Tribeca Reviews for Baby Tooth, The Hicks Happy Hour, and Poreless

A round up of the shorts I watched during the Tribeca Film Festival

I had the opportunity to see several short films that were at Tribeca this year. I don’t generally cover many shorts, so it’s always interesting to see how these movies can tell a story in just a matter of a few minutes. All of these films were under 20 minutes, so it was interesting to see what they could do in that short time frame.

Baby Tooth (dir. Olivia Accardo)

“Are you here for the boat or the tooth?”

So starts this quirky little film from Olivia Accardo. When a man (Keith Roy Chrismon) shows up in front of Marina (Dakota Bouher), she asks if he’s there for the boat or the tooth. He explains that he wants the boat. Marina then goes on to describe the vessel in great detail, all the while with a piece of string tied to a tooth in her mouth. When he starts to get a little creepy with her, she unnerves him by asking him to pull on the string and help her extract the tooth.

Baby Tooth is a bizarrely funny little film. It is a fantastic blend of a completely normal activity (trying to sell a boat) combined with a surrealist undercurrent (what is the deal with the tooth?). The discomfort of watching all of this play out sits with you, even as the general vibe is light and funny, making this a remarkably fun watch.

Rating: 4/5

The Hicks Happy Hour (dir. Kate McCarthy)

Growing up, my family had a singing group, so I am always drawn to stories that depict this dynamic. In The Hicks Happy Hour, we meet Jill (Phoebe Kuhlman), the heart behind the television show of the same name. She receives news that the studio is preparing to end the contract with the Hicks family for their variety show. Her husband, Richard (Adam H. Marchand), is noticeably absent from the family’s performance, forcing Jill to ask Gene (David Zaugh) to join her for a duet. In that moment, you can see what Jill envisioned for her family compared to what it has become.

The first thing that will catch your attention is the film's production design. This looks just like any number of variety shows from the 1970s, and that nostalgia is the perfect backdrop for a movie about wishing for better times. In one scene, Jill says, “I always thought, ‘What could be better than a family that sings together?’” This wistfulness permeates the entire run, making this a beautiful, sad, yet hopeful watch.

Rating 4.5/5

Poreless (dir. Harris Doran)

When Akram (Akbar Hamid) is accepted as a finalist to have his product sold by a major beauty company, he is elated, even if he is the diversity pick as a brown, queer, Muslim. But when he has an allergic reaction that causes a severe rash on his face to break out just days before his presentation, he employs the help of his brother and sister to try to dupe the judges into thinking they are him (they are white, so they might not notice and will be too embarrassed to mention it, even if they do).

The film is a hilarious take-down of microaggressions while at the same time being a sweet look at identity and figuring out how to be yourself. Poreless doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it isn’t afraid to look deeper at what it means to be a minority, particularly in a cut-throat business like the beauty industry. The costumes and the performances are all delightful, for a deeply enjoyable viewing experience.

Rating: 4/5

Check out my interview with Poreless star Akbar Hamid.