By “Cinema” Dave
http://cinemadave.livejournal.com
This Labor Day weekend, two movies open with some award merit. Mia Madre was in competition in the 2015 Cannes film festival. The film’s leading lady, Margherita Buy, earned the best actress prize at the David di Donatello Awards in Italy. Life, Animated will be considered for Best Documentary during the 2017 awards season. Both Mia Madre and Life, Animated are entertaining motion pictures in which viewers will share some laughs and shed some tears.
Mostly in Italian language with English subtitles, Mia Madre introduces us to Margherita, an independent filmmaker producing a movie about workers’ rights and entrepreneurship. As she waits for her leading man, Barry Huggins (John Turturro) to arrive from America, Margherita checks her phone for the latest news about her sick mother.
Despite seemingly improving, the mother is terminal. Margherita must balance the demands between work, raising a teenager who is not doing well in her studies and impending grief. The American actor also brings onto the set his own petty neurosis and linguistic confusion.
Despite playing the protagonist’s irritant, Turturro’s appearances are welcome comic relief. In a supporting role, Turturro is allowed a full range of negative behavior, but remains somewhat likeable. Margherita Buy earned her David di Donatella prize for a retrained emotional performance. The audience feels for Margherita and her dilemma, which pays off for Mia Madre’s final scene.
Ripped from last year’s headlines, Life, Animated presents the story of Owen Suskind, an autistic, young man who learned to communicate with people by watching Disney animation. Using home movies, Owen’s parents discuss how the 3-year-old’s behavior changed overnight. Despite getting excellent medical attention and attending the best special needs schools in Washington D.C., Owen is sad and lonely. Feeling inspired, Owen’s father takes a puppet (Iago from Aladdin) and starts a conversation with Owen. A whole world opens up between Owen and his family.
While there is a great deal of joy in Life, Animated, there is also some harsh realities. Both parents are facing their own mortality and Owen breaks up with his only girlfriend.
These pains are universal, which is why these Disney animated movies like Aladdin, Bambi, Beauty and the Beast are magical motion pictures. If an autistic young man can find knowledge through Disney animated movies, perhaps we all should take a cue from Owen.
Happy Labor Day weekend!
