Snap Judgements: Toe to Toe; The Secret of Kells

Toe to Toe

Racial and social insecurities crash headlong with teenage angst in Emily Abt's complex film, Toe to Toe. Focusing on the contentious, jumbled relationship of two girls from totally opposite sides of the track, both new enrollees at an upper class Prep school in DC: Jessie(Louisa Krause), a rich, promiscuous party girl with a wild streak that has gotten her kicked out of three schools already; and Tosha(Sonequa Martin), a tough and determined honor student with dreams of getting accepted into Princeton. Tosha's story fuels a lot of the straight forward narrative. She's poor, living in a crime-ridden neighborhood in Anacostia where she's perceived as bourgeois by those who hate her. Both girls put up a mask of strength to hide their true selves from the world around them. It's only on the lacrosse field where they let their true feelings run unchecked.

Filmed entirely here in DC and MD, Toe to Toe reels you in due to the honest, powerful performances of it's two leads. Sonequa Martin's layered portrayal of Tosha reminds me of the debut performance of Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee, with a reserved strength that elevates those around her. For me the real head turner was Louisa Krause, who manages to make the "spoiled rich girl" routine deeper and more meaningful than any I've seen in years. If only the script had been equally as refined, painting the supporting cast with a simplistic, broad brush that undermines Martin and Krause's portrayals. The conclusion, also, is a little too easy and forgiving, flying in the face of the tough questions that were asked throughout the rest of the story.

The Secret of Kells

Admittedly, I didn't knowthe first thing about The Book of Kells while watching this gorgeously animated film, the surprise nominee for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. That didn't stop me from becoming engrossed in it's gorgeous visuals that defy description. It's amazing that such a simple, flat style could produce such an extravagant design, the colors and emotion literally bursts from the screen.

Brendan is a young boy living at the Abbey of Kells in Ireland. His uncle, Abbot Cellach(voiced by Brendan Gleeson), is a harsh man consumed with fortifying their walls in order to stave off a Viking attack. He believes their culture needs to be protected and housed from the outside world. However when a master illuminator arrives carrying the unfinished Book of Kells, he enlists Brendan's help in completing it. To do so, Brendan must brave the dangerous forests, and the vicious creatures within. Eventually he runs into Aisling, a forest fairy who helps him overcome his fears.

The Secret of Kells is a brief glimpse into Irish history mixed with elements of pure fantasy, and as such the story can be a little confusing. It's clear that the bulk of the attention was spent on the vibrant animation, rather than fleshing out the bare bones plot. By far the most interesting character is Aisling, who unfortunately we don't really find out all that much about. Nor do we ever get any idea why the Abbey is constantly under attack. Clocking in at just over an hour's length, a few more minutes to increase our awareness would've served the film well. Still, it's worth a look based solely on the wonderfully detailed, almost living representations.