The Lucky One (1:41) 2012

Logan, a veteran of three tours of duty in Iraq, is in search of the woman whose picture he found after a night raid. He noticed the reflection of the laminated picture on the ground. He went to pick it up and as he was looking at the photo, an explosive device hit the location where he had been standing. Thinking that the mystery woman saved his life, he starts looking for her when he returns to the States. Logan is able to identify where she lives by the water tower  in the picture's background. Beth, with her grandmother, runs a kennel in the southern town of Hamden. Logan locates her and takes a job at her kennel. Beth resists her attraction to Logan but Logan eventually wins Beth over. The couple do run into problems. Keith, Beth's ex-husband, is jealous and threatens to gain custody of their eight year old son, Ben. Logan never shares why he has come to Hamden nor speaks about his experiences in the war. Beth is grief stricken because he brother Drake died the year before in Iraq. With all the stress, will Logan and Beth's relationship survive? The Lucky One is based on a Nicholas Spark's novel. It is a chick flick filled with romance, predictable dialogue and events.  Zac Efron is an absolute hunk, definitely eye candy. The movie going experience was a breezy, no heavy thinking event. It seemed to be more of a made for television movie and suggest viewers check it out when it becomes available as a rental.

Orbit: Look at the Sun (0:05) 2011

Orbit: Look at the Sun shows us our star in blazing color.  Our sense of awe continues with the close up views of solar storms and sun spots.

Boy (1:27) 2010

Boy  is a charming and endearing film from New Zealand. Set in 1984, eleven year old Boy lives with his Granny, his younger brother Rocky and several younger cousins. Boy's mother died giving birth to Rocky and his dad is in prison. Boy idolizes Michael Jackson and is hoping that his father, another man he idolizes, returns home some day. His Granny leaves to attend a funeral and soon his father returns with two of his mates. Dad has a goal, to dig up the money he stole in a robbery. The problem is he does remember exactly where in the field he buried the money. Boy is happy to have his dad back but over time he sees his dad's shortcomings. Will his dad stay or will he take off when he recovers the stolen money?  Boy has humor but also has a serious side as Boy has to take care of the younger relatives. The family lives in impoverished circumstances and his father's return, well welcome at first, causes Boy to rethink his feelings about being just like his dad. The soundtrack and scenery adds to the charm of this movie.

Bully (1:39) 2011

Bully is a powerful documentary about the devastating effects of bullies running rampant. The film follows five families, two of which have lost sons to suicide. At times, Bully is very difficult to watch as the viewer sees and hears the cruel treatment of vulnerable students by their peers. The parents' agony of having lost their children is heartbreaking to watch. Although there are several instances of rough and vulgar language, this is a documentary of great value.  Their losses became a springboard for action, rallies against bully are being held across the country. This is a documentary that should be seen by every School Superintendent, Board of Education member, PTA, teacher, and high school student. Middle School students, due to the heavy emotions which accompany suicide, need to see this film with parental and/or teacher guidance. I certainly hope and believe Bully will be nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary.

The Whale (1:25) 2011

Luna was an two year old orca who was separated from his pod while in Nootka Sound, British Columbia. The townspeople fell in love with Luna as he seemed to crave human attention. The Native Americans believed that Luna was one of their tribe who had died several weeks before he surfaced. A battle took place between the government who thought it was in Luna's best interest to be reintroduced back to his pod or sent to an aquarium. The Native Americans thought nature should be allowed to take its course. Due to the difference's in thinking, Luna sometimes received much attention and sometimes he was ignored. Eventually, it became apparent that Luna was in danger. He would swim up close to boats and was in danger of being injured by a boat's propeller. Everyone wants what is best for Luna but exactly what is in his best interest? The Whale was the closer for the EFFY 2012 and in my opinion, the festival saved the best for last. This is a must see documentary for nature lovers, families, and students.

Bestiaire (1:12) 2012

Bestiaire was my least favorite showing of EFFY 2012. The documentary, with no dialogue, highlights a variety of wild animals at a Montreal animal park. Bestiaire opens in winter when the animals are indoors in shelters. This part of the film is difficult to watch and I actually left for several minutes. The animals are caged and restless. One lion repeatedly keeps banging up against the locked door, bringing to mind "like a caged animal". The documentary continues with the spring season as the animals are finally allowed outside and are free to roam in enlarged but fenced areas.

