Oscar Nominated Shorts-Live Action

Well, another Oscar ceremony is in the books and as far as I can tell James Franco is still in hiding. The show that was supposed to be about youth and the new horizon was the stodgiest, most predictable, and boring Oscar ceremony in a long while. Hope they learned a lesson. The chronological age of your hosts doesn't place a show on the cutting edge. I had an off year in the pool (damn you "Alice In Wonderland"!) and was dethroned as the reigning winner of the bottle-our Oscar trophy (congrats Cathy and BJ).
But I did get to see all of the nominated shorts from the live action category. Had I seen them before the Oscars I might have.....ahhhh who am I kidding. It wouldn't have helped at all. I still would have picked the loser. But there is some good news. This year the shorts are uniformly excellent and not nearly as downbeat as last years batch. And they're on pay-per-view so you can watch them in your own living room. It is absolutely worth it. (Time Warner cable people it's under Video on Demand --Award Season) Unlike last year, it's totally worth the five bucks. Here we go:

The Confession (UK)- This is the longest of the films (26 min) and takes itself the most seriously. It's full of religious icons and allegory. Crosses everywhere. Two young boys are about to have their first communion but one doesn't have much to confess so they pull a prank that has far more serious consequences than either can imagine or handle. It's a meditation on sin and guilt and what we will always bear with us and it is meticulously crafted and beautifully executed. This was my least favorite, but I liked it better than every one of last years crop.

Wish 143 (UK)- This may have been my favorite. A sixteen year old boy is dying of cancer (stick with me). A make-a-wish organization asks what he might want as his wish. Easy. He wants to have sex. I told ya he was sixteen. He becomes "the cancer kid who wants to lose his virginity" and how the rest of this plays out is the most intricately plotted, emotional, charming, and funny film of the lot. Let me repeat that-CHARMING and FUNNY. There is a scene toward the end that will tug on your heart and may be the most powerful cinematic moment of 2010. Worth the five bucks just for this one.

Na WeWe (Belgium)- In this short, lives are at stake. A van full of people in Africa is stopped by a band of armed Hutu militia. They are looking for Tutsi tribesmen to kill. The question is who is Hutu and who is not. A series of miraculous interventions ensue, the last of which is from Bono (yes that Bono). Sound ridiculous? It's not. Tense and powerful it is. Might have easily been the winner in this category.

The Crush (Ireland)- This was my choice in the pool and had I seen it beforehand, I might have just stuck with it. It's that good. An Irish schoolboy has a crush on his teacher. A deep, serious crush. The kind of crush you can only have from the purity of a schoolboy's eyes. She is of course in an adult relationship and one that isn't, well, so sweet. Is the young boy a hero or a stalker/psychopath in training? It keeps you guessing, this little film. I like it.

God of Love (USA)- Here's our winner. I thought this was going to be about Mormon missionaries or Bible camp. Boy was I wrong. Our hero is a wild-haired crooner in a band with an affinity for torch songs and throwing darts. He's good at both. He loves the pretty young lady who is the drummer, but she only has eyes for his best friend. Enter a love package sent straight from Olympus and maybe, just maybe, a modern day Cupid is born. Sweet and whimsical and totally hip, the wild-haired lead should have been James Franco's replacement as Oscar host. A short film that is cool and funny and made in the USA? Of course it won. And actually it kind of deserves it.

Next up, the Animated shorts