ENNESIMO BEST REVIEW 2018

MRS MCCUTCHEON
Review by Luca Andreoli III A
Scuola Secondaria G. Leopardi

Why discriminating a kid for his philosophy and way of living?

Girl on the inside, boy on the outside: she can overcome the prejudices.  Victim of bullying for her eccentric style, she sees a spark of light in Trevor’s eyes. This small but very mature child loves her for who she really is, without claiming to change her, unlike the bully and the dull principal. Everyone has their own skin to defend and to be proud of.

The shooting of the director John Sheedy is spot-on/truly fitting: at first, Tom’s eccentricity is seen through other people’s eyes, but then the director opts for a close-up of Tom’s eyes letting us see her inner conflict. The light and shade effects are evocative.

ci e ombre è suggestivo.

EMILY MUST WAIT
Review by Rossella Pugliese IIIA
Scuola Secondaria G. Leopardi

Emily must wait is a short film realized by Christian Wittmoser about a strong and independent young woman forced to live in a few square meters due to the war, hoping that her love will reach her in time.

The director represents the horrors of the war, and especially the suffering and the courage of those involved. The high-angle shots make the short film chaotic but at the same time thrilling, whereas the lights and the soundtrack make the scene more real, putting the audience into the main character’s shoes.

This peculiar short film and its deeper meaning will win your heart, taking you to a world that is not too distant from ours.  

MRS MCCUTCHEON
Review by Alessandra Gualmini III C
Istituto Comprensivo F. Bursi

Surely a kid’s life can be teeming with countless problems. But what if the problem were being born in the wrong body?

Tom is a 10-year-old boy who’s compelled to enroll in his third school because of this issue. And yet a friendship could change everything, even his classmates’ point of view.

The short’s deeper meaning makes the audience think and raise many questions whose answers might be difficult to find. The attention to the details and the meticulous scenography involve the viewers in the scene as if it were possible for them to talk with the characters. A well-deserved score of 9/10 for the message conveyed, even though it deals with a delicate topic, and for its unexpected but truly perfect finale.

EMILY MUST WAIT
Review by Mielnik Wiktoria IIID
Istituto Comprensivo Ferrari

I don’t feel anything anymore, except for pain, absence, I hear screams, shouts and crying.

I feel I’m dying inside.

I hear the bombs exploding and my heart beats faster and faster.
My mind is completely empty, no thought, no hope for survival.
These walls and I: that’s what is left.

I liked this short film very much. It’s dramatic, but also romantic and moving. I highly recommend it to everyone.
Score: 9+

TELEPHONE 
Review by Silvia Giovananrdi III G
Istituto Comprensivo Ferrari

A prisoner steals a phone.

The prisoner no. 1792. 1792, as the number of times he tries to pronounce a few Spanish words. 1792, as the number of times he calls a travel agency and dreams of planning a trip to Brazil.

Classic comedy, very engaging and original plot.

7 PLANETS
Review by Arianna Boni IIID
Istituto Comprensivo Ferrari

A woman who has a dream since her childhood and sees it come true as an adult. What’s beautiful about all that? No one ever helped her. It’s beautiful because she made it all alone, she strongly believed in her dream and, most of all, she believed in herself.

Dreams. This is what we are made of: dreams, thoughts and projects. You must believe in your dreams and follow them, try to make them true and, again, you must believe in them. You must not care about what other people think. If something makes you happy, do it! Dreams are our points of reference, they sometimes mislead us and sometimes give us hope. They are a way of escaping reality, they create a world of our own where we can be ourselves and do what we like without being judged. Never underestimate ourselves: we are so much more than we think, we should just give ourselves the chance to prove it.

Dreams must become true, or better said, one must try to make them true. Life is a risk and to live means risking. But most importantly, you only have one life to live: better to try and fail than living with the regret of never having tried. Think positive. We can do it, let’s prove it!

