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.