Children love the movies. But how many of the youngest ones have the attention span for even a 90-minute feature film?
That’s why the presentation of “The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2012: Animated” is a must-see for families with young children. It’s not just the running times — the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short as under 40 minutes, and most of these come in under 10. Because these are some of the best animated films made last year not just in Hollywood, but the world, parents will find much to savor here as well.
Most of the Oscar-nominated animated shorts end up being nearly wordless. Perhaps it’s because the emphasis is on the visual; perhaps it’s because they’re made by people who speak many different languages but want their films to get as wide an audience as possible.
Of course, Pixar isn’t some obscure studio in Europe. Yet “La Luna” is almost silent — the mumbling meant to give an indication of emotion without words can actually be grating at times. But the story, as with most Pixar shorts, has a delightful twist for those who give it time. Three males — three generations of a single family, maybe — have a job to do in this short: clean the moon.
“The Fantastic Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” is a sort of “Wizard of Oz” for those who love stories — quite something, given that this one is told without words. A score reminiscent of the work of Philip Glass helps. A storm descends on a city, throwing into chaos the planned books of the author of the title. There’s real heart in this short, and in the tale behind it: It was made by the new Moonbot Studios, which came together in Shreveport, La., after the wreckage of Hurricane Katrina.
“A Morning Stroll” has a strange charm. It’s based on a story by Paul Auster. A chicken takes the walk of the title — more than once. The first walk is in a vintage black and white; the second, closer to our time, is in mad color. Children — and their parents — obsessed with their smartphones will find plenty of laughs here.
The last two Oscar nominees come from the Great White North. Canada’s National Film Board is known for its animated shorts, like the classic “The Big Snit.” “Dimanche,” French for “Sunday,” comes from Montreal. It’s a hymn to the quiet Sundays of so many youths — and the rare moments when boredom played no part in them.
But it’s “Wild Life,” from a pair of Calgary animators, that’s the star attraction of this group. Its clever scenes look like beautiful paintings. It takes place in 1909, when an Englishman working in remittance, who’s a bit of a dandy, travels to Alberta from England in the hopes of becoming a rancher. There’s a lot of themes explored in this 15-minute film — and all with great humor.
