Live-Action Shorts (Spoiler Alert in

Today I saw the Oscar Nominated Live-Action Shorts in succession at the IFC Center (which has now become my favorite cinema due to the fact that their popcorn is organic and their butter is REAL BUTTER). The films are:

Kavi (India) A boy in a slave-compound has to decide between freedom and finding his parents.

The New Tenants (Denmark) Two new tenants in an apartment complex receive a rude welcoming when a crazed drug addict bursts in their door and demands to know where his heroin is.

Miracle Fish (Australia) A boy who just turned 8 has the run of a school when a lunatic invading the school causes all the children but the boy to be evacuated.

The Door (Ireland) A man has to steal back his own door so that he can use it to bury his dead daughter.

Instead of Abracadabra (Sweden) A loser living with his parents comes into his own when he starts performing magic at birthday parties.

Of the five films (which were all spectacular; I would recommend them to everyone!) I liked The New Tenants and Miracle Fish the best. It's hard to tell which one will take the Oscar. The New Tenants was quirky and refreshing (and didn't rely on a cute kid to gain sympathy). I loved the farcical plot and the spectacular acting. The ending was a little strange though. I really like movies to which you don't know how to react. At one point I think I was laughing AND crying.

Miracle Fish was refreshing because the screenplay was impressive and it was pretty understated for a story that was so dramatic. It showed life as simply as it could. I really appreciated the easy acting and the piece of the film where there was no dialogue; the camera just followed the boy around the school.

If I had to choose one of the films to win I would choose The New Tenants simply because it held my attention the most. There was an excellent amount of tension and all the actors brought something to the film. I also liked it because it wasn't sentimental at all, as was Kavi (sooooo much!) and The Door. I think The New Tenants will take it, unless the Academy is more partial to something more dramatic; in which case, Miracle Fish will take it.