What an odd year. Not bad, but odd. First off - spoiler alert as I get into the plots of all of these.
Usually I would do these in order of screening, but for reasons soon to become apparent, I'm grouping them differently this time. So here goes.
Category: Humorous* Short
Animal Behavior
*This wasn't very funny. I sort of hope it doesn't win, but it landed a few decent jokes, so it's not totally egregious if it does... The premise is that animals are in group therapy. It feels like an early 1990s nominee that somehow got lost and ended up here thirty years too late, after shorts like Bob's Birthday and Aardman's Creature Comforts (which is much better) already covered this ground.
Category: Parents with Dementia
Late Afternoon
And we're back to this theme. This theme, the aging parent who forgets your name or can't express their love, or what-have-you, has come up again and again in the past few years. Ever since I started watching these screenings it feels like there's one of these every year or two. Late Afternoon is good - it has nice visuals, and a nod to Proust. I won't mind if it wins, but it's relatively forgettable.
Category: Navigating Difficult Relationships with Your Asian Parents
The other three nominees are all in this category which is why I started this post by saying things were odd.
Two, I think, take place in San Francisco (one does explicitly, one is suggested). So lets start with those.
One Small Step
A young girl grows up in SF wanting to be an astronaut while her dad mends her shoes. It's got a typical Pixar-esque emotional punch. I think 70% of the sweetness is invoked from hearing a little girl laugh for half the film. This is my second-least-favorite. Interesting note: This was a joint US-China venture, in keeping with China's space exploration ambitions and trying to break into other American markets.
Bao
Bao is Pixar's fourth nominee in a row - and four nominees ago they had a short about an Indian boy trying to bond with his parents over their traditions. This time its a similar story from a Chinese mother's perspective. The usual plastic texture we've come to expect from Pixar accompanies a smallish twist. It is better than One Small Step, but not as good as Late Afternoon.
Weekends
And finally, the film I want to win: Weekends. This was poignant, visually stunning, funny but also moving and even frightening: capturing the wonder and experience of childhood through the wide eyes of our protagonist. Set in Toronto, and, while not most technically proficient, easily the best characters and story.
Ranking
Weekends
Late Afternoon
Bao
One Small Step
Animal Behavior
As always, with these shorts screenings, there was also a "Highly Commended" section at the end. The two selections, in brief:
Wishing Box
A forgettable little short about a pirate and a monkey in a 3D style that was trying to look like claymation. Predictable plot, and no character development - that said I actually chuckled once or twice.
Tweet Tweet
A Russian short about a bird with an inordinate lifespan walking along the tightrope of Russian tragedy with a young girl as she grows up and dies. If that sounds weird... yeah. Imagine Piper blended with the Russian-ness Peter and the Wolf via the story of a life in La Maison en Petits Cubes.
So there you have it, this year's nominees, all wrapped up. I really hope Weekends wins.
Usually I would do these in order of screening, but for reasons soon to become apparent, I'm grouping them differently this time. So here goes.
Category: Humorous* Short
Animal Behavior
*This wasn't very funny. I sort of hope it doesn't win, but it landed a few decent jokes, so it's not totally egregious if it does... The premise is that animals are in group therapy. It feels like an early 1990s nominee that somehow got lost and ended up here thirty years too late, after shorts like Bob's Birthday and Aardman's Creature Comforts (which is much better) already covered this ground.
Category: Parents with Dementia
Late Afternoon
And we're back to this theme. This theme, the aging parent who forgets your name or can't express their love, or what-have-you, has come up again and again in the past few years. Ever since I started watching these screenings it feels like there's one of these every year or two. Late Afternoon is good - it has nice visuals, and a nod to Proust. I won't mind if it wins, but it's relatively forgettable.
Category: Navigating Difficult Relationships with Your Asian Parents
The other three nominees are all in this category which is why I started this post by saying things were odd.
Two, I think, take place in San Francisco (one does explicitly, one is suggested). So lets start with those.
A young girl grows up in SF wanting to be an astronaut while her dad mends her shoes. It's got a typical Pixar-esque emotional punch. I think 70% of the sweetness is invoked from hearing a little girl laugh for half the film. This is my second-least-favorite. Interesting note: This was a joint US-China venture, in keeping with China's space exploration ambitions and trying to break into other American markets.
Bao
Bao is Pixar's fourth nominee in a row - and four nominees ago they had a short about an Indian boy trying to bond with his parents over their traditions. This time its a similar story from a Chinese mother's perspective. The usual plastic texture we've come to expect from Pixar accompanies a smallish twist. It is better than One Small Step, but not as good as Late Afternoon.
Weekends
And finally, the film I want to win: Weekends. This was poignant, visually stunning, funny but also moving and even frightening: capturing the wonder and experience of childhood through the wide eyes of our protagonist. Set in Toronto, and, while not most technically proficient, easily the best characters and story.
Ranking
Weekends
Late Afternoon
Bao
One Small Step
Animal Behavior
As always, with these shorts screenings, there was also a "Highly Commended" section at the end. The two selections, in brief:
Wishing Box
A forgettable little short about a pirate and a monkey in a 3D style that was trying to look like claymation. Predictable plot, and no character development - that said I actually chuckled once or twice.
Tweet Tweet
A Russian short about a bird with an inordinate lifespan walking along the tightrope of Russian tragedy with a young girl as she grows up and dies. If that sounds weird... yeah. Imagine Piper blended with the Russian-ness Peter and the Wolf via the story of a life in La Maison en Petits Cubes.
So there you have it, this year's nominees, all wrapped up. I really hope Weekends wins.
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