For the last ten years, the Oscar Nominated Short Films have been packaged and released to select theaters around the country. What began as an experiment has become an eagerly awaited annual event for film lovers. Below are mini-reviews of the five animated nominees which are currently playing at the AMC Parkway 8. Reviews for the five Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films, also playing at the same venue, can be found on the Illinois Times website in the “Cinemascoping” column. (http://illinoistimes.com/articles.sec-141-1- cinemascoping.html)

Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films Bear Story (Chile) – This visually stunning, poignant film utilizes mixed media to tell the story of a solitary bear who works tirelessly on an intricate, mechanical diorama. Daily he takes it to a local street corner in the hope passers-by will spend a coin or two in order to gaze within and witness the story that unfolds. The silent tale that is told moves rapidly and recounts how a bear was separated from his family, forced to perform in a circus, and ultimately escaped so that he might be reunited with his loved ones. The most moving entry on the animated roster, this brilliant film not only dazzles visually but tugs at your heartstrings without resorting to cheap sentimentality.

Prologue (United Kingdom) – While only six minutes in length, this dynamic work features intricately articulated drawings set in motion during this violent tale of death and mourning. A battle between Spartan and Athenian warriors, the film focuses on four men who each try to get the upper hand on each other before they become the prey themselves. Director Richard Williams’ use of movement provides a sense of kinetic energy to the film as he glides from one character to the next, showing them plotting, running and attacking with a sense of grace that’s remarkable. That these figures are all rendered as pencil drawings allow viewers to appreciate the grace that can be achieved through the labor intensive work of the animators.

Sanjay’s Super Team (United States) – From Pixar Animation, this vibrant movie focuses on the young boy of the title, who’s fascinated with superheroes that appear on television but fails to appreciate the Hindu gods his father worships every day. That is, until he’s plunged into their world and comes to see the value of all they represent. Based on the experience of the movie’s director Sanjay Patel, this is a charming piece that tries a bit too hard to dazzle us with the kaleidoscope of colors and computer animation tools at the filmmaker’s disposal. However, the poignant message it contains saves it from being just an empty, overproduced cartoon.

We Can’t Live Without Cosmos (Russia) – This bare-bones entry follows the efforts of two friends to become cosmonauts and the grueling training they must undergo in order to realize this goal. Their hard work seems destined to pay off but an unexpected mishap occurs, allowing these two to show that their camaraderie knows no bounds. Not quite as deep as it hopes to be, this film pales in comparison to the other movies in this category, yet its ending does prove haunting and thought provoking.

World of Tomorrow (United States) – Suffused with dark humor, whimsy, thoughts on the meaning of existence and astounding visuals, this is science fiction done on a grand scale, defying the limitations of its 16-minute running time and the constraints of the minimalist animation aesthetic used by director Don Hertzfeldt. Emily Prime, a being from the future, travels back in time to meet her former self, four-year-old Emily, whose memories and consciousness will be saved and downloaded into clones of herself in the years to come. A cautionary tale, we see that while our future selves may be able to, in a sense, cheat death, the cost is the loss of emotion and empathy. Narratively dense and seen through a prism of melancholy, this is a film that needs to be seen repeatedly in order to appreciate the many gifts it contains.

Contact Chuck Koplinski at [email protected].