Category Archives: 2025

2026 Oscar Nominated Short Films Live Action

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2026 Oscar Nominated Short Films Live Action

I completed my viewing of all the Oscar Nominated Short Films with the Live Action Shorts. They varied from the amusing to the absurd.

The strangest short by far is the French entry, Two People Exchanging Saliva by Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh. It is a disturbing story taking place in a dystopian future. Most of the film takes place in a high-end department store where the employees must have their breath checked upon entry to make sure they are not brushing their teeth. The customers pay for their purchases by being slapped in the face by the salespeople based on the price of their goods. In this world kissing is prohibited and anyone caught is put to death and the body placed in a cardboard box that is discarded in a pit. In the story a young salesgirl connects with an older woman customer with the two playing a game pretending that they know each other. This type of behavior is forbidden. It is filmed in all black and white using creative filming techniques to create dread and confusion. It’s a story about denied intimacy and casual violence.

From Israel comes a story about prejudice called Butcher’s Stain by Meyer Levinson-Blount. It features a young Palestinian man working in an Israeli market as a butcher. It takes place during the Gaza war, so tensions are high between Palestinian and Jewish people who share the same space. The story centers on false accusations made against the Palestinian butcher by one of the Jewish co-workers and his efforts to defend himself. The story seemed a little flimsy to me with some unnecessary scenes. It was not my favorite.

2026 Oscar Nominated Short Films Documentary

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2026 Oscar Nominated Short Films Documentary

For the first time ever, I watched the Oscar Nominated Documentary Shorts. Usually, they are hard to find and are only in theaters for a short time. The five films are all excellent and deserve to be nominated. Most of them deal with very troubling stories and situations. My two favorites are Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud and Children No More: “Were and Are Gone”.

Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud by Craig Renaud and Juan Arredondo, is a documentary about Brent Renaud, the first photojournalist to die in the Ukraine war in 2022. The film presents his amazing life as he traveled to dangerous locations, including war zones, to bring the stories to us. We see him in Guatemala, Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan and even in the streets of Chicago. Many of the scenes are quite horrific. It is a very memorable film about a man dedicated to his craft. His younger brother Craig, who often worked with him, co-directed the film. I highly recommend it. The film lasted 37 minutes.

A film that has a lasting impact is Children No More: “Were and Are Gone” by Hilla Medalia and Sheila Nevins. The documentary takes place in Israel during the conflict in Gaza and is about an organization of Israeli activists whose mission is to see that the thousands of Palestinian children who have been killed in the war are not forgotten. The group places photos of the children who have been killed on posters with their names and ages and the words Was and Is No More. Then they gather in large groups in public places and display the pictures. For many of the children there are no surviving photos, so they use paintings of flowers and plants in their place. The group’s demonstrations are completely silent, but they still must endure the insults of fellow Israelis who see them as traitors for not honoring the Israeli dead and hostages resulting from the conflict. The film is very emotional and is 36 minutes long.

2026 Oscar Nominated Short Films Animated

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2026 Oscar Nominated Short Films Animated

I saw all five Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts and found them all entertaining and very creative. My two favorites were The Three Sisters and Forevergreen.

The Three Sisters by Konstantin Bronzit was easily the funniest of the shorts. It uses a crude form of animation with no dialogue. It features three sisters who live on an isolated island reachable only by boat. They find themselves with no money and decide to rent out one of their rooms. Soon a very large sailor arrives and rents the room from them. Before long each sister takes turns dressing up, trying to appeal to the man and party with him. Jealousy results causing many comical situations involving the sisters and their new male friend. It was a comic take on human nature. The short lasts 14 minutes.

Forevergreen by Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears is a kind of morality play done in very detailed 3D animation. It is set in the woods where a bear cub lives on a mountain with a tall pine tree. The tree wants to care for the tiny cub, feeding him with its own seeds and protecting him. They live there happily until one day when the bear, now grown, gets a taste of some food left behind by humans, gets addicted to the taste and leaves in search of more putting himself in great peril, rejecting the pine tree who wants to protect him. It’s a sweet story about caring for one another to the point of laying down one’s life for another. It is very colorful, has no dialogue and lasts only 13 minutes.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You                 4 stars

