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.
A Lien (2023).
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
A young family are faced with danger and deception through a formal US immigration process.
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (Would guess this would be a ’12’ for the stressful nature of the content and some bad language).
Talent:
Directed by: David Cutler-Kreutz & Sam Cutler-Kreutz.
Written by: David Cutler-Kreutz & Sam Cutler-Kreutz.
Starring: Victoria Ratermanis, William Martinez, Koralyn Rivera.
Running Time: 15m.
“A Lien” Review:
This short drama highlights a truly appalling and dispicable deception where undocumentated illegal aliens in the US are invited to their green card interview and then promptly arrested there by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The film manages to create a perfect ball of stress as Oscar Gomez (William Martinez) and his US-born 5-year old daughter Nina (Koralyn Rivera) are taken away for their interview and the American wife and mother, Sophia (Victoria Ratermanis), is left in the waiting room. She witnesses other interviewees being arested and taken away in handcuffs. The film painfully demonstrates the slow and inhuman pace of bureaucratic processes as Sophia becomes more and more frantic to get her passports back from an uncaring desk-clerk to try to at least save her daughter.
It really is a terrific piece of work. The orange Umpa-Lumpa-in-Chief looms large on the TV screen making this horrific study of inhuman immigration processes all the more prescient. For the battered and embittered democratic Hollywood elite, this might give this film extra momentum in the voting.
Where You Can Watch It:
The film is currently available on the filmmakers website in the US (or via a US-connected VPN required) at https://www.samck.com/a-lien.
Trailer for “A Lien”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw1_AmHf0i4.
Anuja (2024)
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
When a gifted 9-year-old girl, Anuja, who works in a garment factory, is offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to attend school, she is forced to make a heart-wrenching decision that will determine her and her sister’s fate..
Certification:
UK: 12; US: TV-14.
Talent:
Directed by: Adam J. Graves.
Written by: Adam J. Graves.
Starring: Sajda Pathan, Ananya Shanbhag, Nagesh Bhonsle, Gulshan Walia, Rudolfo Rajeev Hubert.
Running Time: 22m.
“Anuja” Review:
A beautifully shot film was shot with the aid of the Saalam Baalak trust who provide support for rough-sleeping children on the streets of New Delhi. In fact, Sajda Pathan who plays Anuja is one of those children. This gives this film an extra edge I think with the Academy.
Both Ananya Shanbhag and Sajda Pathan deliver wonderful performances as the two motherless sisters trying to make the best life they can under harsh conditions. The owner of the factory could have been too overtly portrayed as a sleazy manipulative villain, but Nagesh Bhonsle plays him with a measured amount of brusqueness: he is running a business and is probably typical of most Indian factory owners: something the Academy voters might want to think about when they next pick up their Indian-made garments from GAP or wherever.
The ending is left on a bit of a cliffhanger, which really works well.
Where You Can Watch It:
“Anuja” is available to stream on Netflix.
Trailer for “Anuja”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4scA464q8Sw .
I’m Not a Robot (2023)
Original Title: Ik ben geen robot.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
After repeatedly failing Captcha tests, music producer Lara becomes obsessed with a disturbing question: could she be a robot?.
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (I can’t find an online rating for this film, but I think it would be a ’15’ due to language and a suicide theme
Talent:
Directed by: Victoria Warmerdam.
Written by: Victoria Warmerdam.
Starring: Ellen Parren, Henry van Loon, Thekla Reuten, Juliette van Ardenne
Running Time: 22m.
“I’m Not a Robot” Review:
I absolutely loved this Danish nominee. First of all, the film is really stylishly done with a Scandi-futuristic office location and an ambiguity sense of place and time: it is clearly, as it turns out, at some point in the future. Without spoilers, it acts as a really nice adjunct to two movies I watched and reviewed in the last few weeks (this one and this one, if you don’t mind the spoilers).
Ellen Parren is brilliant playing the office worker going through an acute identity crisi. The film made me actually laugh out loud a few times. To round it off, the ending is left wonderfully ambiguous.
Including as it does a suitably unexpurgated version of “Creep”, sung by a children’s choir, and this is top-notch stuff that is my favourite to win the Oscar.
Where You Can Watch It:
The film is currently available to view for free here – https://www.newyorker.com/video/watch/im-not-a-robot.
Trailer for “I’m Not a Robot”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyuZ7gP4VIE .
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (2024)
Original Title: Covjek koji nije mogao sutjeti.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
1993, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A passenger train is stopped by paramilitary forces in an ethnic cleansing operation. As they haul off innocent civilians, only one man out of 500 passengers dares to stand up to them.
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (There is no rating for this film at present but I would suggest it to be a ’12’ due to occasional strong language.)
Talent:
Directed by: Nebojsa Slijepcevic.
Written by: Nebojsa Slijepcevic.
Starring: Dragan Micanovic, Silvio Mumelas, Alexis Manenti, Lara Nekic, Goran Bogdan.
Running Time: 13m.
“The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent” Review:
Here is another film about human rights that again feels very pertinent given the continued slide of politics in America towards Fascism and intolerance. This is a short film that is cheaply and cleverly staged in a fairly clautrophobic set that adds to the drama. It’s well acted, well shot but has a fairly simple, linear storyline and doesn’t perhaps have the same level of panache as some of the other short films in the list. It’s clever though that “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent” is not the one you think it is going to be!
The film is based on a true story and the film is dedicated to “The Man”.
Where You Can Watch It:
The film is currently available to to rent, for a small fee, at the following Vimeo link.
Trailer for “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvm0L_H-8Vk.
The Last Ranger (2024)
Bob the Movie Man Rating
Not Rated.
Plot Summary:
When young Litha is introduced to the magic of a game reserve by the last remaining ranger, they are ambushed by poachers. In the ensuing battle to save the rhinos, Litha discovers a terrible secret.
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (But I think this would be a ’12’ for scenes of prejudice against a minority group).
Talent:
Directed by: Cindy Lee.
Written by: David S. Lee, Darwin Shaw & Will Hawkes. (From a story by David S. Lee.)
Starring: Avumile Qongqo, Liyabona Mroqoza, Makhaola Ndebele, David S. Lee, Waldemar Schultz.
Running Time: 28m.
“The Last Ranger” Review:
I have yet to be able to find a copy of “The Last Ranger” to watch. If anyone can provide me with a link to the film, please comment!
Trailer for “The Last Ranger”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yTj01fG3Oc .
Who will Win the Best Short Film Oscar?
So, I’ve managed to see all but one of the Best Short Films this year. It’s annoying that I can’t see “The Last Ranger”, but I might be able to see it before the Oscars on March 2nd. From the four I’ve seen, I think “Anuja” might take it with the muscle of Netflix behind it. But my “Should Win”, and my personal favourite, is “I Am Not a Robot”.
