Oscar Nominated Shorts 2015 (Live Action & Animated) - Short but Not so Sweet

Part of my award season ritual involves going to see both the oscar nominated live action and animated shorts. It's something I view as a tradition as I've watched the nominees in these categories for the past five years. As I said in my review of last year's nominees, the amazing thing about short films is that their greatest strength is their brevity. However, in order for a short film to be successful it has to make an impact. Quite frankly in comparison to last year's nominees, this year's just aren't as good. Not to say they aren't bad but compared to the variety and brilliance of last year's films they simply don't impress as much. With that said though, below are my short reviews for these short films. All are still worth watching at least once.

Live Action

Aya

An interesting concept, the story follows a woman who is mistaken for someones else's hired driver from the airport. However rather than trying to correct the man's mistake, she revel's in the attention. The film is well shot and like I said the premise is interesting. However despite the film's strengths it feels slightly too long, and also by the end there isn't really a conclusion that makes the entire experience feel justifiable.

Boogaloo and Graham

The comic relief of the nominees, the film was the TIFF's pick during the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. It follows two Irish boys who get chickens as pets, totally changing their lives for better and for worse. It's a nice light-hearted movie and has some good laughs, but it's also incredibly predictable. Side note, why they use subtitles for the boys is confusing as their accented english isn't by any means incomprehensible.

Butter Lamp

This was an interesting piece. The premise is simple, it's merely two photographers taking pictures of tibetan villagers in front of different backdrops. It's effortless and powerful, showing that even the most basic of ideas can stir a myriad of emotions from the viewer. Even the ending is striking and in some ways completely changes the audiences understanding of the film.

Parvaneh

While watching Parvaneh, I thought I had the film's story figured out. It starts out like so many films where the protagonist is trying to make a new life in a new country and struggles to make ends meet. As a result I was pleasantly surprised when the film took a twist and became an interesting commentary on friendship, loyalty, and a reflection on how so many of us treat outsiders. It's a well written film and the performances are understated but excellent. I'm sorry for misjudging you Parvaneh.

The Phone Call

A bittersweet short that deals with themes of death and suicide, The Phone Call is a piece that has some absolutely astounding performances. Heather is a suicide hotline worker who receives a call from a very troubled caller. What plays over the rest of film is an emotional and powerful dialogue between the two. Without giving too much away, my only complaint of the film is the latter half of it's ending. It feels a little out of place with the rest of the film.

Oscar Pick: The Phone Call

I'm not exactly sure what it says about me, but I really liked The Phone Call. I think its dialogue and the themes it deals with are why I think it's worthy of an academy award. Butter Lamp would be a very close second, as in a way it's the opposite with its "show, don't tell" approach.

Animation

The Bigger Picture

A multi-dimensional stop motion film, The Bigger Picture shows the story of two adult siblings trying to take care of their ailing mother. The progression of the film feels almost dream-like and disjointed, with scenes jumping forward and backwards in time in a surreal manner. It's not a very interesting film overall, but it is very interesting to look at.

The Dam Keeper

Incredibly beautiful, The Dam Keeper is a film about a young pig that is alone in his town as the sole dam keeper, who keeps the dark miasma at bay from the town. Over the course of the film he meets a young fox who helps him learn that he doesn't have to be alone. A very nice piece, even if it is a little on the childish side.

Feast

Disney's entry for the academy awards, I've seen it tons of times and after a while like day-old bread it gets a little stale. The animation is amazing and the story is cute, but it's only worth seeing once. And if you went and saw Big Hero 6 last year, you've already seen it to.

Me and My Moulton

I'm not exactly sure what is up with the Canadians and slice of life animated films, but here's another one. But, unlike the others this one is far more entertaining. Animated like a child's drawing, it's simplistic style is combined with a very funny story. It follows the story of a Norwegian family with three young daughters whose parents are modernist architects. It explores the age old story of what happens when your family is so different compared to anyone else's, and in the end accepting those differences.

A Single Life

Only two minutes long, this short is a prime example of how a well-executed short film can convey so much in such a such a short time. This darkly comic and clever cartoon combines music, time travel, and mortality in a very entertaining way. And all in two minutes! Did I also mention that the music is fantastic

Oscar Pick: A Single Life

A Single Life is what every short should aspire to as it is the perfect combination of length and impact. As odd as Me and My Moulton was at times, it was incredibly fun to watch and would be a close second for the award.

Rest in Peace Monty Oum

When I was in high school, I came across a video on Game Trailers that was unlike anything else I'd seen before. It was an animation piece called "Dead Fantasy I", an animated fight sequence between the female characters of the Final Fantasy and Dead or Alive franchises. Actually, simply calling it an animated fight sequence doesn't do it enough justice. Rather than try to describe what a masterpiece of choreography it is, you can watch it below.

It was then that I first learned of Monty Oum, an incredibly talented and creative individual who sadly passed away on February 1st, 2015. News that he was in critical condition was announced the Friday before, with a link to a fund to raise money to support his wife and family in this very difficult time. The response was phenomenally supportive with the fund receiving many generous donations. It is a testament to his character and the love that so many people have for him. In addition to donating I thought I would just highlight some of the amazing pieces he worked on and showcase what a true visionary he was.

Haloid (2007)

Perhaps the first video that brought him to the limelight, an epic fight between Samus Aran and Master Chief (or in this case Spartan-458) was our first taste of his amazing ability to seemingly do it all.

Dead Fantasy (2007-2009)

Combining amazing combat choreography, sharp animation, and two of the largest gaming franchises of all time, Monty managed to create series of action-packed and thrilling episodes. The series was put on hold after Monty was hired by Rooster Teeth, but even after all these years the fights are still a pleasure to watch.

Red vs. Blue

Monty was hired by Rooster Teeth in 2009 to work as a character animator and choreographer on the hit online show Red vs. Blue. While for most of us the show is about the comedy rather than the combat, his addition to the studio can be seen in the show from Season 8 onward in the series' leap in animation quality for certain segments.

RWBY

As the show's creator and lead animator, RWBY is in many ways the essence of his style and talents. From the show's anime aesthetic to the awesome weaponry, Monty created a vibrant and exciting universe to explore.

Monty had the unique ability to envision the entire film from start to finish, and as you watch his works it becomes all the more clear. Even though he was taken from us far too soon, he managed to create great things and inspire thousands. Obviously everyone is still coming to terms will such a massive loss, and therefore it is all the more important that we remain supportive of his family and friends. The fund is still accepting donations if you're looking for ways to support, you can find that here. As Matt Hullum wrote in his journal on how to honour Monty,

As for honoring Monty, we will do that in our own way. In lieu of flowers or gifts, we ask that you simply do something creative. Use your imagination to make the world a better place in any way that you can. If you know Monty like we do, then you know he would certainly be doing that if he were able to.  

Rest in Peace Monty, You Will Be Missed.