You might remember a movie from last year called Nightbitch, starring Amy Adams about a mother of a young child dealing with the stresses of motherhood. Well, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You by director Mary Bronstein and starring Rose Byrne (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and the voice of Mother in “I Am Mother”) takes that premise and puts it on steroids. The movie appeared at the Sundance Film Festival last year and got a lot of attention. It comes from A24, the studio known for movies with darker themes and complex characters. Linda, played by Byrne, is dealing with many stresses in her life at the same time. She has an overly anxious daughter who has a mysterious illness requiring her to have a feeding tube, and she can’t seem to put on enough weight. She has a doctor (played by director Mary Bronstein) for the daughter who keeps insisting that she come in for a face-to-face meeting and that she should participate in a support group. (Here we see the feelings of guilt some mothers experience.) Linda’s husband (Christian Slater (True Romance)), who she has conversations with over the phone, is perpetually absent and is not at all helpful. She is a therapist who sees patients that are generally confused about life and are very self-centered. She herself is seeing a therapist (Conan O’Brien like you’ve never seen him before) who is hostile toward her and doesn’t seem to care about her problems. If that isn’t enough, the living room ceiling of her rented house has collapsed leaving a flood of water all over the floor, forcing her into a hotel room with her daughter until repairs can be made. All these events combine to make the audience feel a high level of stress. (If you have been a mother, you will probably be thinking “I never had things this bad!”) Although the agony that Linda goes through is exaggerated, the movie successfully portrays the stress that can go with being a mother, especially one who isn’t getting enough support. Her one source of relief comes from a neighbor in the hotel, a handyman named James (A$AP Rocky (Highest 2 Lowest)) who occasionally watches her daughter while Linda is out (as well as supplying recreational drugs). Much of the credit for the feel of the movie has to go to Byrne, who portrays a mother trying to find solutions to problems while nearly breaking down from all the pressure. At no time does any real relief come for Linda, even when she removes the feeding tube from her daughter in a particularly graphic scene. It’s definitely not a feel-good movie and there are times when it drifts into full blown horror (like when Linda is examining that awful hole in the ceiling). I have to agree with the choice of nominating Rose Byrne for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She expresses the overwhelming feeling of anxiety from being a mother and how one must set her own needs aside. After watching this movie, you might want to talk to your mother and apologize! For the curious, some other notable movies about motherhood are Minari, Parallel Mothers, The Lost Daughter, Tully and The Kids Are All Right. (Later this summer watch for Toy Story 5 when Conan O’Brien will appear as Smarty Pants.)

Obsession

Obsession           4 ½ stars

What is a guy to do when the girl he loves doesn’t quite feel the same way about him, but he really wants her to? This is the question that is asked and answered in Obsession, by second time feature film director Curry Barker who at age 26 has already been making short films for years. This film could also be called Be Careful What You Wish For. Poor Bear (or Baron) (Michael Johnston) is a nice guy who has a massive crush on longtime friend and co-worker Nicky (Inde Navarrette). But Nicky is comfortable with them being friends and working with him in a family-owned music store where they are also friends with co-workers Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless). Ian knows about Bear’s problem and gives him suggestions of things to try. Bear is still afraid but knows he has to do something. Then one night while in a novelty store looking for a necklace to give to Nicky, Bear finds a mysterious item called a One Wish Willow. The container says that if the user makes a wish and breaks the stick of willow wood, then his wish will come true. So, Bear figures why not. What could he lose? He buys the item and at an opportune time while with Nicky makes the wish that Nicky would love him back and breaks the stick. Almost immediately Nicky changes and is attracted to Bear but starts to exhibit strange behavior. Ian and Sarah notice that the two always seem to be hanging out together and become very concerned over the sudden change in behavior. Nicky becomes so obsessed with Bear that she can’t stand it if they are not together to the point that she becomes like a whimpering child or she lets out a piercing scream. When in the company of others Nicky even lashes out in a jealous rage when she perceives that someone else may be giving too much attention to Bear. It is like an inescapable force has taken over her and Bear’s lives. This is very upsetting to poor Bear, and he is once again in a quandary as to what to do. When he contacts the seller of the Willow, asking them to cancel the wish he is told that they don’t do that. He must live with his choice. Obsession starts out as pure psychological horror that slowly becomes increasingly extreme. Not everyone will survive the last night! What really makes the movie pay off is the performance of Navarrette as Nicky as she transforms herself from the lovable version of Nicky to the raging psycho that strikes terror in Bear and those around her. She doesn’t do much for women’s issues though. The movie is very similar in theme to 2001’s Wishcraft, with Obsession being the superior of the two. (In that earlier movie the special item was the penis of a bull, and it allowed three wishes!) I found Obsession to be entertaining, and I rank it among the top two horror movies I have seen so far this year (the other being Send Help). If you like bloody horror that is more than sudden gotchas, then I recommend it. Curry Barker’s next project is Anything But Ghosts which has a much bigger budget.

