A One Mann’s Movies review of the nominations for the Oscars in the “Best Short Film (Live Action)” Category.
I’ve not done separate reviews for these Oscar “Short Film” nominees but am including brief reviews for them in this one post.
An Irish Goodbye (2022).
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Turlough (Seamus O’Hara) and Lorcan (James Martin) have lost their mother and return to the family farm in Northern Ireland with her ashes. Their local priest (Paddy Jenkins) has a ‘bucket list’ that he said her mum wrote before she died. The brothers agree to try to complete all the items on the list using her urn.
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (Would guess this would be a ’12’ for the black nature of the comedy and some choice language).
Talent:
Directed by: Tom Berkeley & Ross White.
Written by: Tom Berkeley & Ross White.
Starring: James Martin, Seamus O’Hara, Paddy Jenkins.
“An Irish Goodbye” Review:
This is a wonderfully crafted short film (23 minutes) that has delishously black humour (in true Northern Ireland style) as well as pathos and feel-good aspects to boot. It is almost the sister piece to the much more famous “Banshees of Inisherin” (if even manages to get the word “Banshees” into the script!). The cast are excellent, given they have limited acting experience: James Martin, for example, works in a Belfast restaurant kitchen as his day job. (The fact that they are currently in Hollywood rubbing shoulders with the high and mighty must be hilarious for them!)
This won the BAFTA for Short Film. But whether the humour and (to Americans) pretty incomprehensible dialogue will transfer across to the Academy voters is less clear. I suspect there will be other short films in this list that will pip it to the post.
Trailer for “An Irish Goodbye”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0YVueR5ho0.
And, at the time of writing, the film is also available to watch (for UK TV-licence holders) on the BBC iPlayer.
Ivalu (2022)
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
In a remote town in Greenland, Ivalu (Nivi Larsen), the older teenage sister of young Pipaluk (Mila Heilmann Kreutzmann) has gone missing. Her father (Angunnguaq Larsen) doesn’t seem to care. So Pipaluk takes it on herself to search for her.
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (But this might be a “12” due to some disturbing content).
Talent:
Directed by: Anders Walter & Pipaluk K. Jørgensen.
Written by: Anders Walter (Based on the graphic novel by Morten Dürr & Lars Horneman).
Starring: Mila Heilmann Kreutzmann, Nivi Larsen, Angunnguaq Larsen.
“Ivalu” Review:
At just short of 17 minutes long, this is a haunting little short film written and directed by Anders Walter (who has already won an Oscar for the Short Film “Helium” in 2013). There’s a sense of quiet foreboding that runs throughout the piece, with a black raven regularly appearing like a cawing siren leading Pipaluk onwards to an answer. You are never entirely sure which way the story will go and why. But the journey is well worth it.
The bleak Greenland scenary is wonderfully captured by cinematographer Rasmus Heise, and there is a melancholic and sonorous soundtrack by Rasmus Walter Hansen that perfectly sets the mood.
Trailer for “Ivalu”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXpKaQbeznM .
and the whole film (at the time of writing) is available to rent on Vimeo here – https://vimeo.com/ondemand/ivalu.
Le Pupille (2022)
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
The gift of a cake brings stresses and strains to a Catholic orphanage during the war.
Certification:
UK: NR; US: PG.
Talent:
Directed by: Alice Rohrwacher.
Written by: Alice Rohrwacher, Carmela Covino & Shane Gotcher.
Starring: Melissa Falasconi, Alba Rohrwacher.
“Le Pupille” Review:
This one has some serious muscle behind it, being a Disney original and having Alfonso Cuarón as a producer. (Given it is set in the time period as GdT’s Pinnochio, I almost expected this to be called “Alfonso Cuarón’s Le Pupille”. But no, the director here is the Italian Alice Rohrwacher).
And it’s certainly a quirky piece that is humourously enough done, verging occasionally into the surreal. For example, the scene where the children, dressed as angels, are kind-of crucified on a frame to give blessings! It’s like some strange old masters painting you might see at the National Gallery.
It’s available to stream on Disney+.
Trailer for “Le Pupille”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxZ_xOx3-ow .
Night Ride (Nattrikken) (2022)
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
It’s late one snowy night in the Norwegian city of Trondheim, and Ebba (Sigrid Kandal Husjord) is waiting for a tram home. When the tram arrives, the driver – who is on a break – won’t let Ebba sit on the tram out of the cold. But when she breaks into the tram, things get a bit out of hand!
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (But I think this would be a ’12’ for scenes of prejudice against a minority group).
Talent:
Directed by: Eirik Tveiten.
Written by: Eirik Tveiten.
Starring: Sigrid Kandal Husjord, Ola Hoemsnes Sandum, Axel Barø Aasen.
“Night Ride” Review:
I absolutely loved this short film. It’s quirky, very funny in places and also has its moments of tension. And the ending is sublimely satisfying.
All of this is held together by an astonishingly good performance by Sigrid Kandal Husjord, who’s face – when randomly pushing buttons – reflects comic genius.
I would absolutely encourage you to check out the link below and watch this one. It is 15 minutes very well spent.
Note, by the way, that the Oscar-nominated movie is “Nattrikken” (Night Ride) and neither the 2022 nor the 2021 films on IMDB also called “Night Ride”. (Though if they have had the foresight to post these as a pay-to-view on Vimeo or somewhere, then they are no doubt delighted by the potential confusion!).
Trailer for “Night Ride”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2PPjP5LE68 .
The Red Suitcase (2022)
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
(I have not been able to find a copy of this short film to review, as yet.)
Plot Summary:
From IMDB: “Luxembourg Airport. Late in the evening. A veiled 16-year-old Iranian girl is frightened to take her red suitcase on the automatic carpet. She keeps pushing back the moment to go through the arrival gate and seems more and more terrified.”
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR.
Talent:
Directed by: Cyrus Neshvad.
Written by: Guillaume Levil & Cyrus Neshvad.
Starring: Nawelle Ewad, Sarkaw Gorany, Anne Klein.
“The Red Suitcase” Review:
I’m not able to review this one yet. I fear given the subject matter – Iranian civil rights – that this one might triumph at the Oscars, regardless of its quality (or otherwise) for political reasons.
Trailer for “The Red Suitcase”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm9ubkdyQAs .
Who will Win the Best Short Film Oscar?
So, I’ve managed to see all but one of the Best Short Films this year, which is a record. It’s annoying that I can’t see “The Red Suitcase”, since I supect – due to the political overtones – that it will be walking away with the prize. Although very close at the top between “An Irish Goodbye”, “Ivalu” and “Night Ride”, my personal favourite would be “Night Ride”.
[fblike]
