The 2013 Oscar Nominated LIVE-ACTION Shorts – The Review

ShortsHD™ The Short Movie Channel (www.shorts.tv), working with Magnolia Pictures, released The Oscar® Nominated Short Films 2013 in over 260 theatres across the United States, Canada and Europe on Friday, February 1, 2013. This is the 8th year of the Oscar Nominated Short Film Theatrical Release. Since its debut in 2005, the Oscar® Nominated Short Films theatrical release program has grown 800%.

A key fixture of the awards season, the theatrical release featuring Live Action, Animation and Documentary short films is the only opportunity for audiences around the country to watch the nominated shorts prior to the 85th Academy Awards® ceremony on February 24, 2013.

Here’s my look at the Live-Action Shorts.

ASAD, directed by Bryan Buckley

The central figure in ASAD is a young man growing up in a Somali fishing village. He must choose between the two paths available to him: the fast-money life of piracy, or the more stable route of becoming an honest fisherman. With a cast consisting of Somali refugees populating this striking short film about a young boy named Asad (Harun Mohammed). Bryan Buckley’s film captures a lot of culture, the dreams of the young, the desperation of starving families, the dominance of the criminal element and the resolve of the elderly, all intertwined in a strong story that sends Asad on a perilous journey that could have serious ramifications for his future.

BUZKASHI BOYS, directed by Sam French

Set against Afghanistan’s national sport of Buzkashi, a sporting event involving horseback riding and a dead goat, writer/director Sam French’s film tells the touching story of two young Afghan boys, Ahmad (Jawanmard Paiz) an orphaned street urchin and Rafi (Faward Mohammadi) the son of a blacksmith. Ahmad’s resolve to make something of his life seems inspirational to Rafi until events transpire that make Rafi’s choices for his future harder to make. Director Sam French gives BUZKASHI BOYS an impressively grand scale, thanks largely to some spectacular locations, and the performances from the young cast.

CURFEW, directed by Shawn Christensen

CURFEW stars writer/director Shawn Christensen as Richie, a drug addict shaken out of a suicide attempt by a last minute phone call from his estranged sister, who needs him to babysit her young daughter Sophia (Fatima Ptacek, DORA THE EXPLORER). What starts as an annoyance, however, turns out to be a blessing, as she not only helps him come to terms with his pain but also might help him find a reason to keep living. The lone American entry in this year’s live-action lineup is a satisfying black comedy, though it does begin with one of the most overused clichés, Christensen has a strong visual sense and a slightly twisted sense of humor, and puts both to good use as he takes the story in directions you would have never expected.

DEATH OF A SHADOW, directed by Tom Van Avermaet

DEATH OF A SHADOW stars Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts (BULLHEAD, RUST AND BONE) as a dead World War I veteran who is equipped by a mysterious stranger with a camera that allows him to photograph the shadows of dying people. Once he captures 10,000 images, Schoenaerts’ character gets a second chance at life and, perhaps, love. Directed by Tom Van Avermaet, DEATH OF A SHADOW is part science fiction, part steampunk, part love story and at the same time an intellectual horror film. Though It may be a strange film and not overly easy to follow, it is quite visually striking and the most original Oscar-nominated live-action short this year.

HENRY, directed by Yan England

HENRY is about an elderly pianist named Henry (Gérard Poirier) who meets a strange woman (Marie Tifo) at a café but is called away suddenly by a man in a wheelchair who warns him of danger. Soon his life is turned upside down, and strange figures are pumping him full of drugs, sending him on a harrowing trip through his own memories. It’s fairly obvious, as it covers well-trodden ground, with its focus on the heartbreak of growing old but also beautiful and oddly soothing as Henry can relive key moments of his life in his mind, even as he fades in and out of present-day reality.