The Christophers

The Christophers             5 stars

Steven Soderbergh has directed, written and done cinematography for more great movies than I can count including Sex, Lies and Videotape, Magic Mike and the Oceans Eleven series. Now he has done it again with The Christophers, a film that takes on the subject of what makes art great while also criticizing the influence of the rich in valuing art. Plus, it shows off the talents of two great British actors working today: Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings series and the dreadful Cats) and Michaela Coel (Mother Mary). McKellan is Julian Sklar, an aging accomplished artist who hasn’t painted any new works in thirty years. He is known for painting a series of portraits called The Christophers but never finished the last series of paintings. It is rumored that the partially done works are stashed away in his attic. Now he has become a recluse, hiding away in his London house while collecting checks for his appearances as a judge on a TV reality show. Coel is Lori Butler, who once had a starting career as an artist but now works as an art restorer, as she is known for her ability to mimic the styles of famous painters. Lori is approached by Sklar’s two greedy children (James Corden (Cats) and Jessice Gunning) who offer her the chance to make some money by getting hired as Sklar’s assistant. The plan is for her to gain access to the house, find the unfinished paintings, complete them to make them look like Sklar’s work, and put them back. Then, after the artist dies his children will “find” these lost works, put them on the market and make millions. Sounds like a great plan, right? What could go wrong? If you have ever seen a similar crime movie, the answer is plenty, right? The appeal of the film doesn’t depend on how the plan will turn out. We are pretty sure the crime won’t go according to plan. The real interesting thing is watching how this pair interact with each other, relating their experiences in the art world, while engaging in a battle of wits against each other. The two are masters in mind games against the other. At times Sklar becomes abusive, issuing caustic comments, walking around dressed in a bath robe and criticizing Lori. Lori stands up to him but keeps silent when needed. When she gets fired, she refuses to accept the termination. Most of the movie takes place in Sklar’s home and special recognition must go to the production team for creating something that looks like it would belong to an artist who has lived there for decades. The house is filled with tools of the trade and various knick-knacks that one would expect. It is a pleasure to see these two stars on the screen together. Can it be too early to think of Oscar nominations for both?

The Voice of Hind Rajab

The Voice of Hind Rajab                5 stars

One of the most important films of 2025 must be The Voice of Hind Rajab, written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania of Tunisia. She heard of an incident that happened in Gaza in January 2024 where during the war, a six-year-old girl named Hind Rajab was killed by the IDF. The manner of her death was most harrowing. For hours she was trapped inside a car with the dead bodies of family members and was in telephone contact with volunteers at the Palestine Red Crescent Society. The volunteers tried frantically to get an ambulance to her while dealing with the bureaucratic nightmare of messages being passed to the Red Cross, then the IDF Cogat, then to the IDF in Gaza and back again. Ben Hania chose to represent the events by confining the action to the call center in Ramallah where four actors played the roles of the volunteers who were on the phone with the girl and with the government agencies. She chose not to represent Hind Rajab with an actor but instead used the actual audio recordings of her voice as part of the movie. The results are some of the most intense moments I can remember seeing on the screen. The three volunteers, Rana, Omar and Nisreen go from frantic to reassuring as they deal with the frustration of the situation but also try to keep the child calm in the face of danger, while Mahdi is trying to relay the urgency of the danger to the bureaucrats on the line. The scenes are gut-wrenching as we hear Hind Rajab’s small voice describing the terror around her but also calm as the volunteers try to reassure her that help is coming. But, alas, it never comes. The movie was honored with a nomination for the Best International Academy Award. I recall one other movie with a similar setup, limiting the action to a call center with voices on the phone, that being The Guilty, in 2018. That one though was entirely fictional, but still equally dramatic. I recommend The Voice of Hind Rajab if you are up for something this intense.

Sirat

Sirat       4 ½ stars

At the opening of Sirat we see the words on the screen telling us that Sirat is the path between heaven and hell and that it is narrower than a strand of hair and sharper than a sword. These words serve as a warning for what the viewer is in for. Sirat, by Spanish film director Oliver Laxe, is the most slow-burning and harrowing film I have seen in a long time. As it progresses it becomes a test of endurance for the movie goer. The movie starts with hands building a large stack of speakers somewhere in the desert. Eventually, they are in place and the music starts. The sound we hear is that of loud rave music with a steady beat and non-melodic sound with over a hundred people seen dancing. They are some where in the Moroccan desert next to a mountain range. Luiz (Sergi López), a middle-aged Spanish man is wandering through the crowd with his young son, Estaban and their dog, showing a photo of his daughter to people asking if they have seen her. His daughter has been missing for months, and she was known to frequent these illegal rave events. Then a truck carrying armed soldiers appears, stopping the event and forcing the dancers to leave. As the crowd starts to drive away, a quintet of rave followers who are part of the crew drives off on their own path and Luiz decides to follow them in the hope that he may learn of the whereabouts of his daughter. There is another rave to be held in the desert in a few days, and they intend to get there driving through the desert. (They are driving a large truck and an RV, but Luiz and his son are in a mini-van that is not equipped for the rough roads.) We hear radio reports making vague references to there being a state of war. Later, they see troop convoys making their way through the desert. This movie is not about the search for a missing daughter, but something much more ominous and existential. Initially, it may look like a road trip movie, but it isn’t Thelma and Louise or even Mad Max. These travelers find themselves in one of the most isolated and unforgiving places imaginable. It is a place practically devoid of human or animal life. The mood of the film changes to something more ominous and is aided by a loud and hypnotic sounding score like nothing I have heard before. There are long stretches of the film showing the voyagers driving through the plains and on dangerous mountain roads with quiet rest stops along the way. As they make progress one gets the feeling of dread and heightened tension while wondering where the film is going. Then the sudden shock comes at the most unexpected time leaving the viewer completely stunned. The film may be described as an obscure arthouse film, but it is absolutely devastating and will not be forgotten. Besides López, all the cast are non-professionals who Laxe found among actual rave goers as he has followed the rave scene for the last six years. Thus, the actors are very authentic. Sirat is nominated for Academy Awards in the Best International Feature and Best Sound categories and is deserving in both categories. Of the nominated foreign films I have seen, I find only The Secret Agent to possibly be superior to this extraordinary film. You are warned though that this one is not for everyone.

