Five animated shorts

I was curious about the nominations for this year’s Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film. Last week I had a chance to watch them all.

Forevergreen

a film by Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears

Moralising and predictable, this film is hands down the wurst of the lot. In case you didn’t know it: pine nuts good, junk food bad.

The Three Sisters

a film by Konstantin Bronzit

The three titular sisters lead their forlorn existence on a small island. Naturally, it’s all transformed when a sailor moves in. This (not so) slightly misogynistic short can make you giggle a couple of times before you get bored.

The Girl Who Cried Pearls

a film by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski

I wonder what was the real reason for giving this stop-motion animation its Oscar. Yes, it’s technically stunning. The story is rather dubious, to say the least. And I didn’t feel any emotional connection to its, let’s be honest, ugly characters.

Butterfly

a film by Florence Miailhe

Touching and beautiful, Butterfly is based on the life of the Olympic swimmer and Holocaust survivor Alfred Nakache. Now this is the Oscar material.

Retirement Plan

a film by John Kelly

At just seven minutes, this film is the shortest — and, IMHO, the best — of the five.

Paul McCartney and Wings: One Hand Clapping

a film by David Litchfield

A 1974 rockumentary featuring Wings at the height of their powers, lovingly restored and released 50 years later. With Paul, Linda, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, Geoff Britton and Howie Casey. A joy to watch from beginning to end. The highlights, if you need any, include Live and Let Die and any bits where Macca sings solo accompanying himself on the piano.

Memoir of a Snail

a film by Adam Elliot

It’s more than refreshing to see a modern animation (or any modern film, for that matter) made entirely by humans. In words of its director,

every prop, set and character in the film has been handmade. There’s no CGI, no AI, everything you see is something real and tangible that you could hold in your hand.

Besides the visuals, I loved the story and its (often, but not always, dark) humour. The voice talents include Sarah Snook, Jacki Weaver, Eric Bana, Dominique Pinon and Nick Cave (yes the Nick Cave).

Bright Size Life

by Pat Metheny

Metheny’s debut LP, released 50 years ago today, remains one of my desert island jazz albums. Almost everything about it is, well, bright. Bob Moses on drums and pre-Weather Report Jaco Pastorius on bass shine throughout, and the man himself is not bad either. I said “almost”. I’m not a fan of “traditional” hollow-body jazz guitar sound which is too dull for my taste. IMHO a purely acoustic guitar or a solid-body electric guitar would make Bright Size Life even brighter. (Later, Metheny would develop the taste for guitar synthesiser which I also don’t care for; luckily, no such abomination here.)

If I had to choose my favourite tracks, I’d go with Midwestern Nights Dream, Ornette Coleman’s Round Trip/Broadway Blues and the title composition.

Lo normal

a play by Menudas Pájaras
interpreted by Núria Cano Cano

I saw this event advertised simply as “obra teatro” to take place in the Civic Centre of Nanclares de la Oca. By what theatre? Anyway, I was intrigued: finally, something cultural is happening in Nanclares! Great or awful, I was determined to see it.

Thankfully, I was not alone: the auditorium was optimistically half-full. I’m glad that I came to the show. It’s clever, it’s funny, and it’s necessary. Núria Cano, a clown and a sexologist (that’s right), engaged the audience in unusual ways but, as I don’t want to spoil a surprise, I’ll say no more.

A Dry White Season

a film by Euzhan Palcy
based on a novel by André Brink
music by Dave Grusin

Donald Sutherland, Susan Sarandon and Marlon Brando notwithstanding, A Dry White Season was a box office flop. As the director put it, “That’s the terrible thing about being a pioneer”. I have to admit that I never heard about this film until now. So thank you La Filmoteca Valenciana for enlightening me.

It’s not an easy watch, and why should it be? But watch it, you won’t regret it. Featuring the flugelhorn of Hugh Masekela and songs by Ladysmith Black Mambazo; also starring Zakes Mokae, Thoko Ntshinga, Winston Ntshona, Jürgen Prochnow and Janet Suzman.

The Duke

a film by Roger Michell

I only paid for TV licence in the UK for about 18 months, in 1995 and 1996, and that was for an old black and white telly that my professor lent me. (I’ll never get this money back.) During and after that time, the TV Licensing folk kept harassing me by sending threatening letters: first, by implying I might well have acquired a colour TV set and should pay more, and then, when we moved far away, by asking why don’t we pay if, in all probability, we already have TV in our household. Which we didn’t.

So Kempton Bunton should have been my hero, except I never heard about him until I watched this film. Starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren, it’s a charming, very English comedy.