It's day 2 or maybe it just feels like it, for shorts these things are pretty long or feel long, kind of like Lord of the Rings: Return of the King--just when you thought it was over another ending popped up on the screen. It's possible we shouldn't have seen them back to back but we are in it now and going to ride this wave to the end--whenever that is. Here's what transpired:
Dimanche/Sunday: this is a Canadian entry and let me see if I can explain it to you. It's hand drawn old school and follows a small child on what I'm guessing is Sunday. It follows him as he places coins on the train tracks by his house, then goes to the grandparents for dinner where he meets a bear head on their wall that is actually alive as his body is outside the house. The bear evidently gets tired and pulls himself out of the house and then goes to lie down on the train tracks where the boy is placing another coin and then gets run over by the train--bear suicide. Then the kid and his parents get back in their car and go home. The end. Yeah I didn't get it or understand it either--it was weird and odd and...ugh. Would be surprised if this won.
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore: you can actually check this out here. Produced by Moonbot Studios in Louisiana this computer animated entry was fantastical, whimsical, poignant and the slightest bit maudlin toward the end. It was actually cleverly done and colorful and sort of reminds one of the old MGM movies of the 40's and 50's. Plus it's about a man and his undying love for books and how he becomes the next in line to run a library of books that are alive. I did enjoy this and think this has a good chance to win just from the look of it alone.
La Luna: this is the requisite Pixar entry since I think there is some unwritten bylaw in the Academy that says they have to have a nomination in animation categories every year. It's about 3 generations of what I'll call star sweepers who go to the moon every night and sweep stars on the moon to make the moon look like it's full or crescent or whatever. Pixar does good animation and they are great with water but the story here was nothing special. When you are as good as Pixar you really need to wow with each new release and this is just more of the basic good they do. If this wins it will be by their name alone.
A Morning Stroll: an entry from the UK this is loosely based on a story in Paul Auster's book "True Tales of American Life" about a chicken that takes a stroll every morning first in the 1950's, then in 2010, then in 2059. Each of the 3 vignettes is done in different style, the first is hand drawn lines, the second is todays comic books style and the third which has zombies is futuristic graphic novel style. It was interesting and kind of funny, wasn't my particular cup of tea but it did win the BAFTA (the British Academy Award) this year plus a Sundance prize so based on that I think it's probably the leader to win, not my choice but seems like everyone else's.
Wild Life: a second Canadian entry and I still don't get them. This is the story of an Englishman who goes to the Canadian wilds in the 1800's live a wild west dream. While his story unfolds we given snippets about Haley's Comet or some such thing. In the end the Englishman goes out for a trek in the snow and lies down to look at the night sky and supposedly a comet streaking by and then he freezes to death. Another uplifting short film from Canada. Again I don't understand and really don't think it's going to win, though some folks in my audience seemed to like it--I guessed they were probably Canadian.
After you watch Mr. Lessmore online you can see trailers for the others or you can just go to the theater and see them on the big screen (though don't sit too close cause I still have a stiff neck) or you could just skip it and when filling out your Oscar ballot just close your eyes and pick one and hope for the best---and that all your other choices are spot on. So bring on the ballots!!
ANIMATED SHORTS
Dimanche/Sunday: this is a Canadian entry and let me see if I can explain it to you. It's hand drawn old school and follows a small child on what I'm guessing is Sunday. It follows him as he places coins on the train tracks by his house, then goes to the grandparents for dinner where he meets a bear head on their wall that is actually alive as his body is outside the house. The bear evidently gets tired and pulls himself out of the house and then goes to lie down on the train tracks where the boy is placing another coin and then gets run over by the train--bear suicide. Then the kid and his parents get back in their car and go home. The end. Yeah I didn't get it or understand it either--it was weird and odd and...ugh. Would be surprised if this won.
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore: you can actually check this out here. Produced by Moonbot Studios in Louisiana this computer animated entry was fantastical, whimsical, poignant and the slightest bit maudlin toward the end. It was actually cleverly done and colorful and sort of reminds one of the old MGM movies of the 40's and 50's. Plus it's about a man and his undying love for books and how he becomes the next in line to run a library of books that are alive. I did enjoy this and think this has a good chance to win just from the look of it alone.
La Luna: this is the requisite Pixar entry since I think there is some unwritten bylaw in the Academy that says they have to have a nomination in animation categories every year. It's about 3 generations of what I'll call star sweepers who go to the moon every night and sweep stars on the moon to make the moon look like it's full or crescent or whatever. Pixar does good animation and they are great with water but the story here was nothing special. When you are as good as Pixar you really need to wow with each new release and this is just more of the basic good they do. If this wins it will be by their name alone.
A Morning Stroll: an entry from the UK this is loosely based on a story in Paul Auster's book "True Tales of American Life" about a chicken that takes a stroll every morning first in the 1950's, then in 2010, then in 2059. Each of the 3 vignettes is done in different style, the first is hand drawn lines, the second is todays comic books style and the third which has zombies is futuristic graphic novel style. It was interesting and kind of funny, wasn't my particular cup of tea but it did win the BAFTA (the British Academy Award) this year plus a Sundance prize so based on that I think it's probably the leader to win, not my choice but seems like everyone else's.
Wild Life: a second Canadian entry and I still don't get them. This is the story of an Englishman who goes to the Canadian wilds in the 1800's live a wild west dream. While his story unfolds we given snippets about Haley's Comet or some such thing. In the end the Englishman goes out for a trek in the snow and lies down to look at the night sky and supposedly a comet streaking by and then he freezes to death. Another uplifting short film from Canada. Again I don't understand and really don't think it's going to win, though some folks in my audience seemed to like it--I guessed they were probably Canadian.
After you watch Mr. Lessmore online you can see trailers for the others or you can just go to the theater and see them on the big screen (though don't sit too close cause I still have a stiff neck) or you could just skip it and when filling out your Oscar ballot just close your eyes and pick one and hope for the best---and that all your other choices are spot on. So bring on the ballots!!
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