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Feb. 19th, 2008 11:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cwfilmbuffMovie 8: Academy Award Nominated Animated Shorts
Technically five films, but they’re presented as one show so I’m counting them that way.
Even Pigeons Go to Heaven: The most entertaining of the lot. An amusing story of a crooked priest trying to sell a guaranteed trip to heaven to an old man, complete with the vessel that will take him there.
My Love: The impressionistic animation style is interesting, but too often more of a distraction than an asset to the story of a 19th century Russian teenager screwing up his love life.
Madame Tutli-Putli: This one starts off with dark humor, then just gets dark. It looks great and there are some interesting ideas, but none of them are ever really fleshed out. It lost me with the ending, which was almost directly lifted from Chris Wedge’s Bunny.
I Met the Walrus: In 1969 a teenager snuck into John Lenon’s hotel room and recorded an interview with him. Almost 40 years later, animation was added to illustrate Lennon’s words. It’s an interesting take on showing an interview, and the animation flows nicely, but as both an animated film or a documentary it lacked direction. Although it did get the biggest laugh of the entire show.
Peter & the Wolf: An animated take on the classic story, foregoing any narration and relying solely on Prokofeiv’s music. There are some very good moments, both light and dark, but they are kept too far apart by the slow pacing of the film.
In all it’s a less satisfying selection than in previous years. Unlike last year the nominees were long enough that they didn’t have to use filler, but since two of these were too long I’m not sure that’s a good thing. I’d like to see the award go to Pigeons on Sunday, but I have a poor record when it comes to calling this category.
M9: Academy Award Nominated Live Action Shorts
Tanghi Argentini: A man meets a woman on the internet, makes a date with her, and has two weeks to learn to tango as well as he’s told her he can. What could be a series of sitcom cliches is elevated by the interesting characters, dry humor, and touching reveal at the end.
At Night: The most depressing entry of the lot, although when your film takes place entirely in a cancer ward that’s hard to avoid. Three patients meet every night during the week between Christmas and New Years, trying to find happiness in their situation.
The Substitute: The first two thirds of this movie is uncomfortable at best, as we watch a substitute teacher toy with his class and attempt to make them squirm. The end does a little to make up for the beginning, but not enough.
The Tonto Woman: A cattle rustler meets a woman living by herself because her husband can’t stand the sight of her after she was captured by native americans, lived with them for 11 years, and had her face tattooed. A good western and interesting take on the accepted roles of women at the time.
The Mozart of Pickpockets: Two con artists team up with a small boy after the rest of their team of pickpockets is arrested. It’s funny at times, but the story takes a while to get going and seems to end shortly after the action really starts.
While they weren’t all great, this batch was much better than the animated selections. Most of the directors are relative newcomers, but I’d be happy to seek out work they do in the future.
Technically five films, but they’re presented as one show so I’m counting them that way.
Even Pigeons Go to Heaven: The most entertaining of the lot. An amusing story of a crooked priest trying to sell a guaranteed trip to heaven to an old man, complete with the vessel that will take him there.
My Love: The impressionistic animation style is interesting, but too often more of a distraction than an asset to the story of a 19th century Russian teenager screwing up his love life.
Madame Tutli-Putli: This one starts off with dark humor, then just gets dark. It looks great and there are some interesting ideas, but none of them are ever really fleshed out. It lost me with the ending, which was almost directly lifted from Chris Wedge’s Bunny.
I Met the Walrus: In 1969 a teenager snuck into John Lenon’s hotel room and recorded an interview with him. Almost 40 years later, animation was added to illustrate Lennon’s words. It’s an interesting take on showing an interview, and the animation flows nicely, but as both an animated film or a documentary it lacked direction. Although it did get the biggest laugh of the entire show.
Peter & the Wolf: An animated take on the classic story, foregoing any narration and relying solely on Prokofeiv’s music. There are some very good moments, both light and dark, but they are kept too far apart by the slow pacing of the film.
In all it’s a less satisfying selection than in previous years. Unlike last year the nominees were long enough that they didn’t have to use filler, but since two of these were too long I’m not sure that’s a good thing. I’d like to see the award go to Pigeons on Sunday, but I have a poor record when it comes to calling this category.
M9: Academy Award Nominated Live Action Shorts
Tanghi Argentini: A man meets a woman on the internet, makes a date with her, and has two weeks to learn to tango as well as he’s told her he can. What could be a series of sitcom cliches is elevated by the interesting characters, dry humor, and touching reveal at the end.
At Night: The most depressing entry of the lot, although when your film takes place entirely in a cancer ward that’s hard to avoid. Three patients meet every night during the week between Christmas and New Years, trying to find happiness in their situation.
The Substitute: The first two thirds of this movie is uncomfortable at best, as we watch a substitute teacher toy with his class and attempt to make them squirm. The end does a little to make up for the beginning, but not enough.
The Tonto Woman: A cattle rustler meets a woman living by herself because her husband can’t stand the sight of her after she was captured by native americans, lived with them for 11 years, and had her face tattooed. A good western and interesting take on the accepted roles of women at the time.
The Mozart of Pickpockets: Two con artists team up with a small boy after the rest of their team of pickpockets is arrested. It’s funny at times, but the story takes a while to get going and seems to end shortly after the action really starts.
While they weren’t all great, this batch was much better than the animated selections. Most of the directors are relative newcomers, but I’d be happy to seek out work they do in the future.
