Three young women struggle to stare down death in Danish director Christian E. Christiansen's pensive At Night (Om natten), the most affecting and ambitious of this year's five Oscar-nominated live-action shorts.
The five films, on display in a program opening today the Landmark Theatres Harbor East, share an affinity for underdogs and rely on old-fashioned storytelling, free of special effects or attention-grabbing narrative flourishes. And like their animated-film counterparts, they share origins outside the U.S. In addition to Denmark, the nominated films are from Great Britain, Belgium, France and Italy.
Considering Oscar voters' preference for heartfelt tragedies, At Night would appear the logical favorite to win Feb. 24. Quietly passionate performances from a trio of young actresses (Julie Olgaard, Laura Christensen and Neel Ronholt) highlights this tale of newfound friends trying to mask their physical and emotional pain - not to mention their fear - by planning a New Year's party for their hospital ward. Brought together under tragic circumstances, the three find much-needed strength and understanding in their mutual support.
The other four films included in the program are:
The Substitute (Il Supplente): A salute to nonconformity from Italian director Andrea Jublin, this manic short focuses on a substitute teacher's efforts to gain both control of his class and possession of a ball autographed by soccer star Alessandro Del Piero.
Tanghi Argentini: A shy office worker is taught how to tango by someone who looks as if he'd be more comfortable in a rugby scrum in this exercise in unexpected matchmaking from Belgian director Guido Thys.
The Mozart of Pickpockets (Le Mozart des Pickpockets): This slice of French whimsy from director Philippe Pollet-Villard watches as a pair of hapless pickpockets try teaching the secrets of their trade to a young boy who started following them one day.
The Tonto Woman: British director Daniel Barber's take on an Elmore Leonard story offers a tentative romance between an Old West cattle thief and a white woman who has been raised by Mohave Indians.
chris.kaltenbach@baltsun.com