Every year, the Oscar Nominated Shorts marks (roughly) the anniversary of when I started writing movie reviews on a regular basis. I’ve now officially written at least one (if not two, three, or four) reviews every week for two years. That’s nearly 200 reviews. I’m pretty proud of that, considering I don’t get paid (yet) and I have a day job and a family. Luckily, I’ve got the support of said family, and my job keeps me in the creative spirit.
So, how about these shorts? Well, this is my third round with them and I have to say this is the weakest assemblage I’ve seen so far. There are some moments of humanity in the animated bunch, a few more in the documentaries, and nearly zero in the live action. In fact, most of the live-action entries are nasty and borderline sadistic. All the same, I urge you to seek out all the nominees if you can. Even though I wasn’t as impressed as I have been in the past, I believe in the short film format and encourage its inclusion in the industry’s highest honors.
Here we go. Your 2019 Oscar Nominated Short Films:
Animated
Apart from Animal Behaviour (a clever and quirky look at the nature of instinct and the ability to change), all this year’s animated shorts dealt with the relationships between parents and children. Bao – Disney·Pixar’s entry – has a certain sweetness to it but I’ve grown tired of their pandering. And that they’re basically guaranteed a spot on the list every year makes me question the nomination process. Late Afternoon fared better for me – a charming piece dealing with aging and dementia. One Small Step also fired off the brain synapses for me, but I saw through its sentimentality a bit too easily. The real winner is Weekends – a strange and sometimes nightmarish look at divorce through the mind of an imaginative child.
My pick to win: Weekends (however, Bao is tailor-made for the Oscars)
Live Action
For some reason, this year’s live-action shorts are a very grisly affair. They could reflect the world mood right now, but if that’s the case, why the hell is everyone so pissed off at children. First, there’s Detainment, about the real-life 1993 killing of a two-year-old by a couple of 10-year-olds. Its subject matter alone is disagreeable, but what’s worse is I can’t for the life of me figure out what the point of it is. Who is it for? Fauve, while tragic, isn’t as mean-spirited as Detainment. It’s sad but isn’t set amongst evil deeds. Marguerite is the kindest of the nominees, lingering in a sense of sadness and regret that is easily understood, making it the most hopeful outing. Madre is another one that isn’t kind to children. It may live in the same cruel world as Detainment, but its presentation is much better. The tension is effectively ramped up with the aid of its long, single shot format, but the ugliness may prove to be too much for some. Skin had potential until its premise kicked in and ruined the whole thing. It’s ridiculous, and from the moment you realize what’s happened, you know exactly what’s going to happen next.
My pick to win: Marguerite (but Fauve might sneak in there)
Documentary
These were better, which is often the case. I loved A Night at the Garden – a short 7-minute piece made up of nothing by archival footage of a Nazi rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1939. The parallels it draws to today’s political climate are chilling – and done so without narration or explanation. Black Sheep is an interesting piece about racism and its dizzying effects. Told mostly through reenactments, it’s a refreshing change of pace, even though the subject matter can easily baffle the mind. Period. End of Sentence came out of nowhere for me. An inspiring story about women in India trying to erase the shame of menstruation by bringing them clean, affordable pads. It’s funny and eye-opening – nearly everything you want a documentary to be. End Game is a well-meaning but overdrawn short about people near the end of their lives. Its point was never made clear to me, but the stories told are compelling. Lifeboat would be better if I’d never seen 4.1 Miles – a spectacular short documentary from a few years back. The story of refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea is one worth telling from multiple angles, but I can’t help but compare one film to the other.
My pick to win: Period. End of Sentence (but I’d like to see it go to Night at the Garden)
Tune in to the Oscars February 24 at 8 pm EST to see who takes home statues.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.