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain                      5 stars

The animated film Little Amélie or the Character of Rain co-directed by Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han is short and simply drawn but presents a complex story of self-realization by a toddler. It is based on the writings of Amélie Northomb about her own life growing up in Japan. The story is set in 1970’s Japan where a Western family is living with their three children. The father is a Belgian diplomat. Amélie is the baby and is completely noncommunicative with the family, but she has a wild imagination as described by the narrator. She sees herself as God but is set apart from humanity. Or she sees herself as a tube, something that food passes through without changing. It isn’t until she is two and a half years old when her grandmother from Belgium visits and gives her some chocolate that she finally connects with the family and can immediately speak in complete sentences. (Her first word is vacuum cleaner.) She likes their Japanese housekeeper, Nishio-san the most, who introduces her to Japanese customs and the idea that Amélie’s name means rain. She becomes fascinated by rain and sea creatures, something that leads to a dangerous situation when she wanders off on her own. Even though Amélie is a Westerner, she sees herself as Japanese preferring the company of Nishio-san over her own family. Later though, she learns of the suffering caused by the war and the resentment of the Japanese landowner toward white people, but she is incapable of understanding such complex issues. The animation is done with few colors and without defined lines, preferring a fuzzy look in a minimalist style. The movie gives us some idea of how a toddler might see the world around them, doing all this in only 78 minutes. The movie is up for the Best Animated Feature Academy Award.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Avatar: Fire and Ash        3 stars

As incredible as it sounds it has now been seventeen years since James Cameron brought us Avatar, his spectacular CGI-3D movie about the blue-skinned inhabitants of a distant planet called Pandora and the efforts of humans to dominate and exploit it for its natural resources. The humans developed a technology that allowed them to blend in with the alien race in copies of their bodies. Then in 2022, came Avatar: The Way of Water, which followed a family of the Na’vi race who flee from their own tribe and come to live with the Metkayina, another tribe that has a close relationship with the sea and the creatures that dwell there. Both movies were noted for their colorful and overwhelming special effects using body capture technology and their tales of exploitation of native cultures by a technologically superior race in the search for valuable resources (an indictment of corporate greed). Cameron’s latest incarnation, Avatar: Fire and Ash continues the story, with most of the same characters and the same astounding special effects of the first two films. We follow Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), the fearless Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and their family through family drama, their dealings with their Metkayina hosts, adventures with some incredible animal inhabitants and the inevitable conflict with their human pursuers, who seem to never learn from their past experiences. Meanwhile, Jake’s enemy, Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), has not given up on tracking down Jake, who he regards as a traitor for “going native”. (You may remember that Jake and Quaritch were both humans who now inhabit Na’vi bodies, able to breathe the air of Pandora that is toxic to humans.) The movie feels like it has little to add to the story, featuring much of the same conflicts and action that we’ve seen before despite its three and a quarter hour running time. One very notable addition though is the villain, Varang, who leads her tribe, the Mangkwan, who prey on the vulnerabilities of other Na’vi tribes and steal whatever things of value they can find. Varang is ruthless and smart as well, able to adapt to new situations. It doesn’t take long for her to see the value in allying herself with the vengeful Quaritch. Oona Chaplin is perfect for the role of this native leader. (Chaplin is the granddaughter of the legendary Charlie Chaplin.) Overall, this third iteration seems like more of the same including the relentless greed of the humans and the spirituality of the native Na’vi. Of course, the movie did not need to be nearly this long. The word is that James Cameron is planning on two more movies in this series (each probably over three hours). I feel that the story has been played out and it is time to move on to something else. We will see if he follows through on this plan.