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FINAL ANALYSIS: THE SHORT FILMS

I Met the Walrus is the possible winner of the Best Animated Short Film category

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By Josh Kirschenbaum

The short film categories have always been something of an afterthought in the Oscar race. Short films are rarely seen outside of film festivals. Few people are familiar enough with the category to give it much thought. However, every year the Oscar nominated shorts get a limited release so the public can have a look. I happy to say that this year’s batch is pretty good.

The animated shorts are slightly better than the live-action ones. The first in the program is Madame Tutli-Putli, the strangest film of the five. A woman (presumed to be the title character) takes a mass of luggage on a train ride. On board, a cast of bizarre characters harasses her. The film is an exercise in the surreal, with a plot so confusing and headache-inducing that it puts David Lynch to shame. There is no big payoff at the end and the film comes of as substance-less. The visuals are absolutely gorgeous though, almost making up for the film’s failure in other categories.

Next is My Love (Moya Lyubov), by far the worst of any of the shorts. The plot revolves around a Russian boy who falls in love with two girls. The film drags in its 30 minute run time. It is boring and contrived and completely soulless. If you can sit through it, the next three shorts are fantastic.

Peter and the Wolf is a new take on the classical piece by Sergei Prokofiev, finding new meaning in the classic score. The animation is simple but beautiful. Peter and the Wolf has always been a coming of age story, telling the tale of one boy’s rite of passage into manhood through a confrontation with a wolf. This updated version keeps the spirit of the original tale but updates it for contemporary society. In this film, you don’t need fur and fangs to be a wolf.

Même Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven) is the only short that employs computer animation. The film is so short if I go into any detail about the plot, it would ruin a good portion of the film’s laughs. Just know that it is the funniest of the five by far and should hold your attention for all of its hilarious nine minutes of runtime.

The last of the animated shorts is also the shortest. I Met the Walrus takes a 1969 interview with John Lennon (conducted by a 14-year-old Jerry Levitan, one of the films producers) and animates it. Though film is little more than a gimmick, there is something very powerful about it. Lennon’s words may be more relevant today than they were in 1969. He is such an eloquent speaker that it is hard not to fall in love with the film.

The live-action shorts begin with Tanghi Argentini, a light but enjoyable film about a man who asks his co-worker to teach him how to tango so he can impress a woman he met on the Internet. The film is never dull but has little depth. It is entertaining though, and the unexpected ending should more than satisfy viewers.

The Danish film At Night is the longest in the program. To qualify for the short film category, a film cannot be more than 40 minutes. At Night is exactly 40 minutes long, and is one of the most sappy and clichéd films I have ever seen. It seems as if it were made to appeal to Oscar voters, featuring what should be a heartbreaking story of three women dying of cancer. Each of the three has one or two characteristics and despite the fact the much of the film is conversation between them, there is little to no character development. Instead, there is a lot of crying, some very expected plot turns, and a finale that should induce most audiences to groan.

The Substitute (Il Supplente) was a pleasant surprise, bringing originality to the tired “crazy new teacher” formula. I feel that the more I give away about it, the less funny it will be. So I’ll just say that it is unbelievably clever and has a lot more to say than you may think.

Based on a story by Elmore Leonard, The Tonto Woman is a slow but moving western about a man who comes across a woman who has been exiled by her husband. One of the better films, The Tonto Woman features some excellent acting from its lead, Francesco Quinn (son of Anthony Quinn). Though it doesn’t have the momentum of last year’s other Leonard adaptation, 3:10 to Yuma, it is never boring, and is just as well (if not better) filmed than Yuma.

The Mozart of Pickpockets (Le Mozart de Pickpockets) was predictable but fun. Though you knew where the film was going at every turn, it was a more or less fun ride getting there. Unfortunately, the film does not have the substance to justify its 31 minute runtime.

Which films will win?

In the animated category, I suspect the boomer nostalgia for I Met the Walrus will triumph over Peter and the Wolf, a better film by far. Though the race looks to be between those two films, Même Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis still has an outside shot of winning, as the Academy tends to like their shorts funny.

Despite the fact that it was a terrible film, At Night has a big chance of winning this category because it is longest and has the most “important” topic (cancer). The Tonto Woman also has a good chance of winning because it actually deserves it, and the Academy likes to award great films (even if the don’t sometimes). The Substitute is a dark horse but shouldn’t be counted out just because it’s a comedy (remember last year’s winner, West Bank Story?).

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