Homeless (0:02) 2011

A hermit crab sheds his shell and is in search of a new home in this computer animated/live action blend.
It really is a cute movie that can be viewed by following this link: .http://www.swaglikeme.com/blog/2012/1/5/homeless.html

The Island President (1:41) 2012

Mohamed Nasheed became the first democratic president of the Maldives, a nation of two thousand islands located in the Indian Ocean. Nasheed led his democratic party in overthrowing a long reigning dictator. Nasheed was arrested four times and spent eighteen months in solitary confinement before the Maldives held their first presidential election. Once Nasheed took office, he was faced with the overwhelming evidence that the Maldives are sinking. Well, not actually sinking but battling erosion of beaches due to rising ocean levels. Nasheed and his Cabinet participated in the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009 as they attempt to bring pressure on the participating countries to reach an agreement to lower carbon emissions in attempt to slow global warming. The Island President  is very well received last night at EFFY. It was an inspiring story of a man who is solving sand against the tide. This cautionary tale is told with humor, clarity and hope. This is a must see documentary.

Acqua (0:08) 2011

Containing no dialogue, a young woman undertakes a solitary pilgrimage to river. She enters the river with her large glass jug and brings the water back to her home. Water is an important of all of life's events.

Chasing Water (0:19) 2011

Chasing Water is nineteen minutes of beautiful, truly awesome video. Peter McBride traces the route of the Colorado River by air starting at the headwaters. The river winds several states and  the Grand Canyon to eventually the sea. Actually the mouth of the Colorado River is located at the Matagorda Bay which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. One rafter attempts to paddle the route which takes about five months. McBride joins the rafter towards the end of the journey so they can paddle to the bay. Unfortunately, with water being syphoned to provide drinking water for large cities, the duo are faced with an unpleasant surprise. I fell in love with this documentary.  Check out the following web site:
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/video_colorado_river_running_near_empty/2443/

The Atomic States of America (1:35) 2011

Kelly McMaster experienced a typical childhood growing up on Long Island. Her home, however, was in a nuclear reactor community. Cases of a rare childhood cancer started to appear within the radius of the laboratory. The rare cancer was associated with low level exposure to elements which leak from reactors.
This documentary explains the history of nuclear energy, the use of nuclear energy as an energy source and the associated health risks.  A close up of the battle between Shirley residents and the laboratory is highlighted. This is an important documentary as President Obama has been a proponent of building new reactors. His stand is being closely scrutinized since the Fukushima reactor was heavily damaged by the tsunami.

663114 (0:08) 2011

663114 is a beautifully animated short about the life cycle of the cicada. The cicada, drawn in black ink, continously moves up a tree as the narration describes its sixty-six year life cycle. As the cicada inches up the tall tree to safely shed its shell and lay eggs, a earthquake shakes the screen. The cicada narrowly misses being washed away by the tsunami. And then there is the accident.

Big Boys Gone Bananas!*

The latest offering of the Environmental Film Festival at Yale was a sequel to an earlier documentary Bananas!* shown at EffY two years ago. Big Boys Gone Bananas!* relates the events that took place when Dole tried to suppress the showing of Bananas!*, a documentary about Central American farm workers exposure to unsafe working conditions. Shortly after the filmmaker Fredrik Gertten entered Bananas!*  in the Los Angeles Film Festival and put up his web site,  Dole reacted and reacted with full force. Dole filed a lawsuit against the filmmakers and put pressure on the LA festival to pull the film. The filmmakers received help from their own country, Sweden, as Sweden places a high value on free speech.
I don't want to give anymore details about the fight between David and Goliath other to say that at the end of the screening the audience leaped to their feet and gave the filmmaker a very enthusiastic and extended round of applause.

The Last Mountain (1:35) 2011

The Last Mountain is a fantastic movie, so far it has been my favorite of the EFFY documentaries. The residents of the southern part of West Virginia are fighting Massey Energy. Massey is a big powerful coal company that is  aggressively practicing mountain top mining which means they blow up mountains. The residents have to live with the deforestation of their environment, sludge piles full of highly concentrated heavy metals and polluted streams, rivers, and wells. The opening of the documentaries highlights one of the environmental activists speaking about six of her neighbors, including her brother who have all died as a result of brain tumors. Bobby Kennedy, Jr. has joined in battling the politically well connected corporation making the enforcement of the Clean Water Ace very difficult. Let's win one for the Gipper.

