Movie Review - 2017 Oscar-Nominated Animated Shorts

2017 Oscar-Nominated Shorts: Animation *** (out of 5) (NR)
Disclaimer - Besides the five nominees, the 86-minute program includes three others that were not available for review.

Those interested in seeing the nominees to be better informed for their Oscar ballots should be sure to leave any kids at home. There’s nothing jovial or youth-oriented about four of them; only the fifth, Piper, is a cute Pixar offering with appeal to all ages. For animation buffs, the focus among these is mainly art design and mood - more akin to poetry than prose.

Borrowed Time is a wistful recollection of a sad event in the Old West. Pearl is an ode to father-daughter bonding over shared songs and travels. Blind Vaysla is more thought-provoking about time and perceptions guiding how we live. Pearl Cider and Cigarettes, the longest of the group, recalls a lifelong friend’s extreme carpe diem commitment, for all its ups and downs. The visual aspects of the four are diverse, unique and exceptional - more than enough to justify one’s time and effort. Responses to the content will vary more. Several will seem either profound, insightful or confusing, with room for debate among the viewers. Piper is not as funny as most Pixar shorts, but it delivers all we’ve come to expect from that studio on the “adorable” scale. (2/10/17)