Live-Action Shorts explore deeply human themes
The nominees in the Live-Action category range from the cheeky “Jane Austen Period Drama” to the savage wages of a dystopian future featured in the intriguing “Two People Exchanging Saliva.” But all are consistently good, a rarity in this category over the years. Here are my takes:
Butcher’s Stain (26m, Israel): Recent Tel Aviv University grad Meyer Levinson-Blount performs triple duty as writer, director and star of this parable about Samir (Omar Sameer Mahamid), an Israeli-born Arab supermarket worker falsely accused of tearing down a poster in the breakroom bearing the portraits of hostages taken during the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. Samir receives support from his Jewish co-worker and friend, Mir (Levison-Blount), but suspicion continues to grow, particularly from his boss, Michal (Rona Toledano). Despite providing little insight into the fragility of Arab-Israeli relations, it proves a gripping tale of how ingrained prejudice can stir distrust and add fire to an already flaming tinderbox of emotion. It’s interesting to note that the short is co-produced by the film school at Levinson-Blount’s alma mater, which bears the name of New York Giants owner Steve Tisch, who is prominently featured in the Epstein files. Grade: B+
A Friend of Dorothy (21m, Great Britain): Writer-director Lee Knight explores an overly familiar tale of opposites attracting. And his short might have succumbed to the cliches if not for the regal presence of British treasure Miriam Margolyes. She’s the titular Dorothy, an 87-year-old lonely heart – and “Wizard of Oz” fan – blessed by her unexpected acquaintance with J.J. (Alistair Nwachukwu), a Black, teenage footballer who accidentally wedges his ball in her wisteria. The two actors share a modicum of chemistry, as they bond over a love of acting in general and playwrights in particular. Oh, yeah, Dorothy also correctly determines J.J. is in the closet before encouraging him, ironically, to be both himself and an actor. Stephen Fry has a welcome cameo as Dorothy’s barrister, as does Oscar Lloyd as the woman’s snooty, egotistical grandson. Grade: B
Jane Austen’s Period Drama (13m, Great Britain): Not the best of the shorts, but certainly the most crowd-pleasing is this charming satire, which daringly imagines what it might have been like if Jane Austen had introduced a bit of realism through one of her heroines, dealing not just with her romantic woes but also her Aunt Flow. Let the cheeky humor commence, as writer-directors Julia Aks and Steve Pinder have fun with the 19th-century prose used by the demure Estrogenia (Aks) to explain – in great detail – to her dashing Mr. Dickly (Ta’imua) why her white frock is suddenly stained with blood he mistakenly takes for injury. Grade: B
The Singers (18m, USA): Sam A. Davis directs a clever twist on a 19th-century Russian short story by Ivan Turgenev in which a darkened tavern filled with lonely, troubled souls suddenly finds a rare moment of joy and camaraderie when a $100 wager by the bartender (Michael Young from “America’s Got Talent”) leads to an inspiring raising of voices. The no-name cast, most of them appearing on film for the first time, was carefully selected for their excellent vocalizing, with Young stealing the show with his moving rendition of “Unchained Melody.” Grade: B+
Two People Exchanging Saliva (36m, France): The queerest – literally and figuratively – of the entries in this category has to be this futuristic tale about a world in which kissing is punishable by death and the legal tender is repeated slaps to the customer’s face. I had a hard time getting into this obscure yarn written and directed by Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata. But I was mesmerized by the presence of the lead actresses, Zat Emir Ebrahimi as Angine, a lonely, neglected trophy wife, and Luàna Bajrami as Malaise, a rookie department store clerk who eagerly comes to Angine’s service, much to the dislike of Malaise’s supervisor, Pétulante (Aurélie Boquien). Narrated in French by Vicky Krieps, the story is divided into three chapters, each chronicling – in lovely black and white – the evolution of the doomed relationship in which the sensual and the violent clash so profoundly that by the end, I was completely won over. Grade: B+
Note: The shorts are available Feb. 20 in select theaters, courtesy of Roadside Attractions, and on Shorts TV.
