The Short Circuit: Live Action Oscar Nominees

With only two days to go before the Oscars grace our screens, you're running out of time to see what you haven't already. Worry not, dear reader—as far as the less circulated, harder-to-find short films are concerned, we've got your back. The Academy assembles the nominated shorts according to category and distributes them to certain theaters nationwide, typically those driven by independent film; only four in the Atlanta Metro area have screenings. I saw all five at Lefont this evening and will now rank them from least favorite to favorite. Fair warning: as I have little interest in Academy politics, this list points not to an official prediction but to an official preference. Check those little boxes at your own risk!

AJFF Review bundle: "Free Men" (***1/2), "Restoration" (****1/2), "2 Night" (***)

Tahar Rahim and Louna Klanit star in "Free Men"

"Free Men" possesses both the same star, Tahar Rahim, and the same firm atmosphere as Jacques Audiard's 2009 film "A Prophet," but little else. Beautifully set and shot, the film only really suffers from too little in terms of subplot. With a little more editing and some of the fat trimmed, this wouldn't have been much of a problem, as the story and the actors are well worth your time. Rahim and Michael Lonsdale, who was one of my favorite parts about Steven Spielberg's magnificent "Munich," are exceptional. 3.5 out of 5 stars.


"Restoration" and "2 Night" after the jump.