Technically, this review covers a span of time greater than a week, but if the Academy can expand its Best Picture category, surely we can do the same with days in a week. In this first “week,” four AwardsPicks writers (Bowen and Freiberg doubling up, excellently if I may say) covered six of the so-called “lesser” categories, although many of these efforts likely required more devotion than the banner ones and are often of higher quality.

I was really struck by the audacity of some of these filmmakers. In Freiberg’s Best Documentary report, we learned of incredibly dangerous feats, ranging from Burma VJ’s raw, revolutionary footage to the plight of environmentalists as they are pursued frighteningly by Japanese poachers (The Cove), along with impoverished children risking everything for a chance at a now-dilapidated American Dream (Which Way Home). Regardless of who wins, these are all highly compelling tales that deserve to be noticed. When the award is announced at the Oscars, there are bound to be people hearing about these injustices for the first time and probably remarking things like, “I had no idea they were killing dolphins in Japan ,” or “What, there’s oppression in Burma?” If awareness is the ultimate goal, getting nominated is a huge accomplishment.

Kit Bowen tackled the truly obscure in her Live Action Short and Animated Short pieces. In Live Action, she introduced us to a wild combination of candidates. Two of the nominees are tragically serious: The Door seems especially intriguing as an avant-garde take on the horrors of Chernobyl, while Kavi – about child slavery in India – just seems sad. Instead of Abracadabra has that charming, winsome feel to it and Miracle Fish appears to have remnants of The Twilight Zone (Bowen informs us). As for The New Tenants, starring well-known actors, I think it has to be your cup of tea. I concur with Bowen on The Door as a likely winner, but let’s see what the buzz (if this category stirs any) indicates as the Oscars near.

In Animated Short, the race should be extremely tight and unpredictable; look for some Oscar pools to be decided here. This is one of my favorite categories, since there’s always bound to be colorful ingenuity. You can watch French Roast, Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty (a distorted bedtime story), and The Lady and the Reaper (Scoop meets a farcical The Sea Inside?) in their entirety, while getting a taste of Logorama and the new Wallace and Gromit short. Bowen endorsed The Lady and the Reaper, but I found it too silly despite its clever premise. I’m wondering how Granny O’Grimm even got a nomination, since the storyline was entirely predictable and lacked any original insight. It was by far the worst of the nominees. French Roast, however, was executed brilliantly and was masterful in its amusing twists and turns. I absolutely loved it. Since the dialogue in Logorama was a little too forced (almost unnaturally urban) for my taste, I would see this as a two-horse race between French Roast and the always-wonderful Wallace and Gromit. Keep in mind, though, that I am not an Academy voter, and Kit Bowen knows how they think. Go watch the films and decide for yourself.

Christa Youngpeter provided some stirring analysis of the Documentary Short category. I was pretty touched just from the descriptions alone, especially in the case of Music by Prudence (which Youngpeter endorsed). China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province about the toll of an earthquake and The Last Truck: Closing of a GM plant (self-explanatory) are more standard tragedies, which while enlightening, probably lack the punch of a more unorthodox effort. The Last Campaign of Booth Gardner is another euthanasia story, which may be a little overplayed for Oscar glory. For me, the final two candidates pose the best chance, which are the aforementioned Music by Prudence – about a Zimbabwean girl who sings despite horrendous disabilities – and the incredibly unique Rabbit a la Berlin, which shows rabbits running wild within the Berlin Wall construct.

Paul Popiel was quick to dispense his viewpoints in the Best Foreign Film review, but such a controversial topic can benefit from an opinionated presentation. Happy, enjoyable efforts like Amelie appear to be missing from this year’s pool. The much-discussed The White Ribbon (a dark portrayal of a pre-World War I German village) is the clear favorite, especially with Ajami (violence in Tel Aviv) and Milk of Sorrow (highlights crimes of Peruvian fascism) unlikely to inspire away any votes. A Prophet appears interesting, even if it’s not quite groundbreaking, but it probably lacks the capability to take down The White Ribbon. The Secret in Their Eyes also has a compelling plot, but the personal/political story of a crime revisited – good as it may be – has had neither the following nor attention of The White Ribbon.

