As you know, one of the best entry points into the industry is with a
good short. This applies to directors, writers, actors etc. Every year
thousands of these get made and the vast majority fail to get the
point: they need to attract our attention and entertain us.

Here's some that passed the litmus test:

OSCAR NOMINATED LIVE ACTION SHORTS

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 cate-gory. 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 teacher terrorizes 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 beau-ties (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-the-building billboard for "Live Action Shorts", but there
should be.

ANIMATED SHORTS
This is hard for me. I can say what didn't work and that would be
MADAME TUTLI PUTLI. This is a more technique based category and
although I'm a camera person, I'm not an animator, so I can't comment
as assiduously about what's best. Yet story still matters in all
these, doesn't it? Isn't it about integrating story and image?
Visually, the most outstanding were the hand-painters; first Alexander
Petrov (a pre-vious Academy Award Winner) with MOYA LYUBOV (MY LOVE)
and Josh Raskin's I MET THE WALRUS. Petrov creates the effect of an
animated impressionist/post-impressionist painting while telling a
passionately feverish tale of a young man's lost love.
In great thematic and visual contrast, Raskin's pen illustrations
capture the tone and style of the visual pastiche 1960s as we hear an
interview recorded by then 14 year old Jerry Levitan who had snuck
into John Lennon's hotel room. As Lennon says, "It's all there if you
just look long enough."

MEME LES PIGEON VONT AU PARADIS (EVEN PIGEONS GO TO HEAVEN) was a very
clever French elbow in the side to of organized religion. Instead of
the priest as self sacrificial lamb a la the Bresson masterpiece
(DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST) we are presented with the hustler trying
to sell a giant diving bell to an old man with the promise that it
will take him directly to heaven. I won't say what happens but it
doesn't exactly work out that way.

PETER AND THE WOLF is a sweet and updated take on the Prokofiev
classic with Peter as a poor boy living in slum-like conditions on the
outskirts of a Russian city. Both of these are stop motion and
wonderfully smooth to watch, full of expression and life.
Finally back to MADAME.
This Canadienne/Quebecois entry is an amazing feat of puppetry about a
strange woman on a train that literally and metaphorically goes
nowhere. Here was an instance when the imagery overwhelmed the
"narrative" and believe me I love Godard, I don't always need
narrative. Yet it still must hold one's attention it was the only
entry that made me sleepy -- and it wasn't because it was the last one.
I conclude with exactly the same comment as above - they are all
really outstanding works of cinematic art and deserve to be seen much
more than, say, oh I don't know..the next JACKASS installment? Sorry
Johnny...why say sorry -- he'll get his release and tons of money for
his producers.

(c) WriteMovies.com 2008