The Oscar-Nominated Live-Action Shorts

How's that for a hyphenated title?

One of my favorite local theaters is so great as to get the Oscar-nominated shorts each year (including the documentary shorts this year), and in the midst of my busy winter schedule, I was able to finally see some of them yesterday.  Here are my thoughts on the films up for the much-coveted trophy.

The Confession                                                                                                                                                                                       

The Confession has the narrative power and depth of a full-length feature, all packed into a more easily-digested runtime.  The film follows two young boys (Lewis Howlett and Joe Eales) who prepare for their first confession by making sure they have something to confess.  Of course, their seemingly innocent prank goes awry, and the ensuing drama is stirring and morally troubling.  Howlett and Eales give great performances, the former capturing the struggle of doing the right thing and protecting himself and his friend, and the latter providing perfectly delivered comic relief.  Though the imagery used throughout is almost eye-rollingly obvious, it's still effective and, to a degree, quite powerful.  The film ends on a perfect note, capturing both childhood innocence and the impossibility of returning to such a state once that innocence is gone.

Wish 143                                                                                                                                                                                   
My personal favorite of the bunch, Wish 143 tackles potentially sentimental subject matter - a young cancer patient's dying wish - with a sense of humor and a refreshing sincerity.  The film never comes close to crossing the line into melodrama, instead allowing its simple, funny narrative to unfold with charm and genuine emotion.

Samuel Peter Holland plays David, the patient, and does so stunningly.  Holland shows great range as his character seeks love (and more specifically, sex) in his waning days.  David is a fully-realized character, beautifully flawed and honest, scarred but still so alive.  I can only hope that Holland will find work on larger projects; if this film is any indication, he holds incredible promise.  His great work serves as the heartbeat of this amazing film.

Na Wewe                                                                                                                                                                               
Na Wewe is one of the least effective films in the lot.  It's yet another tale of racial tension, this time between the Tutsis and Hutus.  The film is more or less comprised of one scene, in which a group of violent Hutus try to weed out the Tutsis from amongst a group of travelers in a van.  The scared passengers take turns explaining their respective nationalities and why their lives should be spared, some accounts truthful and others not, and as they drive away, the positive message of unity among mankind is reiterated in a somewhat subtle manner.  It's not a bad film by any means, but alongside some of the other contenders, it feels stale.

The Crush                                                                                                                                                                           
The worst film of the bunch, The Crush fails for two primary reasons: a bad plot and child acting.  A student (Oran Creagh) who falls in love with his teacher is a fine conceptual basis for a film, and certainly, The Crush features a few adorable moments springing from this central conceit, but the film takes a turn for the creepy when the tot gets sadistic.  His confrontation with teacher's fiance fails on so many levels, one hardly knows where to start.  Beyond the questionable acting, the awful plot development and amateurish camerawork that make the scene even more unbearable, perhaps fitting considering what an ill-conceived project the film is as a whole.

God of Love                                                                                                                                                                            
This black-and-white love story is masterfully made: it, more than any of the other nominees, feels like a wholly-realized film.  Smart editing, a funny concept, and great acting make God of Love one of this year's stand-outs in the category.  Each scene is goofier than the last, and all the wackiness is captured in beautiful shades of gray and with fine musical accompaniment.  God of Love, like The Confession, has the makings of a feature in it.  I, for one, would enjoy spending more time with a modern-day Cupid who himself is a loser at love.

As far as predictions go, these categories are tough to call.  Last year, I bet against my favorites (The New Tenants and Logorama), only for them to go on and win their respective categories.  So this year, I think I'll go with Wish 143 for the win: it's funny and heart-felt, a great combination that should certainly appeal to Academy voters.