FILM REVIEWS
No Bigger Than a Minute
"No Bigger Than a Minute" takes the documentary genre to new heights. While still "a work in progress," the film makes impressive strides in telling the history and future of dwarfs, who prefer the title "little people."
The film infuses the life story of Steven Delano with wit, candor and insight. It tells the story of the little person from a historical point of view, from being worshipped in the Middle Ages to being gawked at in freak shows and traveling carnivals during the '50s. The history of little people is dispersed throughout the story, educating the audience in small doses.
The film also discusses the various health issues that face many little people. Delano features entertainers and raises questions concerning little people who capitalize on their short stature. While many little people criticize new recreational activities such as "midget tossing" and "midget bowling," regarding them as degrading lines of work, many consider other work such as performing as clowns and puppets as simply making a living and not as exploitation. Delano includes interviews with entertainers who insist that being a small person is just one aspect of their career.
Delano's life is documented in "No Bigger Than a Minute," starting at age 9, when he was introduced to the world of film by being included in a medical documentary on dwarfism. Delano explores his childhood growing up as a "freak" and trying to overcome difficulties in a world built for those of average stature. With supportive family members who strove to raise him normally, Delano was raised with the ideal that he wasn't impaired; he was just different. "No Bigger Than a Minute" is a journey of self-discovery as Delano evaluates why he never identified with the classification of little people and never met someone his size until he was 35. Full of vivid images and cinematic musical scores, the film entertains as it informs on issues such as discrimination and stereotyping of little people. It confronts conceptions on size limitations and provides a perspective not often heard.
- Heather Wahle hwahle@mscd.edu
Satellite
Director Jeff Winner brings his diverse background in film and editing to his second feature film, "Satellite." This is a date movie at heart, but still manages to showcase themes of morality and existentialism in ways that are easy to digest.
The film captures two 20-something lovers as they find each other and start questioning where they both belong in the world. Daring each other to live the lifestyle they always wanted makes the difficulties of reality all too unpleasant for the pair. From stealing clothes to common jealousy, the characters carve out a lifestyle in a believable fairy tale that gives them the chance to grow and change.
Play
"Play" is a film that tries to be too many things. Director Alicia Scherson's disjointed first feature-length film is packed too full of themes and elements to be truly engaging.
When Cristina (Viviana Herrera) finds a discarded briefcase in a trash bin, her curiosity gets the best of her. She decides to find out about the owner of the briefcase, Tristan (Andre Ulloa), and, in the process, becomes obsessed with him. She rifles through the contents of the briefcase, starts using Tristan's belongings and decides to start stalking him. Although the basic plot line has potential, its execution spends too much time focusing on unnecessary and meaningless moments. The excess robs the film of the depth it yearns to have.
"Play" tries to seamlessly create the worlds in which Cristina and Tristan live, instead, the clumsy choice of distracting music and dialog makes the film hard to watch.