Note: This program is scheduled to play for two weeks from Friday, 01/29/16 to Thursday, 02/11/16.
As with the animated shorts, curious parties can now see what the fuss is about over the five Oscar nominated Live Action short films. Again, this is a collection tackling many heavy themes, although they all seem to have different approaches.
Truthfully, it has always been difficult for live action shorts to make a strong dramatic impact on me. Often they’re very ambitious projects. However, the filmmakers have such a short period of time to establish characters and make an impression that the films don’t always hit emotions as strongly as they would like. Regardless, these are all exceptionally produced stories that are worth checking out.
Ave Maria (Palestine/France/Germany) is a comedy set in the West Bank. It follows a Jewish family on their way to Sabbath. When their car breaks down by a convent, it leads to some unexpected consequences. The bickering family (that border on becoming grating) can’t use a phone to call for help and the nuns at the convent have taken a vow of silence. It’s a short, light effort that is impressively photographed and offers a couple of decent chuckles.
Shok (Kosovo/UK) is a dark and grim picture featuring two young Albanian children living under Serbian occupation. One of the boys attempts to befriend and profit from a soldier, but events soon turn ugly and his family home is raided. The child actors are very good and the movie is effective in depicting some of the atrocities committed, even if there isn’t enough time to develop the soldiers as anything more than pure evil (no doubt there were people as horrendous as this, but the actors in the role aren’t given much to do but snarl and bark threats).
Everything Will Be OK (Germany/Austria) is my favorite of the group. It depicts a father picking up his daughter from his ex-wife for a visit to the fair. Of course, he has ulterior motives and embarks on an elaborate plan. Again, the acting is strong and the film is consistently tense from its first scene to the last, particularly as the lead character must deal with various complications to complete his mission. In fact, it does a great job of making the man relatable, even as he attempts a criminal act. Overall it’s the most dynamic of the bunch.
Stutterer (UK/Ireland) involves an introverted young typesetter with a speaking impediment. After befriending a woman online, he struggles with the question of whether or not to meet her in person. The sound design plays an important role as we hear the man’s thoughts and understand just how difficult it is for him to communicate his ideas verbally. This effort tells its story in a quick and efficient manner. The focus on a single main character and his internal conflict with a relatable problem makes the short a little easier to relate to than others.
Day One (USA) is a drama that tells the story of the first assignment of an Army interpreter placed with a military group in Afghanistan. When a suspect from a small village is investigated and arrested for bomb making, the lead must also act as nurse after the man’s wife goes into labor. It’s a noble story and generally well made all around, although it is almost earnest to a fault. The score even feels a bit too exaggerated over the birthing climax.
In all, it’s an interesting assortment of films dealing with all sorts of important issues. If you have any interest in short stories or perhaps even shooting one yourself, this Oscar nominated live action shorts program is worth studying and comes recommended.