'The Test & the Art of Thinking' shows the (in)significance of the SAT
THE TEST & THE ART OF THINKING (2018)
Directed by Michael Arlen Davis
Distributed by Abramorama. 85 minutes. Available to stream this Friday exclusively on Vimeo on Demand.
A test that determines whether a high school student’s college dream is attainable or out of reach should be the best indicator of academic achievement, right? But what if that’s not the case, and this life-changing exam doesn’t actually represent true ability or potential for success in a specific college setting?
In the new documentary The Test & the Art of Thinking, director Michael Arlen Davis paints a vivid picture of how the SAT has been used more as a gatekeeper for elite universities than as an avenue for college applicants. Yet even with the widespread dissatisfaction of this tool, it doesn’t appear that things will be changing any time soon.
Through interviews with SAT tutors, college admissions board members, and students themselves, The Test & the Art of Thinking asks the question: what really constitutes intelligence? By today’s standards, we know that cognitive intelligence is only one predictor of a student's ability, however kinesthetic, artistic, emotional, and even musical intelligence – all extremely relevant to future success – go relatively unmeasured. The consistent word used to describe SAT questions seems to be “irrelevant” and even SAT tutors themselves go on record to say that they teach students how to outsmart the test’s trick questions rather than prepare them to reflect and summarize what they have actually learned.
The Test & the Art of Thinking is an 85-minute overview that thoroughly delves into the origin and evolution of this 3-4 hour exam that has now become a billion dollar industry of tutors, coaches, and prep courses. This raises the additional question of financial means being tied to test scores. Sadly, the film is another reminder that our country’s educational system has many broken parts and we need to agree on how we can prioritize learning in order to make the necessary and positive changes. Hopefully, this will start with finding more appropriate ways for schools to both measure and value a child’s ability to think, reason, and create.
'Patrick' Review: Family-Friendly Pug Love
It’s no accident that I was given the opportunity to watch and review this film for Cinemacy, given my longstanding preference, ok obsession with, pugs. And true to form, within the first few minutes, I was captivated by this adorable and talented four-legged performer.
Pug Love
If you have a passion for dogs, and specifically for this breed, then you will likely be entertained by writer/director Mandie Fletcher’s new film Patrick, which tells the story of a mischievous but endearing pug who is bequeathed to his elderly owner’s granddaughter, Sarah Francis (Beattie Edmondson) upon her sudden death and then proceeds to turn her life upside-down.
To call this film predictable is an understatement, nothing is left to the imagination- including the camera tilting up to the clouds when granny collapses on the street as if the funeral shot in the next scene wasn’t obvious enough. From the opening scene, it’s clear that Sarah’s life is filled with disappointment and inheriting Patrick the Pug only adds to her unfortunate circumstances. But the difficulties she encounters, such as risking eviction as well as her job as an English teacher, are soon outweighed by Patrick’s ability to bring some good fortune into her life.
Cute, but one-dimensional
His ability to orchestrate connections with attractive bachelors is reminiscent of a scene from 101 Dalmatians when Patrick’s leash intertwines with a handsome stranger’s. While cute, it’s moments like this that make it hard to take the characters seriously. All of the characters in this "light-hearted" family fun film are one dimensional, from Sarah’s condescending parents who clearly prioritize their older daughter, to the uber-handsome but self-absorbed veterinarian (Ed Skrein). There’s the dependable dog park guy, Ben (Tom Bennett) the teary, angst-filled high school student, Becky (Emily Atack), and the difficult to please headmaster, Mr. Peters (Adrian Scarborough), among others. Even Sarah Francis’ endearing qualities are overshadowed by a lack of coordination that was enough to make me feel a bit uncomfortable when watching.
Boy-gets-girl-plus-dog
With a formula similar to that of a Hallmark Movie, it’s pretty clear that Patrick is destined to end in a happily ever after boy-gets-girl-plus-dog sort of way, I still couldn’t help but smile during many scenes. Patrick’s naturally expressive faces make him quite the entertainer, not to mention all the fun location shots around London’s landmarks.
Overall, Patrick is a fun family watch if you don’t have high expectations for acting depth and storyline, and just allow yourself to be entertained by one extremely captivating dog and his ensemble cast.
Patrick is 94 minutes. Opening in select theaters and VOD this Friday.
'Bali: Beats of Paradise' Review: A Beautiful Blend of Sound and Color
From the moment I rounded the corner on Wilshire Blvd. to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the world premiere screening of Bali: Beats of Paradise, I was unprepared for the overwhelming visual greeting.
Throngs of people were forming lines that wrapped around the block next to a paparazzi-lined red carpet that exploded with the colorful attire of the Balinese couture. Upon entering the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre, the experience continued with a live performance from an eclectic group of musicians playing an array of unfamiliar percussive instruments that created beats and sounds that I would soon know as Gamelan music.
Bali: Beats of Paradise tells the story of Gamelan music through the life of Nyoman Wenten, a celebrated Indonesian composer who, along with his wife, a dancer/choreographer, have made it their life’s work to bring awareness to and appreciation for this dying tradition of Indonesian culture. With recognition largely coming through his work in music education as a professor at both UCLA and Cal Arts, Wenten is given an opportunity to collaborate with Grammy award-winning singer, Judith Hill (20 Feet from Stardom), in creating a music video that blends the sounds of his precious Gamelan with classic funk in Hill's music video, “Queen of the Hill”. The result is a mesmerizing explosion of sound and color.
Director, Livi Zheng (Brush with Danger) proves that she has both versatility and substance as the audience sees, through re-enacted scenes, Wenten's earliest memories of a motherless boy who is drawn to this mystical dance movement. The cinematography allows us to almost feel the lush Balinese landscape with sweeping footage of fields and temples as well as close-up shots of current musicians practicing the beloved Gamelan sounds. But mostly, Zheng entices us to root for our protagonist, Nyoman Wenten, a man whose only goal is to expose the world to his music through the culmination of this music video collaboration as he prays for “one million likes” on YouTube.
As the final credits rolled, Nyoman Wenton emerged from the group of musicians who had been entertaining the audience earlier in the evening. Hearing him talk about the movie reminds us that Bali: Beats of Paradise is truly a labor of love and cultural pride from all involved as was evident during the film’s introduction when the producer said, “In the same way that Crazy Rich Asians put Singapore on the map, we hope that this film does that for Indonesia.”
Bali: Beats of Paradise is not rated. Opening today at the Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills.