Oscar Short Films - Live Action

So you know those short films that get Oscars each year? They actually exist. And for the first time in my life, I was able to see all of them before the awards ceremony on Sunday. A theater in Ann Arbor played the Animated and Live Action short films in sequence for about a 4 hour event total. First, I'll tell you about the Live Action films:

There were five films nominated this year, all from foreign countries.

Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)
A middle-aged department store security guard is in love with a woman who works in the bookstore. He pretty much stalks her, always watching her from the security cameras. They take the same train back to their home, hence the title. One night, a tragedy finally gives Rolf the guard a chance to be with his love, but he is forced to make a fateful decision. It's only 30 minutes, so it is a concise emotional drama that never has a chance to get boring. Characters have a chance to be fully fleshed out.


**** out of *****

New Boy

In this short film, an African boy joins an elementary school in Ireland. The movie is an excellent portrayal of friendship and adolescent behavior. Anybody who went to grade school will smile at the interaction between the boy, Joesph, and his classmates. We've all had memories of dealing with the new kid, the nerdy attention seekers, and bullies that will resurface during this film. Interwoven with the classroom scenes are flashbacks to Joesph's harrowing past, which is too interesting and unexpected to spoil. New Boy will linger in your mind long after it is over. Try to find it somewhere online. A must-see.

***** out of *****

The Pig


This short film features an elderly Danish man named Asbjorn who is admitted into a hospital for surgery in his buttocks. After complications arise, Asbjorn begins to question his mortality. He finds solace in a painting of a pig on the wall opposite his hospital bed. One morning, Asbjorn awakens to find the painting missing (for a reason I will not disclose) and begins a crusade to reclaim this beloved painting. The Pig is cleverly constructed, dealing with sensitive matters about race and religion in a very humorous fashion. I was laughing constantly. This was my favorite film of the bunch, but New Boy was close.

***** out of *****

Manon the Asphalt
I wish I didn't have to explain the plot of this film. I had no idea what to expect in this film, so when events transpired, I was pleasantly surprised. This movie is a great way to spend 15 minutes of your time, so if you want to be spoiler-free, stop reading now.


The title works in two ways: the main character is named Manon and she lies dying on the road after a traffic accident. And of course, there's the idea that there is a "Man on the Asphalt." Anyways, as Manon lays dying she narrates her predicted reactions of her friends in family. You'll start thinking about everyone you care about as Manon thinks about everyone she is going to leave behind. If you've lost someone in an accident, this film is particularly poignant.

**** out of *****

Spielzeugland (Toyland)
I'm going to try to run through this film without sounding anti-Semitic. I'm sick of movies that exploit the Holocaust. It was the most horrific tragedy in history, and by throwing movie after movie at it, we are reducing it to a film genre. Seriously, after the masterpiece that is Schindler's List, there should have been no more Holocaust films. Instead, this year, we got The Reader, Defiance, and at least 3 others off the top of my head.

Toyland is just a retread of The Boy With the Striped Pajamas, which was released earlier this year. They both deal with friendship between a German boy and a Jewish boy, except Boy was actually trying to show the psychology of a Nazi family. Toyland just plays with the emotions of the audience. There was no reason to make this movie, except to win an Oscar. Just like Crash. I hated every minute of Toyland and I hate the fact that it won the Oscar. I hated its disgustingly heart-pulling ending and narrative frame. In fact, I'm going to recommend people to watch Toyland to see how pathetic it is. No more Holocaust films, por favor.

no stars. zero out of *****.