2010 Academy Award Nominated Shorts: Animated

The animated films fall into two subsections: the shorter, cuter entries and the longer, more ambitious nominees. Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty is a one-joke bit about a cranky grandmother, while The Lady and the Reaper recounts a cheeky battle between Death and a doctor over the life of a frail old woman. And French Roast is an amusing anecdote about a beggar, a snooty businessman, and a sweet old lady all hanging around the same cafe. In contrast to those three lightweight trifles, however, the French Logorama is a visually arresting corporate critique: In a parallel-reality Los Angeles, buildings and individuals are nothing but highly recognizable company logos. It's such a clever political commentary that it's disappointing to report that Logorama isn't much more than its inventive satirizing of our brand-centric culture. And then there's Wallace and Gromit, who return in director Nick Park's A Matter of Loaf and Death. For avid W&G fans, Loaf and Death isn't terribly original -- again, the dimwitted Wallace unknowingly brings trouble into their home, leaving Gromit to save the day—but Park reconfirms his exceptional filmmaking chops, weaving sight gags, silent comedy, and action set pieces into a coherent whole. It's almost unfair to his fellow nominees that he keeps making such consistently impressive short films -- not even most studio directors have his flair for crowd-pleasing entertainments.

Related Content

• Stops Making Sense
  June 1, 2011
• San Francisco International Film Festival: What to See
  April 20, 2011
• Free Chocolate Pasties in the Richmond! Um, Slightly Used
  October 16, 2009
• Our top DVD picks scheduled for release this week:
  December 5, 2007
• Say Cheese
  October 5, 2005

More About

• Nick Park
• Wallace & Gromit

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Events Newsletter: What's happening in town? From underground club nights to the biggest outdoor festivals, our top picks for the week's best events will always keep you in on the action.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

The shorts program also runs at Opera Plaza Cinema.
Feb. 19-25, 2010