(2-25-10) Greetings again from the darkness. For the past few years, the Magnolia Theatre in Uptown Dallas has allowed a limited engagement for the Oscar nominated short films, both live action and short. This has become an annual event for me … one that I really enjoy. Short films are a different kind of art from feature films. The characters and story must materialize quickly and, in the best ones, strike a chord with the viewer within the first two minutes. An additional benefit of getting to see these nominated shorts is that it provides a connection when the winners are announced. It’s unfortunate more people don’t get to see these.
The 2009 nominees do not provide the overall strength of the past couple of years, but there are some moments of brilliance nonetheless. Although, I will soon be posting my Oscar predictions and preferences, you will also see below that I have given you which of the shorts I consider to be the best of 2009. I have broken these out by category – Animation and Live Action.
ANIMATION
French Roast (France) – you have to enjoy watching the French poke a bit of fun at themselves. Here a snooty businessman sits in a café all high and mighty until he realizes he has lost his wallet. There is some humor and a couple of nice moments, but overall, this one was a little lame.
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty(Ireland) – this one is my favorite of the animated group. It features wonderful voice acting for the off-center grandmother who frightens the heck out of her grandchild with her bedtime story “loosely” based on Sleeping Beauty. The grandmother seems to bring quite a bit of emotional baggage to her storytelling and it had me laughing out loud.
The Lady and the Reaper (Spain) – the weakest of the entries, although one of the better premises. An older woman is ready to join her deceased husband, but the medical staff, including the braggadocios doctor, really do serious battle with the frustrated reaper.
A Matter of Loaf and Death (UK) – another strong entry based on the Wallace and Gromit characters (previous Oscar winners). Here Wallace falls for the wrong woman and Gromit frantically tries to save him.
Logorama (Argentina) – maybe the most creative of the entries and certainly makes a social statement based on the brand name world we live in. Just about every major product or company logo makes an appearance here as Ronald McDonald goes on a crime spree.
LIVE ACTION
Kavi (India/USA) – Kavi is a young boy serving as a work slave with his parents. Kavi dreams of playing cricket with the rich boys who get to go to school. There is a statement at the end of the film that says 23 million people are working as slaves throughout the world. This is a glimpse into the daily heartache of those poor souls.
The New Tenants (Denmark/USA) – this one plays out like a cross between Tarantino and Polanski, complete with violence and emotional distress. A gay couple discovers that the previous tenant was brutally murdered. This leads to a very odd day and an even stranger ending.
Miracle Fish (Australia) – an eight year old boy is mad at the world because his mother disappoints him on his birthday. Turns out someone else was mad at the world on the same day and when these two worlds collide, it’s not pretty.
The Door (Ireland) – based on the very personal aftermath of the Chernobyl accident, this dark and dreary story brings to light what happens when a government doesn’t openly communicate with its citizens.
Instead of Abracadabra (Sweden) – offbeat story is my favorite of the live action shorts. It has a little Napolean Dynamite in the form of a 25-year-old wannabe-magician who still lives at home. His parents have become less tolerant, but his magic show proves to be quite a surprise at his dad’s 60th birthday party.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 