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Wow...after suffering through that last...ahem...film, it was nothing but a pleasure to sit
down and see what the members of the Academy nominated in the short feature category.
Now I’m not a member, obviously, but I haven’t given up hope so I didn’t get these
in the mail. But then again I was told they don’t send out what we in the biz call
“screeners” of shorts for some reason. Another slight to this category. It’s like people
don’t think short stories are as good as novels -- until they’re in a big collection. But in
fact they are individual morsels and much easier to digest. As far as short films are
concerned, that part in the middle where you start to nod off (or want to kill yourself if it’s
a relentlessly blood spewing, car crashing, screamer) is not there. Just when you get to
that part...it’s already over. I mean, really, what could be better?
As for the films...quite an interesting and diverse array. At the top would be Tanghi Argentini from
Belgium and it’s not just because I’m a tango dancer myself although I’m sure that is a bit of a prejudice. Here a
shlubby desk jockey asks a co-worker to help him learn to dance Argentine (the authentic and most difficult) tango in two weeks which, if you know anything about dance and don’t believe Dancing With the Stars, you know is
impossible. Yet of course we’re rooting for him and the fairy tale twist at the end makes
it clear why.
 The Tonto Woman (UK), from an Elmore Leonard short story is by far the most cinematographically accomplished
with, I believe Spain standing in for the American west and starring Anthony Quinn’s reborn face in his
son Francesco Quinn. A small, spare story wrapped in the most beautiful package ever. Italy and France offer
two goofy comedies which showcase the superior wisdom of children over adults. In Il Supplente(The Substitute) a substitute teacherterrorizes the classroom of typically superior teenagers, who, of course, wind up teaching him a lesson.
 In Le Mozart Des Pickpockets
(The Mozart of Pickpockets) a
silly French comedy pair of hapless
thieves are rescued by a
deaf orphan who is the prodigy of
the title. Both are amusing, the
latter perhaps a bit more straight
line and satisfying. Finally, there
is the morose Zentropa offering,
At Night. Now I love, love, love Lars Von Trier and all he has done to invite us into his
world of anxiety and gloom and his
influence is felt here. What could
be more sad than watching three
gorgeous, young Danish beauties
(has anyone ever met a Danish
woman who wasn’t
gorgeous...really?) dying of unspecified
cancers.
The problem with this kind of scenario
is that I always immediately
ask myself...are they just pushing
my cancer button? Because if they
push it, it’s like instant lump in the
throat and tears...doesn’t matter
who it is, what the circumstance. That’s a lot to overcome and I can’t say it was entirely
done in this situation. I won’t be giving it away to say, well, someone dies.
Look...every single one these films was far and away superior to a good 75% of what I
went to see all year. OK, I do see just about everything...even stuff I know is going to
really stink but I can justify it as work. Perhaps you’ve heard this over and over but it’s
true...there is a lot of really good work, and I’m not talking about all the junk on YouTube
which is clogging the internet, that will have difficulty being seen because no one will
throttle you to death to tell you about it. Don’t hold your breath for the side-of-thebuilding
billboard for “Live Action Shorts”, but there should be.
Tanghi Argentini
Directed by Guido Thys; written by Geert Verbank, produced by Anja Adelemans, re-leased by Magnolia Pictures. Running time: 13 minutes.
WITH: Wannes Cappele(Patrick), Hilde Norga (Suzanne), Matthias Sercu (Elves), Dirk van Dijck (Andre), and Koen van Impe (Frans).
The Tonto Woman
Directed by Daniel Barber, written by Joe Schrapnel from a short story by Elmore Leonard, produced by Matthew Brown, released by Magnolia Pictures. Running time: 36 minutes.
WITH: Charlotte Asprey (Sarah Isham), Francesco Quinn (Ruben Vega) and Richard Brake (Isham.)
Le Mozart Des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)
Written and directed by Phillippe Pollet-Vilard, produced by Fabrice Goldstein, released by Magnolia pictures. Running time: 31 minutes.
WITH: Phillippe Pollet-Vilard (Phillippe), Matteo Razzouki-Safard (the Child) and Richard Morgiere (Richard.)
Il Supplente (the Substitute)
Written and directed by Andrea Jublin, produced by Lorenzo Foschi, released by Magnolia Pictures. Running time: 17 minutes.
WITH: Andrea Jublin, Arianna Dal Buono, Valentino Campitelli and Lorenzo DeCicco.
At Night
Written and directed by Christian E. Christiansen, produced by Louise Veth, released by Magnolia Pictures. Running time: 40 minutes.
WITH: Julie Olgaard (Stephanie), Laura Christensen (Sara) and Neel Ronhold (Mette.) |
