Once again, the Oscar nominated live action shorts are tough to sit through, but are very compelling narratives. Here is a run down of all five of them in a rating from 1 to 5.
Ava Maria
Humble nuns practicing their devout faith within a silent order have their dinner interrupted by a car crashing into their statue of the Virgin Mary. They show grace to the bickering couple (one Israeli and the other Palestinian) and mother in law by helping fix their damaged car. The seriousness of a Jew and Arab knocking over a Virgin Mary statue (causing it to be headless) is played for comedic laughs. The misunderstanding circumstances leads to nuns dismantle a gun and the hilarity of phone call. The final shot that concludes this sweet, funny, tender short made me chuckle.
– 5
Shok
This sets the story and the tone by acknowledging the war torn flashback to a harsh childhood. Taking place in Kosovo and based on a true story, two boys caught in Serbian war area and find a gun. A gang of soldiers meet them through out the. This dark and serious drama can be overwhelming at times and a little melodramatic involving the bike and they fight upset about circumstance. Rough, bleak, and tense, an unexpected situation strains the relationship for the rest of his life.
– 3
Everything Will Be Okay
A father and daughter in contemporary Germany go toy shopping and things slowly seem to spiral out of control. Even the fun times seem serious while something lurking amongst traveling around town. Exceptional acting from the father embedded-anxiety. You can feel his tension. His Daughter is onto something sensing that the father isn’t making the right choice. There are heartbreaking moments in the third act that unfold into emotionally gripping circumstances.
– 4
Stutterer
Wow. I adored this one. Life is hard for this Irish lad in London who has a genuine struggle suffering from a speech impediment. The intuitive storytelling, both silly and serious, is all over the place in the best possible way. This insecure guy meets a woman online and becomes reluctant to meet in-person due to his verbal handicap. He can talk to himself mentally but not vocally to others. My favorite scene is when viewers go in to his mind as he prepares what to say. What a beautiful movie.
– 5
Day One
A tough but engaging short to watch about a female interpreter in Afghanistan on her first day on the job. She ventures off the military base and calamity ensues. From explosions to interpersonal conflict, anxiety explodes involving a pregnant woman which becomes the centerpiece of dramatic tension. The grim situation and deplorable conditions set the tone of gripping moments. The brutal delivery is painful among tough situations What a hell of a first day for anyone.
