zndouglass

'Electrick Children' follows the story of a pregnant, 15 year old Rachel living in a present day Mormon society. She claims that the father of her unborn child is the voice of a singer on a rock cassette she listened to, insisting that 'God got her pregnant through the tape'. Her family insists otherwise, and Rachel goes to Las Vegas to search for the father

Electrick Children is fresh, vivid, indie feel is what makes this film I love the colors and textures in the movie to feel like it was filmed on actual film stock. The warm lights of Las Vegas, indie rock, and the desert all make way for a beautiful place for this story to unfold.

Writer/Director Rebecca Thomas understood what she meant to say, but as with so many independent filmmakers, she felt no obligation to communicate that message comprehensibly. Depicting events that could not possibly happen does not create symbolism. Failing to come up with an ending does not make the plot "open to multiple interpretations."

Writer-director Destin Cretton's Short Term 12 is an intimate look into the life of a young woman named Grace, a mature, independent , and damaged caretaker at a juvenile foster housing facility. From first shot to last, the film is stunning; it is beautifully shot and incredibly acted.

Short Term 12's plot lends itself to intimacy. What is so wonderful about this film is that we get to meet and follow more than one resident's story. This isn't a plot overdrive, everything adds up and flows perfectly. Prior to becoming a film student, Crettom worked at a place such like the one shown in Short Term 12. This shows through his material and ability to bring together multiple stories with such fluency and emotional impact. He ensures his characters are worthy of love and attention, and the actors bring this script to life perfectly.

Relatively unknowns in the film industry, Kaitlyn Dever and Keith Stienfield equally give wonderful portrays of their characters Jayden and Mason, respectively. Jayden and Mason aren't poorly written, clichéd, teenagers — they are well written and developed characters that are believable.

Cretton, along with his screen writing, has an amazing and unique talent for directing. Each scene is clearly well thought out and captivating. If it weren't for Spike Jonze's Her and Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity, Short Term 12 easily could have been the movie to beat at the 2014 Academy Awards