Eating Alabama 2012

Tonight's EFFY feature is titled Eating Alabama, a documentary about a young couple decision to eat only food grown when they return to their home state. The couple, Andrew Grace and his wife, travel eight hundred miles to shop at farmers' markets. They also start a small, but ever expanding garden in their front yard. They soon realize that rural Alabama has given way to suburban sprawl and the small farms of Grace's childhood have disappeared. As the couple stick to their pledge to eat only local foods for a year, they begin to explore locally grown novel foods. They spend time learning how to prepare the vegetables and fruits in new ways and eventually host community type dinners for their friends.  This was an interesting, sometimes humorous look at the benefits and challenges of investing in locally grown food.

Surviving Progress (1:26) 2011

Surviving Progress was the first feature of the Environmental Film Festival at Yale. Usually, I will post my thoughts about a movie after the ride home. Couldn't do that last night as this is a documentary which makes the viewer think, think and think some more. But at the same time, there is a lot of eye candy with close ups of nature. The cinematography was enthralling, there is a short scene of a city at night, with the cars speeding by and the airplanes frequently landing in the background. The main messages of the film that I took away were one, planet Earth is in trouble. Progress have been a double edge sword. It has allowed for some people to live very nicely but others have been passed over. There is a very clear message that we need to plan and conserve our natural resources. People have been acting as though our resources are an limitless bank where we can continue to borrow and borrow. Oops, we have used up our credit limit and then some. While we have made such technological progress in the last five thousand years, our brains are still hard wired as hunters and gathers from long ago. Is there hope for us on this planet?

Meet Mr. Toilet (0:03)

Meet Mr. Toilet is a short film documentary about the sanitation of  human waste. Mr. Toilet is in reality Jack Sim, a businessman, who is changing the world one poop at a time. In many third world countries, people use the local rivers as their toilets which results in contaminated drinking and cooking water. Sim is promoting his toilets in attempt to decrease waterborne disease. Using animation, this short film deals with a serious subject in a humorous manner. 

Opening Night at EFFY 2012

Tonight was the opening night of the Environmental Film Festival at Yale. Surviving Progress was tonight's documentary, it was preceded by a short film, Meet Mr. Toilet. The two films will be reviewed in the next two postings. An interesting event took place as we were arriving at the Yale Art Gallery, tonight's location. As my daughter was climbing the stairs to the Art Gallery, I happen to notice a sign stating that the entrance to the film was around the corner on High Street. I called out to Elizabeth, my daughter, to follow the sign just as three others were also going up the stairs. Two of the trio were wearing EFFY tee shirts so I knew they were student staff. As we walked to High Street the two girls introduced me to the gentleman in their group. It turns out the man was a co-director of Surviving Progress, Harold Crooks. We chit chatted as we walked around the corner and into the auditorium. He was a very pleasant and down to earth. I asked him if I could take his picture so I could post it on my blog. He was very agreeable and asked if I would email him the picture. So needless to say, I was really enjoying EFFY even before the movie started.

Environmental Film Festival at Yale Starts Tonight!

EFFY 2012 begins tonight! The opening film will be shown at the Yale Art  Gallery. Please follow the link to read the New Haven Register's article highlighting the ten films. The link is: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2012/04/06/entertainment/arts/doc4f7f783f58f54899319863.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Footnote - Hearat Shulayim (1:43) 2011

Two rivaling men, father and son, struggle to maintain a relationship in modern day Jerusalem. Eliezer Shkolnik, the father, is a long time Talmudic studies researcher.  His long time hope has been to receive the coveted Israel prize. His son, Uriel also a Talmud scholar but highly published and highly regarded. Much to the family's delight, Eliezer's dream comes true when the long awaited telephone call announces he is the winner of the Israel prize. The next day, Uriel receives a phone call, his father's award was meant for him. If he accepts, he knows he will lose what little of the relationship he has with his father. And yet, Uriel knows that his father is a honest man true to his profession. This dark comedy from Israel was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film.  Subtitled in English, the film contains quirky characters with a humorous bent. The film is considered a gem by the critics and I would agree.

Mirror, Mirror (1:34) 2012

Julia Roberts reigns as the evil queen in this modern retelling of the Snow White fairy tale. Snow White finds the seven dwarfs in the forest but in this version they are petty thieves. The Prince has a magic spell cast on him so he is in "puppy" love with the queen. Snow White trains with the dwarfs and decides to take back her kingdom to prevent the marriage of the queen to the prince she loves. This is a fun movie for the entire family. The movie has action, humor, and is visually rich. Nathan Lane is, as always, fun to watch as Brighton, the queen's lackey. The audience at today's matinee was made up of  mostly young elementary students who seemed to get a big kick out of the film. With April vacation soon upon us, Mirror, Mirror will be a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.