The short films aren't a big part of the Academy Awards, nor are they large pieces of entertainment. The longest nominated short this year is only 30 minutes while the shortest clocks in at a miniscule five minutes. Whether or not it's easier or harder to shoot a feature length or a short film depends on the filmmaker, but nonetheless, this year's group of shorts and features each have a story to tell.
Animated Shorts
"The Danish Poet" (Den Danske Dikteren)
Norwegian director Torill Koye receives her second Oscar nomination for "The Danish Poet" (her first was for "My Grandmother Ironed the King's Shirts").
A Danish poet named Kasper finds himself in the middle of a writing rut. He goes to a therapist who tells him to go on holiday, possibly to Norway. Kasper does his research and discovers an author whose works he reads and loves. So he sends her a letter to see if he could possibly come and visit, she says yes and so he's on his way.
But in the middle of his journey, Kasper seek refuge from a storm at a farm. He falls in love with the farmer's daughter and his story begins to mirror the book that started his quest to begin with.
The animation is similar to that of former Nickelodeon and Disney cartoon "Doug," with wavy lines and dots for eyes. The simple animation doesn't mean that it's less of film, but its story works on different levels that adults and children alike can enjoy.
Director/actress Liv Ullmann acts as omniscient narrator, who turns out to have a large stake in Kasper's story.
A short and sweet love story, "The Danish Poet" charms throughout its 15 minute time span.
"The Little Matchgirl"
From the producer of the Oscar winning "Beauty and the Beast" and the director of "The Lion King," comes the third and final short film from Walt Disney Pictures that features world music.
After "Fantasia/2000," Don Hahn and Roger Allen began collaborating on "The Little Matchgirl," which was included on the new DVD version of "The Little Mermaid" as a special feature.
Completely set to music by the Emerson String Quartet, "The Little Matchgirl" looks like a mixture of animated features "Anastasia" and "Lilo & Stitch." Told in dark hues, a little matchgirl huddles in the snow looking for warmth in a world that doesn't acknowledge her existence. She lights match after match as fantasies explode from the flame in warm tones.
The tale is a tragic one with the little girl freezing in the snow, but she gets to see her loving grandmother in one of her dreams before she goes.
"Maestro"
Hungarian animator, Geza M. Toth brings forth the Maestro as he prepares for his big show with the help of a mechanical arm. The arm's really running the show, mixing the Maestro's drink, combing his hair and dusting off his top hat.
Half of the five-minute short is done in the dark, with only the slightest bit of light letting viewers know that the mechanical arm doesn't need to see what it's doing. The lights of the mirrored dressing table finally get turned on and the Maestro preps his vocals, doing scales and drinking liquid from a straw.
All the preparation has viewers waiting to see how the Maestro will perform, and it's a comedic, cute ending.
Live Action Short Films
"Binta and the Great Idea" (Binta Y La Gran Idea)
In collaboration with UNICEF, director Javier Fesser and producer Luis Manso bring to life the story of Binta, an African girl with big ideas. The plot line splits into three stories with Binta narrating: Binta's life, her father's taking an idea across the country and Binta's cousin Soda's time trying to get her father to allow her to go to school.
It's a touching story that allows for a look into the lives of people that many would never be able to see otherwise. There's the parallels of a play that Binta helps to set in motion that mimic her cousin's home life and showing her uncle that girls have a right to go to school.
The story of Binta's father is sweet, but a little far fetched as seen by the officials that laugh when they read his letter. His good intentions, humanitarian ones at that, are worth mentioning though.
At 30 minutes, this is the longest of the shorts, but time passes quickly as the images roll across the screen and Binta weaves her story.
"The Saviour"
The door-to-door evangelists are used to getting the door slammed in their face. However, Malcom tells his co-workers that he's getting through to one of the women on his door-knocking route. He does one on ones with her, much to the chagrin of his partner Paul who is made to wait outside.
Malcome's got more than God on his mind though. He's in love, obsessed actually, with this woman who happens to be an atheist. They had a secret tryst and his feelings went deeper than hers. Now he's trying to break up her marriage so he can step in.
"The Saviour" works primarily as comedy. It's a funny concept that an atheistic woman sleeps with an evangelist trying to convert her. He doesn't have his priorities in line while he's working his route and almost gets caught. As the woman says, he needs reexamine his own faith before he moves on to converting others.
"Helmer and Son"
A father locks himself in his closest in Soren Pilmark and Kim Magnusson's short "Helmer and Son." The rest home that he's living in calls his two children to come in to coax their dear old dad out.
The son doesn't appreciate the call because he's a busy man running the family business. He thinks this is a ploy for his father to retake the business. The sister thinks that it's best to just let her father work things out in the closest while talking to him.
But when dad emerges, he's actually not alone. It's funny, but more odd than laugh out loud funny.
"Eramos Pocos" (One Too Many)
A father-son pairing find their home life in shambles when their wife/mother leaves them. There's no food, she through their belongings out on the street and they have no idea what to do with themselves. From the looks of their surroundings after she leaves, she cannot be blamed for being fed up.
They find a surrogate caretaker at the rest home. Mother-in-law/grandmother is the answer. She can cook and clean for them because she's just happy to no longer be locked up.
She's the answer to their prayers, cooking wonderful and elaborate meals, but she's got a secret that may worry her son-in-law and grandson or they'll ignore it. The short is a bit sexist as two men can't take care of themselves, but they show their savior the love she deserves after she takes the reins of the household.
"West Bank Story"
By far, Ari Sandel's musical comedy "West Bank Story" is the most hilarious of the. The plot plays off of "West Side Story" and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, one that's already a musical and one that's not actually a funny topic.
On the West Bank, two fast-food restaurants, the Kosher King and the Hummus Hut, compete for top falafel stand in the area. The Hummus Hut cashier and an Israeli soldier find themselves in a terrible love triangle between each other and their people.
Completely with dancing, and the highly recognizable snapping fingers of the Jets and Sharks, "West Bank Story" has all the cheesiness of its model while makes light of a conflict that could be worked out in the end.
The Academy Awards air on Feb. 25. The Times Cinema is currently playing the nominated shorts through Thursday, Feb. 22.
*Animated Shorts "No Time for Nuts" and "Lifted" were unavailable for review.
Originally from Des Plaines, Ill., Heather moved to Milwaukee to earn a B.A. in journalism from Marquette University. With a tongue-twisting last name like Leszczewicz, it's best to go into a career where people don't need to say your name often.
However, she's still sticking to some of her Illinoisan ways (she won't reform when it comes to things like pop, water fountain or ATM), though she's grown to enjoy her time in the Brew City.
Although her journalism career is still budding, Heather has had the chance for some once-in-a-lifetime interviews with celebrities like actor Vince Vaughn and actress Charlize Theron, director Cameron Crowe and singers Ben Kweller and Isaac Hanson of '90s brother boy band Hanson.
Heather's a self-proclaimed workaholic but loves her entertainment. She's a real television and movie fanatic, book nerd, music junkie, coffee addict and pop culture aficionado.
