This year’s live-action (ie not animated) shorts are splendid, as follows (reviews and a couple of trailers):
Na Wewe (Belgium). This is my personal favorite although I’m not convinced that it will win the Oscar, not the least because of its sophistication. Nw Wewe means “You too” in Kirundi. It takes place on the border between Rwanda and Burundi and is, ostensibly, about the conflict between Hutus and Tutsis. But really it is an exciting 19 minutes full of action, vivid characterization and exploration of the complexities of identity. This fast-paced slice of conflict ends with an ironic giggle.
The Confession (UK). I suspect that this one will take the Oscar and it is quite a gripping 24 minutes that, in its own way, places the Catholic Church in the role of indirect murderer. A class of 9-year-olds is being prepared for their first Confessions and one boy Sam can’t really identify any sins from the sample list they’ve been given by the priest. He’s stressed about having nothing to confess. His best friend Jacob decides to help him remedy this affliction – this clean conscience – and in the process their innocence is forever lost.
Wish 143 (UK). David is dying and at 15 he is approached by a dreams-come-true charity. He doesn’t want their proffered day at Disneyland – he wants to lose his virginity. Neither the agency nor his only friend, the priest, fancies playing the pimp. In the end, he gets what he needs.
The Crush (Ireland). An 8-year-old schoolboy has a serious case of hots for his not unappealing teacher, despite her engagement to a local lout. Young Ardal Travis decides to challenge the dickhead for Miss Purdy’s hand and demands a duel to the death. The thing is – Ardal actually knows what he is doing. The film is kinda cool, but is more slice than life.
God of Love (USA). Raymond Goodfellow has a combo lounge act – singing and hitting bullseyes with his darts. When he gets a packet of darts that puts him in the position of Cupid, he begins wreaking havoc on those around him. This is probably the weakest film of the set, a student project that felt a bit adolescent.
SUE, you have an excellent website and your comments are enjoyable to read. I assume that is a picture of your bare foot in the snow? Very sexy. However, when you start saying that you are "over" Melissa Leo because of her acceptance speech, you have crossed the line. We judge an actress by the quality of her performances on screen and in the theatre. We do not judge them by the quality of their speeches. I respect the fact that you did not like her speech, but I did! She is one of the greatest actresses of our time. She will be winning Academy Awards for many years to come. She will be to the Oscars what the New York Yankees are to baseball. Behold, the "Leo Dynasty." Get on board Sue! Do not let the train pass you by.
Posted by: Don | 01 April 2011 at 11:22
Dear Don,
First for the disappointments: no that is definitely not my foot in the snow - never wore nailpolish on hands or feet, ever. As for your support of Melissa Leo, I say, go for it. Loyalty is a wondrous quality and your enthusiasm is a credit to her. I cannot dispute your point that she needs to be judged on her work, not her speeches. Altho I do judge artists by their politics (this isn't relevant to Leo) and cannot, for example, stomach Dali because of his Nazi cheerleading. So there are things that affect how you see a work besides the work itself.
Again this doesn't have anything directly to do with Leo's performance, which was grand indeed.
Posted by: Sue Katz | 01 April 2011 at 12:14