INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Oscar Nominated Shorts

Once again, Key Cinemas is presenting short films that were nominated for Oscars this year, and it’s a diverse and dandy group of pieces — three at 20-plus minutes, plus three shorter offerings. The Red Jacket opens with a shot of the eponymous bit of clothing. It lays sprawled on the street like roadkill, evocative of the accident that just occurred. The film, directed by Florian Baxmeyer, follows the jacket’s journey throughout Sarajevo as it ends up on the shoulders of a young boy. You might predict the ending to this story, but it caught me by surprise, and was quite moving. Another entry in the live action category is Squash, staged in its entirety on a squash court. A French film directed by Lionel Baillui, Squash pits a boss and his fledgling employee in a battle for more than mere victory. You think you’ve got it rough at work? Try playing against THIS boss. He put the “man” in manipulation. Cajoling, insulting and threatening his employee, the boss turns the squash court into a corporate boardroom, without the lattes and croissants. Blood, sweat and, yes, even some tears are shed in this marvelously orchestrated film. Think Mamet with rackets. Harvie Krumpet is a work of claymation by Australian filmmaker Adam Eliot, with narration by Geoffrey Rush. Is that why this one won an Oscar — that golden whiff of Rush? This charming comedy follows the life of Harvie Krumpet, who might be retarded or have Tourette’s Syndrome — or might just be a simple lad, raised by nimrods. Harvie reminded me of the claymation of Tim Hittle, a Columbus, Ind.-born filmmaker whose Jay Clay character nearly won him an Oscar a handful of years ago. If only Rush would have narrated his film, who knows? (A) Torsion, another film from Sarajevo, is a live action drama set in a barn, surrounded by explosions. It’s a sweet story about small miracles in the midst of madness. Torsion, by the way, means “twisted uterus.” Nibbles is an “animated documentary,” a category of filmmaking the world needs more of, by Canada’s Chris Hinton. Finally, the gem of the bunch is an 86-second animation by Kimberly Minor. A student-made production, Perpetual Motion is nearly over before it begins. In an entertaining crop of short and sweet films, it’s the shortest and the sweetest.