MRS MCCUTCHEON
Review by Nour Mouzahir

“Mrs. McCutcheon”, J. Sheedy’s short film is fantastic.

It’s one of the few films where all the elements converge to render a moral and a visual experience to the audience, in a film that is worth watching more than once.

“Is it possible to be born in the wrong body?”. This is the question that accompanies 10-year-old Tom throughout the whole story.

After starting over once more at his third school, why can’t he settle in among the classmates and find an answer to that question?

This short was to my liking because it captured my attention from the first moment. Moreover, I was impressed by how such a delicate topic like transsexuality was dealt with. I think it was an excellent idea to have two children as main characters of the story. Through their innocence, they were able to convey a message of tolerance and give the audience countless and intense emotions. Score: 10

7 PLANETS
Review by Lucia Guazzi IIIF
Istituto Comprensivo F.Ruini

The main character: a young woman who does not give up easily, who believes in what she does, has been dreaming from a very tender age to leave Earth and reach another planet. Throughout all her life she will do anything to make her dream come true: will she achieve her goal?

Brief but intense. This six-minute film contains a lot of deeper topics that impressed me. Among these, the one which stands out the most is to believe in your dreams, no matter the difficulties. Despite the time passing and the unexpected events in life, she perseveres. That character, and the fact that she wants to flee and leave Earth, has somehow involved me, as if I could see myself in her. For this very reason I liked the film so much. 

The short film is well edited, the direction is excellent, the scenes are clear, the settings appropriate to the contest and the shootings very detailed.

Overall, my score is 10/10.

SECOND TO NONE 
Review by Enrica Bellini IIIA
Istituto Comprensivo L. Da Vinci

This funny short film realized by Vincent Gallagher tells the story of the Butterfield twins. After turning 110 years old and becoming the oldest man on earth, Herman – the oldest of the two – is going to be awarded.  Tired of spending his life being second to his older brother, the grouchy Frederick understands there is only one way to get his hands on the craved trophy: get rid of his brother. He will therefore set up a plan rich in various plot twists. And yet Frederick is not the only one who longs for that trophy…

A comedy appropriate for both adults and children, where ambition pushes common sense into the background. I liked it because it’s genuine and funny.  

TELEPHONE
Review by Oscar Fontanelli IIIB
Istituto Comprensivo MM Boiardo

Can a telephone, some electrical cables and a bored travel agent change the destiny of a prisoner who dreams of travelling? Maybe it’s not destined to be a dream for long since a young woman comes visiting the prisoner and hands him something out….

The actor featuring in the film is perfect for the role, the soundtrack fits every scene and the editing is excellent. I liked this short because its ending is surprising and because two people with the same dream – and the help of a telephone – can fly everywhere in the world on the wings of imagination.

EMILY MUST WAIT
Review byIlenia Francia IIID
Scuola Secondaria A. Vallisneri

Chaos is devastating Europe and young Emily must survive alone in her flat while she waits for her loved one to come and get her. She persists despite her insecurities and the alarm signal warning to leave the area. Hope springs eternal but can Emily wait for her love? The camera is hanging from the flat’s ceiling and this helps the audience understand what is going on.

It instills odd feelings: a bit insecure and a bit depressing, but this didn’t prevent me from giving the short a score of 10/10. The special effects are of the highest standards… What else to say? Fantastic!

EMILY MUST WAIT
Review by Emma Waku III D
Istituto Comprensivo MM Boiardo

A girl, her boyfriend, a promise. A promise made when chaos prevails and influences everyone’s life. Not only does the chaotic and violence situation of the present change the main character’s life – Emily – but also the promise to her boyfriend. In fact, the short goes from a state of tension and hope to another of anxiety, terror and constant impatience.

I enjoyed this film very much because the director C. Wittmoser’s idea of shooting the scene from above made me think about the marionette theatre: someone from above directs and controls all of us in the present, but has already controlled us in the past and will again control us in the future.