The Oscar Nomiated Short Films: Animation

These short films, with the exception of 'Loaf and Death', were shorter than the live action category. The best were better, the worst were worse.
French Roast: Good animations of the tramp and the nun, not a particularly fascinating story but interesting enough.
La Dama y La Muerte (The Lady and The Reaper): Funny, with some cool fast moving animation. Generally quite by the book, but some good little touches too (the locking of the boat)
A Matter of Loaf and Death: Half an hour long, this has all the cheesiness (badoom-chi), quirkiness and sentiment we love in Wallace and Gromit. Not great departure from their previous work, but no worse for that.
Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty: For our money the best of both days, this quick Irish comedy is just imaginative in its idea, sharp and fantastic in its execution, nicely layered in its use of animation, and above all damn funnt.
Partly Cloudy (not nominated): Shown before 'UP', this is bid budget and a little mawkish, but not bad at all.
Runaway (not nominated): Rather obvious in its politics, the first really political fiml here, a short parable that is probably right but doesn't say so in a particularly funny or new manner.
The Kinematographer: Has the greatest 'weight' of all the shorts, it is a moving and well animated tale. The best shot, with wonderful sweeping opening scenes, and an undoubtedly affecting story. Let down though by a poor script and rather wooden voice acting.
Logorama (Winner): A terrific idea, if rather annoyingly realised, it is a smart satire with some clever touches that maybe outstays its welcome/ doesn't exploit its premise fully. The swearing is also awkward.
So, we would have given the prize to 'Granny O'Grimm'. The animation category was, on balance, better than the live-action, and we would repeat the comments from yesterday about the encouragement of this art form, and patronisation of it, being applauded.