Two Completed Shorts Categories

I saw the Live Action Shorts on Friday, and thought they were almost all really good, so I guessed that this year the Animated would be creepy or whatever, since in many years one or the other of those two sets of Shorts has been known to be a bit off the rails.  But then Saturday I saw the Animated Shorts and they were... also good?!

Live Action Shorts (in the order presented in the cinema program)
The Singers
A Friend of Dorothy 
Butcher's Stain
Two People Exchanging Saliva
Jane Austen's Period Drama 

Animated Shorts (in the order presented in cinema program) 
The Three Sisters 
Forevergreen
The Girl Who Cried Pearls 
Butterfly
Retirement Plan 

So not only do I not loathe any of this year's Best Picture nominees, but this year we're also safe from creepy what-the-hell- did-I- just- watch! shorts. So far. 

All right.  Do I have clear favorites? I just might have one or two. Of the Live Action Shorts: Butcher's Stain and  Two People Exchanging Saliva. I also think each of those has a chance to win.

I have read mixed reviews of Butcher's Stain  but really haven't agreed much with criticism I've read so far. It's hot topic political, as the Butcher in question is a (Palestinian?) Arab working in a grocery in Israel. But it's not really "about" that conflict per se, as much as it is about misunderstanding, judgment, betrayal, and how we're all struggling and lots of us are making others struggle. I think that after seeing it, when you look back you see how precise each moment was. In it, the personal is political, while in Two People Exchanging Saliva, the political (or societal) gets very, very personal. The minute I saw this mildly bodily-fluid-esque title on the Shortlist, I thought two things:  1. That's probably French (yes) and 2. I'm going to hate this, aren't I?  NOT AT ALL!  I loved it.  It is dark, moody, riveting, subversive, and exquisitely executed.  I think any voter would have to acknowledge that this is the best-crafted of the five nominees! I absolutely recommend it - and the less you know about it beforehand, the better.  I found myself thinking about it while brushing my teeth later that night. 

Of the three others, two were lovely and one is stupid. The Singers was lovely, and great in its simplicity that  really brings emotional complexity. It also makes you want to go hang out in the bar with these gruff, grizzled old guys for an evening!  It would be an honor - like this Short being nominated. A Friend of Dorothy I've heard getting some buzz for a possible win, which I think would be a mistake. Don't get me wrong, as it was sweet and also very well done, but a little predictable and the smarmy white grandson  is a caricature.  I did like that last lingering shot, though.  As for Jane Austen's Period Drama, I already knew it was stupid, as I watched it on Kanopy a few weeks ago. It is nothing more than a Saturday Night Live sketch with editing.  I could not believe I was watching an Oscar-nominated short. Ridiculous.

My favorite of the Animateds was Forevergreen.  Oh, I loved it so much.  There is a little sound the bear makes when first picked up by the tree that warmed my heart! Forevergreen is fun, humorous, and adorable, while also being profound, touching, and cautionary. It's an allegory and a joy. I want it to win! 

There are three others that I liked but don't necessarily want to win. Retirement Plan is great, and I wasn't the only one laughing out loud multiple times because it's delightful while also being starkly true, but it is kind of slight, really when you get down to it, as a cinematic endeavor. It's a bit like that world-renowned Baz Luhrmann song "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)." The Girl Who Cried Pearls is the stop-motion one (right? See, I've learned a thing or two about animation Istilldon'tcareaboutit shhhhdon'ttellanybody.)  It also has a nice story with a good, solid ending and it's one I could see people voting for.  Butterfly is pretty and also packs a political punch, but also feels a bit slight compared to some others. 

But the real contender here could be The Three Sisters. This was absolutely glorious, fun, and low-key exhilarating to watch, while being not quite like any animation I've seen before. It looks like a camera holding a wide landscape shot, and the way the drawn characters move is so interesting. It's also funny and quirky and clever.  It only loses one little half-star for, you guessed it, bodily fluids. But I basically forgive it because it's wonderful. 

I don't think I'm going to give you my Order I Think They Will Win because I don't know  I am very busy and life is Short.  (See what I did there.)