A few weeks ago, I saw the Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films and really enjoyed them. Last night I went to BAM to catch the animated shorts. Before I continue, I’d like you to watch the following trailer.

That is the trailer for Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs. It sure looks neat and I see this trailer every damn time I watch a movie in Brooklyn. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve seen it, I’d have about thirty cents. That’s roughly twenty cents too many and I really love trailers.

But as my man Snoop says, back to the lecture at hand.

I suppose it’s not a surprise that the animated shorts were lighter in nature than the live action shorts. I was surprised by how drawn in I was by each of them (except Dear Basketball). The only way to describe my emotional state while watching these movies was delighted, like embarrassingly delighted, like grandmother clasping her hands together in joy while watching her grandchild take his first steps delighted. I was laughing a little too much a little too often like a grown buffoon but whatever, there’s something about animation that brings out my inner kid, i.e. unfiltered joy.

Dear Basketball

Let’s start with Kobe Bryant’s love song to himself. This was cool, stylistically. It was like animated pencil drawings and the movements weaving in and out of games into childhood was really cool to watch. But it was still Kobe Bryan making a movie about Kobe Bryant retiring from basketball featuring narration by Kobe Bryant. I’m assuming the animation technique was impressive enough to warrant a nomination because the content was as self-indulgent as it gets.

Negative Space

This is French short about packing and fathers and sons. This short was so creative with its use of space and objects and scale. Cars become zippers, objects from a suitcase become waves on a beach. I don’t know how this was animated but I would guess it was stop motion. It had its own style and played like a perfect short story.

Revolting Rhymes

This is based on a Roald Dahl book that puts a twist on beloved fairy tales. It was packed with British star (voice) power from Rob Brydon, Rose Leslie, Dominic West (who I couldn’t identify as the wolf until I looked it up on IMDB), and many others. I think it’s actually a two-part show that aired on British television so it was the longest of the bunch but it was really great. Little Red Riding Hood was such a badass in this, it’s worth watching.

Lou

This is the Pixar one. There’s always a Pixar one and it’s always great. Here’s what’s really impressive, though. You know there’s always a Pixar one and you know that it’s going to be cute and a little nostalgic but also a little hip at the same time and so you sit there anticipating those things like, “Okay, Pixar, I know what you’re about, so go ahead and give it another shot.” And then Pixar goes ahead and gives it another shot and their movie completely disarms you. Lou did that.

Garden Party

This featured computer animation that was almost like reality. It was ostensibly about frogs enjoying their paradise in the leftovers of a decadent party in a mansion. But the question becomes, why are the frogs allowed to run amok? Where is everyone anyway?

Additional Shorts, Not Nominated

Lost Property Office

This is an Australian short (also stop motion, I believe) about a man who works in the Lost Property Office. He exists in a lonely, gray metropolis and finds some joy in found objects. When he gets laid off things look dire but he manages to salvage some self respect. I won’t blow it for you but the end of this short was where I really had the delight thing that I was talking about above. I had a moment where I said to myself, “Wipe that smile of your face,” but then I thought, “Whatever, man, we’re in the dark and this is cool.”

Weeds

This deserved an Oscar nomination, I loved it so much. It was short, almost like a short short animated film. It’s about dandelions and striving and it features a pretty brilliant Willem Dafoe-esque death in Platoon moment. Try to see it.

Achoo

This was a fun little short about dragons in China (the short itself is from France) and the littlest dragon that could. It was fun and it had some good moments.

Revolting Rhymes was great but it seems like it’s cheating a bit because I believe it was made for television. There’s also a part two to it. I won’t be that psyched if it wins but I won’t be angry either. If Dear Basketball wins, I’ll be pissed. Garden Party was cool but the animation was too polished and too slick. I think the best animation has some more expressive elements. So, I’d put it down to Lou and Negative Space. I’m going with Negative Space. Lou wasn’t too cute but it was definitely cute. I just really loved Negative Space (even a bit more than Weeds and Weeds was really great).