Kings Point

Today I went to a special showing of the Academy Award Nominated Documentary Shorts. Surprisingly, all five of the nominees were very good. Not as surprising is that ALL were incredibly depressing films. After they ended, I wondered how many depressed folks see these five and then begin having suicidal thoughts! Yes, they were that depressing. Now having a depressing documentary is not a bad thing--often the films are about social problems and being depressing isn't bad. But ALL of them being depressing? Next year I wouldn't mind seeing at least one that isn't about old people waiting to die, cancer, homelessness, poverty or dying African children--like this year's crop! But, again, they ALL were quite good....

"Kings Point" is of interest to me because I live in Florida in an area FILLED with retirees. While Kings Point is a retirement community on the East Coast (and I am on the West), Sun City (its sister community) is just a short distance away and my county has the second oldest average age of its residents in America (#1 is only five minutes down the road!!). So, although I am still only middle-aged, I certainly could relate to the life--and live in a part of the state where almost no one seems to be a native! Kings Point is a retirement community near Palm Beach, Florida (not far from Miami and Ft. Lauderdale). This film follows five of the residents. Now some might dislike the film since it appears to have little direction--it just shows snippets of these folks' lives during a stretch of several years. But, I liked how it offered many possible interpretations and meanings. You could see it as a sad commentary about isolation---and how these folks erect barriers around themselves which prevent them from living truly fulfilled lives. Or, you could look at it and wonder is perhaps there is something specifically unique to these five folks--something, perhaps, about New Yorkers. Or, you could see it as a film that is meant to energize the viewer to possibly make better and different life choices. Or....well, the possibilities are endless.

While I don't think this film will take the Oscar, it was fascinating. What also is fascinating is that I am sure MANY will see the film and not particularly like most of these people! But that does NOT mean that the film is bad--on the contrary, it's well worth seeing. Just be sure you aren't feeling suicidal before you view it!!

I should also commend this film (as well as "Monday's at Racine"), as they took YEARS to make it--following up with the people at various intervals. It took considerable work to do this and the epilogue about each of them was interesting. One, in particular, was very ironic--but I'll say no more.

This is a pretty random film. Hard to recommend to viewers of any age, and not because it is depressing. It's the lack of structure. There are some monologues by the elderly about their lives, a few exchanges in which two or three people converse with each other in front of the camera. No progression, no obvious beginning, middle or end. (No narration either, though that wouldn't be needed if the film itself weren't so listless.) It's like a collection of outtakes. I would love to see the real movie they were cut from. I kept waiting for the movie to begin and then I realized I was stuck in the middle and it would end just as it began. The few barely coherent scenes involve elderly people who want love but can't find it or who don't think themselves capable of love anymore. We see people preparing dinner or dancing or playing mah jongg or sitting around the pool. A couple of good songs on the sound track at the end do not redeem this mish mash of dull clips. Though short, it felt long, and it definitely did not leave me wanting more.