SXSW Film Reviews

Medium Cool: 3 (not so) Shorts

Being realistic, most people attended this program of half-hour short films to see Spike Jonze's "I'm Here." And while it reminded me of Jonze's video for Daft Punk's "Da Funk," the robots manage to be remarkably lovable despite the fact that they only have CGI eyelids and mouths to express emotion. The robot romance has impeccable pacing and a hipster cache that Jonze has always used as a tool rather than a weapon. "Successful Alcoholics" is the story of a remarkably wasted couple and their even more remarkable ability to succeed in life. The movie is thankfully short of obvious pratfalls, instead opting for out-of-the-blue one-liners that floored the audience again and again. The third offering, "Solitary/Release," had a narrative portion starring James Franco bookended by two documentaries about the brother of director Osborne and his trips in and out of jail. The end result is a bit convoluted but never lacking in originality.

Wednesday, March 17, 6:30pm, Ritz 2