Big Picture Big Sound

Very Solid Group

David Kempler, Big Picture Big Sound's resident critic of all things indie, foreign, and festival-bound, presents his rundown of this year's Oscar nominees in the shorts category:

On My Mind - Denmark, dir. Martin Strange-Hansen
Please Hold - USA, dir. K.D. Davila
The Dress - Poland, dir. Tadeusz Lysiak
The Long Goodbye - UK/The Netherlands, dir. Aneil Karia
Ala Kuchoo - Take and Run- Krgyzstan/Switzerland dir. Maria Brendle

David's summary: All of them are very good, but I can't call any of them great.

David's thoughts on each entry:

On My Mind. A desperate and loving husband wants to sing and record a karaoke version of the song his wife loves the most, and which symbolizes their bond the best. It leads to heartbreak, sorrow, and regret. This one comes the closest to great and is my choice to win. 3.5 Stars

Please Hold. A young man's life is suddenly and inexplicably derailed as he finds himself at the mercy of automated "justice." A peek into what police and incarceration might become. At times funny. At other times, a bit ominous. 3.0 Stars

The Dress. A lonely maid with dwarfism toils at her thankless job at a rundown hotel until a truck driver seems to take an interest in getting to know her. Very well done and leaves the lead and the audience sad. 3.0 Stars

The Long Goodbye. An immigrant family in Britain is preparing its home for a wedding celebration, until a right-wing march spirals out of control and chaos erupts. Another peek into a possible future, where autocracy has expanded everywhere. Stars Riz Ahmed (nominated for an Oscar), who won an Emmy for HBO's "The Night Of" and has been nominated for an Oscar in 2021. 3.0 Stars

Ala Kuchoo - Take and Run. Sezim wants to fulfil her dream of studying in the Kyrgyz capital when she gets kidnapped by a group of young men. There, she's forced to marry a stranger. If she refuses the marriage, she is threatened with social stigmatization and exclusion. An unlikely hero emerges. 3.0 Stars