And the Short Oscar Goes To

I've wanted to do this for years and finally pulled it off this year. I saw all five nominees for the Live Action Short Films Oscar. In general I was surprised how long they were. Two were over 20 minutes. The shortest was 15 minutes. I'd really like to see something more in the neighborhood of 10 minutes. I love the idea of seeing what the writer and director could pull off in a super short time frame, not unlike the elegance required to successfully tweet.

So here we go, in alphabetical order:

"The Confession" (26 min)
Little kid's preparation for his first confession takes a tragic turn. This kid is gonna need a lot of therapy. It was gripping.

I rate "The Confession" at 4 Boos.

"The Crush" (15 min)
Little kid has crush on his teacher. Hi-jinks ensue. It started strong, but didn't keep the momentum.

I rate "The Crush" at 3 Boos.

"God of Love" (18 min)
Tale of a modern day cupid. Goofy and fun.

I rate "God of Love" at 4 Boos.

"Na Wewe" (19 min)
During the civil war in Burundi there is a confrontation over the occupants of a minibus. It was an intense scene, but didn't grab me.

I rate "Na Wewe" at 3 Boos.

"Wish 143" (24 min)
Cancer-stricken kid's request to wish-granting organization involves time alone with naked woman. I loved the premise, and especially the character of the priest who steps in to lend assistance.

I rate "Wish 143" at 4 Boos.


And the Short Oscar goes to... "The Confession." This is one that will be hard to get out of my head.