Movie Review: Live-Action Oscar Nominated Short Films (2010)
'Miracle Fish' is my stand-out favorite
Instead of Abracadabra is what you would get if Napoleon Dynamite had been made in Sweden with a much funnier script. Then again, had Napoleon Dynamite only been 23 minutes I probably would have liked it as much as I liked Instead of Abracadabra, a comedy about a man named Tomas who is too young to be living at home with his parents. Tomas's dreams of becoming a magician are looking more and more like they aren't going to happen, especially after a near fatal accident involving the Cube of Mirin Dajo, a sword and his mother. An infatuation with the new girl next door causes him to convince his father to allow him to perform at his father's birthday party with the promise he will get a job. Nothing could go wrong… could it?
This film, for the most part, is very funny. These quirky, awkward comedies wear on me pretty quick and I have a short fuse when it comes to tolerating them. This one succeeds where most of the others fail. As the only true comedy of the five live-action contenders it certainly sets itself apart from the rest in that sense, but I can't help but feel the "been there" and "seen that" aspect of the story will most likely not interest the Academy voters who will look at it as an excellent diversion from the depression of the other four films, but not as an absolute standout in terms of quality.
Miracle Fish took me by surprise and is my favorite of the five live-action short films ahead of The Door. It too uses a young boy as its protagonist, an 8-year-old by the name of Joe. It's his birthday and we are quickly made to realize he comes from a poor family where his lone birthday present is a fortune telling novelty called a Miracle Fish. Yet he still finds joy in it and even wants to share it with the two boys that were bullying him earlier in the day only to have them make fun of it causing him to run off and catch an afternoon nap in the nurse's sick bay. It's only after his nap that this story takes a wicked turn of which I won't ruin for you here as you can watch it for yourself directly below.
Miracle Fish is written and directed by Luke Doolan who's been working, for the most part, as an editor until now — such as his duty as second assistant editor on Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! as well as sole editor on the recently acquired Sundance hit Animal Kingdom. I can only assume we are going to be seeing a lot more from this young 31-year-old filmmaker in the future.
Miracle Fish is touching, violent and compassionate and it never felt cloying. Many may knock it for its use of a child at the center of the story, but like I said with The Door, with a film under 18 minutes you need to use whatever tools you may have to get the audience into the story as soon as you can. Miracle Fish works perfectly just the way it is and I wouldn't want it any other way.
The best part of it all, you can watch the whole thing directly below:
The official website can be found here and it has a Facebook page here.
PREDICTIONS:
As for predicting which film will win, while my vote would undoubtedly go to Miracle Fish, I expect The Door will take it. In my opinion these two films are undeniably the two best of the five and I think The Door is just more up the Academy's alley.
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Brad, thanks for posting these videos. I was wondering if I'd just have to guess who'd win come Oscar time. Now I don't have too. Before watching these, the only one I've seen is 'Kavi,' so that's my current favorite. Can't wait to check these out, as well as the animated shorts.
I agree for the most part with your reviews. I also thought that Miracle Fish was the best. I wasn't a huge fan of it until the turn after he takes the nap.
The Door by far had the best production value, but I wasn't a huge fan of the short.
I did not like Kavi. I particularly did not like the last shot. It was like they were trying to force the symbolism down our throats.
I enjoyed The New Tenants. I really like films where things just get worse and worse like Big Nothing.
I enjoyed Instead of Abracadabra as well. At first I didn't think I was going to enjoy it, but it grew on me as it went on and I laughed a good amount. It had a nice Wes Anderson feel to it.