Lastly, Nate Freiberg adventured into the Best Animated Film category and laid out the particulars with expert craftsmanship. The increase to five nominees has still left worthy options out in this exploding genre of film (see Freiberg’s list of potential snubs), and Up’s inclusion on the Best Picture list pretty much guarantees a win in the Best Animated Film scrum. That being said, it was nice to see a couple of idiosyncratic nominees (Coraline and The Fantastic Mr. Fox) get acclaimed. The Princess and the Frog, though nominated, is the real loser here, as expectations were much higher than what ultimately resulted. After the success of Enchanted, I fully anticipated a lucrative showing, but viewers were more transfixed by the other nominees this year and of course, Avatar (which is almost a CGI film itself). As Freiberg points out, The Secret of Kells has virtually no chance, but it should benefit greatly from the somewhat-surprising nomination. Tremendous praise must be extended to Pixar, however, for once again leading the pack in the animated genre.

What a superb first week of reviewing, especially when you consider the obscurity of some of these films. Week 2 will focus more on the technical side of things, but it should feature some movies more recognizable to the everyday audience. Stay tuned for next week’s recap, and make sure to follow along each day.

There has been talk over the years of taking the Live Action Short Film – along with the Animated Short and Documentary Short Subject – out of the Academy Awards equation, but the outcry was too great for the Academy to even consider getting rid of those categories. Short films have always been a gateway for many filmmakers to bigger and better projects – and now, with the YouTubes of the world, there are more accessible. Winning an Oscar is just icing on the cake.

Plus, the categories are game changers in any serious Oscar pool. So, to be as informed as you can be for your Oscar picks, here’s the skinny on the five Live Action Short Film nominees:

“The Door”
Who: Writer/director Juanita Wilson
Country: Russia, Ireland
What: Moving forwards and backwards in time, this is an impressionistic, personal and heart-wrenching view of the universal tragedy of Chernobyl, following one man and his family, as they cope with life after the nuclear disaster. You get more information from the film’s official site.

“Instead of Abracadabra”
Who: Writer/director Patrik Eklund
Country: Sweden
What: Despite the exasperation of his family, a young man dreams of becoming a magician. From the trailer, it sort of looks like “Napoleon Dynamite” meets David Copperfield. Watch here:

“Kavi”
Who: Writer/director Gregg Helvey
Country: India
What: This film looks at modern-day slavery in India, as young boy and his parents are forced to work in a brick kiln. The boy dreams of playing cricket and going to school but faces the hard reality of his situation – until he decides to change it. You get more information from the film’s official site, including a trailer.

“Miracle Fish”
Who: Writer/director Luke Doolan
Country: Australia
What: Having the worst birthday party of his young life, where his friends tease him mercilessly, 8-year old Joe sneaks off, wishing everyone in the world would go away. He falls asleep and wakes up to find his dream may have become a reality. Sounds very “Twilight Zone”-ish. You can see the entire 17-minute film here.

“The New Tenants”
Who: Director Joachim Back
Country: USA, Denmark
What: This is the only film with name actors, including Vincent D’Onofrio and Kevin Corrigan, and is about two men who move into an apartment together, in hopes for a fresh start, but discover their new abode has a terrifying history. Watch the trailer:

The New Tenants trailer from Det Danske Filminstitut on Vimeo.

Hmmm, they all look pretty good. “The New Tenant” has some star power; “Instead of Abracadabra” looks pretty hilarious; “Kavi” seems like a tough subject. But if I were to pick one, I’d probably go with “The Door,” since it shows young children, struggling with cancer from the affects of radiation. That kind of stuff always tugs at the heart – and wins Oscars.

Road to the Oscars series:

Podcasts – Kit Bowen, Nate Freiberg, Adam Spunberg, and Phil Wallace

February 4: Live Action Short – Kit Bowen

February 5: Animated Short – Kit Bowen

February 8: Documentary Short Subject – Christa Youngpeter

February 9: Documentary Feature – Nate Freiberg

February 10: Foreign Language Film – Paul Popiel

February 12: Animated Film – Nate Freiberg

February 15: Sound Mixing – Jeremy Martin

February 16: Sound Editing – Jeremy Martin

February 17: Original Song – Adam Spunberg and Savanna New

February 18: Visual Effects – Mallory Pickard

February 19: Original Score – Adam Spunberg

February 22: Makeup – Christa Youngpeter

February 23: Costume – Steve Neumann

February 24: Art Direction – Christa Youngpeter

February 25: Film Editing – Steve Neumann

February 26: Cinematography – Paul Popiel

February 27: Original Screenplay – Jeremy Martin

February 28: Adapted Screenplay – Jeremy Martin

March 1: Supporting Actress – Marla Seidell

March 2: Supporting Actor – Phil Wallace

March 3: Actress – Marla Seidell

March 4: Actor – Kit Bowen

March 5: Director – Adam Spunberg

March 5: Picture – Kit Bowen

March 7: The 82nd Annual Academy Awards!

