I always wonder how exactly the Oscar short film nominees are selected, because every year the gap between the best and the worst is enormous, and this year’s no different. But, as is also always the case, there are some films that are very much worth your time, and at least one that’s not to be missed.
The crown jewel of the entire program is Wes Anderson’s Roald Dahl adaptation The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, which is dazzling, and colorful, and nests stories within stories within stories. With a few exceptions, the Academy largely ignores Anderson’s films, so the least they could do is reward him for this one, which is a true masterpiece. The rest of the live action nominees range in quality from rather good to outright dreadful, but one to note is Invincible, which tells the story of a troubled teen in France, and is well shot and paced, and doesn’t rely on gimmicky twists or shocks like so many short films often do.
None of the documentaries will blow your socks off, but most of them are at least engaging, with some heartfelt moments and some important topics. The standout for me is also the simplest and most human, director Sean Wang’s Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó, which is a portrait of his two grandmothers who live together in their golden years. It’s sweet, and funny, and silly, and profound, and packs a lot of feeling into just 17 minutes.
I always look forward to the animated shorts, because even when I’m not in love with the story, the animation itself is usually worth seeing, and all of the nominees this year are at least good to look at. One that actually made me feel like I was seeing something new, though, is called Our Uniform, which involves painting directly onto actual fabric to tell the story of an Iranian girl and the clothing she’s compelled to wear.
The Wichita Public Library begins its annual week-long screenings of the shorts programs this Saturday, you can find their full screening schedule at wichitalibrary.org.
