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2017 Oscar Nominees for Short Film (Live Action) Review

By David Kempler

In the Live Action Shorts category for this year's Academy Awards, we have five good films, with one standout. These are this year's nominees:

 

  • Sing, Kristof Deak
  • Silent Nights, Aske Bang
  • Timecode (Alles Wird Gut)- Juanjo Gimenez Pena
  • Ennemis Interieurs, Selim Aazzazi
  • La Femme et le TGV, Timo von Gunten

 

"Enemis Interieurs" towers far above the others. All ratings below are out of a maximum of four stars.

Sing

Zsofi is the new kid at school and that's always a tough position to be in. Thankfully, the school has a famous choir and she gains a spot there. However, something is amiss with the choir, specifically concerning the teacher who leads it. Zsofi and her new friend Liza figure out the issue and attempt to correct it. A sweet, small tale of children sticking together when some of them are feeling left out. Overall Rating: 2.5 Stars

Silent Nights

Inger is a volunteer at a homeless shelter that primarily caters to the illegal immigrants that have fled to her home town in Denmark. She falls in love with Kwame, one of the illegal immigrants. After he moves in with her, she learns that he has a wife and children back home in Ghana. It all falls apart after he steals from the shelter and she discovers his secret family. Layered view of the struggle of an immigrant and the hurdles he faces, as well as the impact upon someone who tries to help him. Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Timecode

Luna and Diego are parking lot security guards. Diego does the night shift, and Luna works by day. Whenever they relieve each other, they exchange cold, obligatory greetings and both are extremely quiet. That all changes when Luna finds out what Diego is up to during his shift. An incredibly light and amusing look at the fun the two security guards have behind the scenes to break the inevitable boredom of the job. Overall Rating 2.5 Stars

Ennemis Interieurs

In the 1990's, in France, a French-Algerian born man is applying for French citizenship in a police station, but he finds himself instead being grilled as if he is a terrorist. The grilling recalls how the Stasi acted in East Germany. The man being interrogated delivers a blistering performance. A chilling look at how a government can get what it wants from ordinary citizens without fear of push back. Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Ennemis_Interieurs2_1.jpg

La Femme et le TGV

Twice a day, the lonely Elise waves at the express train that flies past her house as if she were welcoming home returning soldiers. One day, she finds a letter from the train conductor in her garden and she sends a note to him through the train's office. The two begin an odd relationship based on their notes to each other. Elise takes on a glow at the prospect of a new friend and perhaps more. When the train gets taken off the schedule her life is turned upside down, but she is determined to find him. A peek into the loneliness of a woman in a small town and how she adjusts to her changing world. Gorgeous scenery. Overall Rating 2.5 Stars

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Summary This year's nominees for Best Short Film (Live Action) feature both serious and light-hearted entries, but one is a clear-cut winner.
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