Comments on: Academy Award (Oscar) nominated short films 2009

By: Ezra Cambra

Ezra Cambra — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 22:21:33 +0000

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By: Jo

Jo — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:06:58 +0000

Immediately after seeing “Toyland” I knew that it would be the film to take the Oscar this Sunday evening. Not only was it a story with historical significance, but it was also crafted in a way that allowed the piece to resonate with the viewer, sympathize with the characters, and it was amazing visually.

I enjoyed “On the Line,” but to me it felt like a feature film jammed into a short amount of time. I enjoyed the narrative but found it to be somewhat predictable at moments.

“The New Boy” was a beautifully constructed film that was able to have a comedic element while still maintaining the seriousness of the story of the boy’s life and consequent “landing” in Ireland. It tackled tough issues but with a sense of innocence that you can only capture by having a story told through the eyes of children.

Manon on the Asphalt was my favorite, by far. I feel as though it’s due to my personal experiences that I brought to the film. It’s easy to think about a situation such as hers and try to imagine the heartbreak it would bring those around you as well as the events that would take place after your untimely demise. I felt as though the color was vibrant throughout, the characters extremely real, and the structure was just very much what I wanted to see.

I am left to discuss “The Pig” which is my personal hope for the Oscar. Even though this wasn’t my most favored film, I believe the search for a national identity as well as the culture struggles that were presented were done eloquently and in a way that didn’t overpower the simplicity of the story. It was a marvelous screenplay with time for both serious moments as well as the laughter that was brought on by the antics of the elderly man.

By: Mark Bellomo

Mark Bellomo — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:55:42 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed the film “The New Boy.” The use of flash backs was brilliant as we were able to gain a sense of Joseph’s prior life situation. He of course stands out now that he’s in an entirely different place. It’s almost as if Joseph would not have been able to come out on top at the end had he not experienced the assumed loss of his father. It is interesting that his teacher stands up for him through the beginning scenes of the film and he goes against her and is able to gain a few laughs at her expense. Although he is able to essentially identify himself with the bullies as being one in the same with them by making fun of his teacher, the audience is given the treat to a happy ending.
The ending is what really caught my interest. In his flashbacks, Joseph fully identifies with his father (the teacher). In Joseph’s new enironment, he is able to eventually identify with his enemy (the students). The final minutes of the film leave us with an impression that Joseph will be able to happily live in the new environment that he was unfortunately forced to be place in.

By: Lauren_Magdalene

Lauren_Magdalene — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:56:34 +0000

Out of the five, I would say that the three strongest films that resonated the most with me are New Boy, The Pig and Toyland.

I agree with you that Toyland probably WILL take the Oscar. Not because it is the best of the five, by any means… I wouldn’t be able to choose one “BEST” short, but like you said, “given what we know about the Oscars…

Still, Toyland immediately captivated me, both with its low contrast, unsaturated color, and with the adorable boys playing a perfectly beautiful piano duet. I also thought the present shots of the boy’s worried mother to flashbacks of the day before, were very effective, making it quite easy to follow the story.

I think Asbjørn’s daughter added a nice edge to The Pig. I hadn’t expected such a blowout over a painting of a pig. It was interesting to see the connection between Asbjørn and his daughter while, at first, she does not seem very much like him at all, but by the end, you can tell they are supposed to be related, shown in the way they handle themselves. The music also reinforces playfulness to a man so young and free at heart to be enlightened by a pig.

The New Boy was beautiful. “There is much in his eyes as there is depth to the eyes of all kids” -Dr. Deshpande. This is very true, and in this film, the Joseph’s eyes often set up a leeway into a flashback of he and his father. The most distinctive part for me was inside Joseph’s flashback as his father is being lead outside at gunpoint, and he is brought back to reality as something is thrown at him by one of the bullies. There is so much underlying symmetry throughout this film, as well as throughout the other four. The editing is impeccable overall.

The live-action shorts were great and I am compelled to go see the animated shorts now!