Bao 6.5/10 Easily the most well-known of the nominated shorts here due to it coming from Pixar and playing before “The Incredibles 2”, “Bao” does have some well-crafted animation, emotional elements and a beautiful score that we have come to expect from Pixar. Also being able to tell a story without dialogue is impressive but where this falters a bit is the fact that there are some creepy elements to the story, aspects that are hard to sympathize with and it doesn’t stay with you at all once it ends. I expect a little bit more from Pixar. #ChefsFable
Late Afternoon 8/10 This short surprised me a bit because when it started I wasn’t really…drawn…to it but by the end I ended up liking and appreciating it. I think once we see who the younger woman is in relation to the older woman, it has a more emotional impact and it deals with some rather sobering subject matter for such a short animated film. The animation is beautifully done and probably has the best score out of all these. I almost wish it could have been slightly longer. #TwoDementianal
Animal Behaviour 9.5/10 Not only the best animated short film amongst the 2019 nominees but also the best short overall amongst the documentary and live action nominees as well. This is such a clever and amusing story with turns and surprises that never takes itself too seriously. Some of the other films focus just on the animation more than the story or dialogue (several have no dialogue) but this focuses on all of the above and will put a smile on your face. #OrangutAngerManagement
Weekends 5/10 The weakest of the nominees, “Weekends” starts off with great potential as we see a child of divorce go back and forth between his mother and father. The animation is beautifully done, no dialogue is needed and this is the only short that uses a pre-existing song instead of just an original score. However, some weird nightmare sequences paired with the letdown of an ending don’t add up to much as this short really doesn’t have anything to say or add to the conversation. #ATrevorJimenezJointCustody
One Small Step 7.5/10 The shorts close with this well told, beautifully animated story that is one of the more emotional of the bunch. I loved that the main girl’s character felt very real, neglecting her father for her own pursuits but then realizing she had made a mistake after it was too late. The realism of that and the uplifting ending made this pretty good overall. My minor complaint is that when she goes from depressed to happy again, there isn’t much of a transition there as it just kind of happens for no reason, which felt odd. Still well made and worth checking out. #BasedOnAShoeStory
Wishing Box 8.5/10 These last two shorts are not nominated by the Academy but were included almost as runner-up types or honorable mentions. The ironic thing is that this first one is better than most of the actual nominated shorts. This short has some great humor, is simple in its story and has a unique, Aardman Animation style quality to it. The running time is lean and it accomplishes what it sets out to do. Shame it wasn’t one of the nominees but very glad it was included here. #ShipOfFoolsGold
Tweet Tweet 6/10 Of all the nominees and honorable mentions, this probably has the best looking animation in terms of realism, which is very impressive. The tight rope/line theme was an interesting one, even if it didn’t always work. I liked the changes the story goes through as it progresses and the ups and downs the main character faces. I was hoping for a more emotional journey and even though it falls short there and the end result is midway between mediocre and just good, the original idea is one to be applauded #TheThinRedLine2
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