“Dimanche/Sunday” This is a typical Sunday in the life of a little boy as he’s called from playing in the yard to, first, go to church and then to go to his grandparents for dinner. The animation is sparse and full of earth tones. Told from the boy’s perspective, there’s very little of interest for him unless he imagines it. There’s little dialogue and not much happens. It’s unclear why this short from Canada was included. 2 smiles
“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” This is a poignant and visually effective tale that has a certain Pixar-like quality. One day, a Wizard-of-Oz-like storm transports Mr. Lessmore to a magical place wehre books come to life, as do the people who read then. Books fly and dance and feel joy and sorrow. The flipbook way Humpty Dumpty animates is inspired. It’s a powerful tribute to the magic of reading and the power of the written word. It’s inventive, original, sentimental and meaningful. 4 smiles
“La Luna” This is Pixar’s only entry for the 2012 Academy Awards since their Cars 2 was shut out. This is a short 7-minute tale of a young boy who learns what the family business is one night when he accompanies his father and grandfather. Once they row out to sea, they stop and wait. A big surprise awaits the boy (and us). A charming fairytale-like story full of wonder and magic. 3 ½ smiles
“A Morning Stroll” I think this short attempts to answer the question, ‘Why did the chicken knock on the apartment door?’ Not that you asked it, but…… It’s 1959, in black and white and drawn with simple lines, and a man catches a glimpse of a chicken walking down the street, knocking on a door and being let in. Jump to 2009 and the same thing happens, only the animation has changed to color with a more complete drawing. Then it’s 2059 and fully textured zombies rule the Earth and, of course, one zombie sees the chicken. This showcases different animation styles, but I didn’t get it. 2 ½ smiles
“Wild Life” It’s 1909 and a young Brit sets out for the wilds of Alberta, Canada, seeking adventure. After a year, he finds only loneliness and desolation although his letters home tell a different story. There are some cards that pop up occasionally that compare our hero’s fate to that of a comet. Not compelling or interesting. 2 smiles
1 comment:
Its very hard to choose between these Animated Shorts. I like most of them (except DiManchi which made no sense). I am inclined to pick the wierdest of these for the Oscar which leads me to "The Morning Stroll". Most people will not see them all as we did.
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