It’s about that time again. The 97th Academy Awards are scheduled on March 2, which simply feels like there is not enough time to watch all the nominated films if you were to start now. It’d probably be in your best interest to watch THE SUBSTANCE to anticipate paired presenters to make “You Are One” jokes (though I suppose the joke speaks for itself if Theron and Taylor-Joy were presenting together). Or even better, you will have enough time to get cracking on this year’s nominations for the short film categories, which include animated, live action, and documentary. Starting on Friday, 2/14, the Coolidge Corner Theatre will be playing the nominated short films in their designated categories (Animated and Live Action on 2/14 and Documentary on 2/21). Watching movies is fun, but betting on winners during awards season is another kind of manic pleasure that usually ends in disappointment. Know-it-alls who felt Dean Lawrence’s massive occupational stress can re-experience the immersive experience of getting wrecked again. Let’s get on it and argue!

INTRODUCTION

I don’t want to mince words, but we can’t afford to not be political. I felt a rise of anger for many of these situations depicted this year and somewhat melancholic that while these events might feel outrageous now, it could be the norm in the next few years. It’s important to realize that what feels wrong should never be normal. Let’s take a look at this year’s nominations for Best Live Action Short Film.

CONTENDERS

1. A LIEN (dir. David & Sam Cutler-Kreutz | US, 14 mins | full video) – A family arrives to the father’s citizenship interview but finds that there are traps within the system.

2. ANUJA (dir. Adam J. Graves | India, 22 mins | trailer) – Anuja, a nine-year-old girl with a proclivity for math, is offered to take an exam to enter a boarding school. However, her circumstances prove that it is not just easy to be given an open door.

3. I’M NOT A ROBOT (dir. Victoria Warmerdam | The Netherlands/Belgium, 22 mins | full video) – Lara faces an existential crisis when she cannot successfully reset her password.

4. THE LAST RANGER (dir. Cindy Lee | South Africa, 28 mins | trailer) – Following a ranger who is dedicated to protecting rhinos from poachers, a young girl discovers that the world of animal and human is not so kind after all.

5. THE MAN WHO COULD NOT REMAIN SILENT (dir. Nebojša Slijepčević | Croatia/Bulgaria/France/Slovenia, 13 mins | trailer) – A train is stopped by paramilitary soldiers looking to remove unwanted immigrants. There is a man who did not remain silent.

THOUGHTS

I have to laugh at I’m Not a Robot, the only nomination with a comedic flair. I mean, I’m laughing with it, too. The premise of a woman who finds that she actually might not be human because she keeps failing the CAPTCHA test (robot or not, I bet you can guess which test it is) is a good concept to explore when you are losing your mind after multiple password resets of the account you log in twice a year. I suppose there’s a little bit of female-AI dual role controversy as it goes on, but the film falls flat by the end.

Getting that out of the way, the other four nominations are clearly devoted to telling a story of the times, even if it doesn’t seem like it’s happening now. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent is based on a true story of a man who stood up to Serbian soldiers who were kidnapping immigrants, particularly those of Muslim faith, from the train. The event, the Štrpci massacre, would have been the headliner if historical depiction was the goal, but director Slijepčević pivots to one particular train carriage of ordinary people. The film seems like a well-made PSA for standing up to bullies, but it feels a little off to highlight a single man who happened to be documented as saying that it is wrong. I get the message, but there is a stronger way of showing it.

A Lien and The Last Ranger both confront predators of the same species in different environments: humans. In a practice that is currently being performed today, ICE officers will swarm official government buildings to take away immigrants who are in the process of obtaining citizenship, while The Last Ranger follows the pursuit of rhino ivory hunters who will kill at all costs. The gall of A Lien is several steps below Sebastian Stan’s nomination for The Apprentice, but if awards seasons ever intentionally serve as a middle finger to the presidency, Stan wins for Best Actor, A Lien for Best Live Action, and No Other Land for Best Documentary. While ICE feels that it’s working by the law, The Last Ranger works against outlaws. Based on a true story about a rhino who was left for dead once her horn was sawed off, The Last Ranger portrays the ranger-hunter showdown through the lens of Litha, who tags along with Khuselwa (played by Avumile Qongqo with stunning stoicism). The film takes place in a game reserve in South Africa, which makes for beautiful landscape and lighting. The production value in this feels small and of righteous quality, which is worthy of the country’s first nomination in this category.

Anuja shares I’m Not A Robot’s rudimentary-idea execution in that the lead of Anuja is a non-professional actress, discovered through the Salaam Baalak Trust, an organization that gives working children access to basic resources and scholarly opportunities. The film, which follows Anuja (Sadja Pathan) as she tries to figure out a way to pay for her exam entrance fee and make sure that her boss doesn’t find out that she’s skipping her work day to do so, is more whimsical than it might seem. The film lives within itself; Western expectations and perspective are muted as Anuja and her older sister Palak talk about arranged marriage or when Anuja shamelessly brokers with customers inside a retail store. For a brief day, Anuja and Palak live with the freedom that literally could not be afforded at any other day. It’s a perfectly fine film, but Netflix has generally been successful in the short film category and I can see Anuja leading the way this year.

PREDICTIONS

WHO SHOULD WIN: The Last Ranger

WHO WILL WIN: Anuja or The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

All shorts now playing @ Coolidge Corner Theatre