I have been watching the Oscar for a while now, and I love to watch as much movies as possible, this year I am just missing 2 live action short films, so I would like to talk about one of the two category relevant to this lounge. The 5 animated short films are great, loved them, some years that is not the case but I am happy about the selection this year.
Robin Robin: This is the most wholesome and kid friendly nominee. I found it charming both visually and narratively. IMO this could be a very successfull feature length but I am very glad they kept it short format. Streaming services allow short formats to become as well known and respected as feature length. If this charming short film wins I hope it helps making short film more mainstream.
Bestia: As a latin american I was so happy when A Bear Story won in this category some years ago. For us the history of Chile is well known and is a very clear example of the extreme circumstances a country can go through when a foreign nation decides to mess it up for its own interests. Bestia is another story about the hash years under Pinochet´s dictatorship told through animation. Creepy, even terrifying once you research the true story it is based on. It seems a bit abstract if you don`t have the context. Visually it reminded me about Anomalisa. I love the textures of the miniatures used for the stop motion.
The Windshield Whiper: This is a gorgeous thing to watch, like a moving painting, it awes the sight. I am even planning on rewatching it before the ceremony. My main problem with this one is the narrative. I found it a bit bland, a bit lacking of things to say while at the same time trying to make an important statement about humanity. I think a more succesfull attempt at something like this would be the nominated documentary Ascencion. Nevertheless as an animator I cannot help but feel admiration for the technical and artistical work on this film.
BoxBallet: This charming little love story reminded me so much of my own doodles on my highschool notebooks. The character design, the expressions, the editing, the animation choices all seemingly comedic work marvelously to convey emotions and situations without need of dialogues. In a technical note I love the shading work, the shadows seem to vibrate inside the characters which gives a handmade quality to it.
Affairs of the Art: My wife and me were both so engaged with the charming and hilarious narrative of this little treasure. Honest, direct, visceral and even brave, this seaming self portrait of an artist really takes advantage of the possibilities of the animation craft to go into the psyche of a person, sometimes it feels like wondering through a train of thought. Loved it!
It is very hard to pick a favorite, at moments I have thought my favorite is Bestia at some point, then I switch to Affairs of the Art.
Which one will win? I am guessing Bestia since A Bear Story won so that makes me think the Academy is socially aware about the importance of that historic time on Chile, maybe The Windshield Whiper, again, it is a gorgeous work.
Oh and for animated movie Mitchells vs the Machines all the way (though probably it is going to Encanto)
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Great pics! The Mitchells vs The Machines was incredibly well done for sure, but I'll have to check out the others you recommend!
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Animated shorts from around the world showcase original thinking, strong visionaries and unique styles and stories, this was another great year for them.