2009 Oscar nominated live action short films reviews

Not to be confused with the classic Lance Bass romantic comedy, this German/Swiss production is easily the best made and acted nominated short. A department store security guard (Roeland Wiesnekker) obsesses over a bookstore employee (Catherine Janke) and even times his ride home on the subway to match her's. A tragic twist of fate brings them closer together but leaves the guard with a guilt that's hard to bear. The story could easily be expanded into a feature but is skillfully handled by director Reto Caffi in its short form. Assuming voters exercise sound judgment this will walk away with the win. (30 minutes, Germany/Switzerland)

A young woman (Aude Léger) is hit by a car while riding her bicycle and her final thoughts span her friends, family and boyfriend. Filmmakers Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont manage to create a full world in a brief period of time and despite the blatant sentimentality their efforts are quite affecting, down to the lovely use of Madeleine Peyroux's Bob Dylan cover "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go." (15 minutes, France)

The directorial debut of Danish screenwriter Dorte Høgh ("The Inheritance") is a light comedy about a colonoscopy, a painting of a pig and cultural differences. Elderly Asbjorn (likeable Henning Moritzen) checks himself into a hospital for surgery and forms an emotional attachment with the art on his wall, until his roommate's family has it removed. There's some icky hospital humor before the icky "can't we all just get along" platitudes. Not a bad effort but too obvious by half. (22 minutes, Denmark)

A young African boy faces the first day at a new school in Ireland where the students greet him with the hostility typical of kids. It's cutesy and feel-good, competently directed but not bringing much inspiration to an obvious story arc. (11 minutes, Ireland)

Like, "New Boy," this one relies too heavily on children and button-pushing sentiment, but manages to be even more shameless about it. In a concept that even Roberto Benigni would find pat, a Nazi-era German mother convinces her young son that their Jewish neighbors are leaving to go to "Toyland," and he decides he wants to go too. It's like "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," minus the decent performances but also minus 80 minutes of excess screen time. (14 minutes, Germany)