FREIBERG: We start off with the less prestigious categories, those for short films – both live action and animated. These are notoriously difficult awards to predict for a few reasons. First, as the short is not a popular medium in the U.S., foreign films typically dominate these categories (in fact, all five of this year’s nominees are international efforts), making it even more difficult to get any information about them, let alone see them yourself.

Secondly, the Academy members who actually vote in these categories are required to actually see all five nominated films. So unlike some of the acting categories, where buzz and perception can often play a large role in determining votes, here the actual quality of the film is what matters. While this is of course as it should be, without the buzz to go on, it actually makes these awards tougher to predict. The rare categories in which seeing the films actually helps. So be forewarned – we haven’t seen any of these and we’re guessing you haven’t either!

Auf der Strecke (On the Line)

FREIBERG: A German film about a department-store security guard who witnesses a romantic rival of his being attacked on a train, but leaves the man to fend for himself instead of coming to his aid. The premise here definitely sounds promising – you’ve got a singular event that subsequently torments the security guard’s conscience. Focused subject with the potential to be meaningful. It’s already racked up an impressive string of festival wins, including Brooklyn, Aspen, Hamburg and Cracow.

SPUNBERG: A compelling case can be made, sure, but if Auf der Strecke wants to ensure victory, it’s probably going to have to watch its four competitors get attacked by Hollywood gangstas (Lindsay Lohan?) while standing by with a pint of Heineken. Of course, we’d like to believe the masterminds behind an unheralded project such as this one would have a conscience. Then again, wasn’t it the Mozart of Pickpockets that won it last year? When it comes to Oscar glory…who knows, who knows.

Manon on the Asphalt

FREIBERG: A French film about a woman who is involved in a bicycle accident, and while she waits for the ambulance to arrive, she has an out-of-body experience that allows her to visit her friends as they hear the news. An ambitious premise – though maybe too ambitious given the 15-minute running time. Among the five nominees, this film also has taken home the least hardware (winning only Toronto) and further weakening its chances.

SPUNBERG: It may be low in current hardware, but the Academy has been known to give breath to short films with lifeless hopes. The tantalizing premise alone should garner a few votes. … I see it as a morph of The Sixth Sense and Waking Ned Devine (with a French twist?). No DNRs here.

New Boy

FREIBERG: The lone nominee in English, albeit an Irish production. A 9-year-old African boy named Joseph moves to Ireland and takes his spot as the new kid in school. A simple plot with good potential to score high on the cuteness scale, and more than a few voters will probably be able to relate to the film in some way. Has won all the major Irish festivals and even took home the top prize at Berlin, Melbourne, Seattle and Tribeca.

SPUNBERG: The progressive concept behind New Boy fits nicely within the Obamamania sweeping Hollywood right now, and the fact that the film has received such universal recognition should only help. We all remember being the “new kid” in school, but circumstances are far more drastic for Joseph. According to the most recent census data, black people make up only 1.1% of the Irish population. Great film, great message. This little immigrant tale that could, could win the finest trophy in the land.

The Pig

FREIBERG: We now move east to Denmark for the Danish film The Pig. The 23-minute short takes place in a hospital room, where a man awaiting surgery finds comfort in a painting of a pig hanging on his wall. Lest you think this is a whimsical tale, the film deals with questions of personal freedom and religious rights as the painting inspires a contentious debate. Some Academy members are bound to be turned off by the religious elements – the film will probably be best off if it doesn’t itself take a stand in the debate. The judges also appear to have been skeptical so far – they only gave it the top prize in Miami.

SPUNBERG: How narrow-minded of you, Nate, to disqualify such a worthy cinematic effort as a piece of … slop. Maybe a gluttonous filmgoer such as yourself can cast a tummy-filled eye at this celluloid tale of cellulite, but thankfully the Academy has better taste. Contained within The Pig’s scope is something inherently beautiful, and who’s to say a little religious controversy isn’t Kosher? I believe The Pig just might be the little runt that wins a blue ribbon at the fair.

Spielzeugland (Toyland)

FREIBERG: A German kid loses his Jewish best friend when he is shipped off to a concentration camp with his family. As a means of protecting him, his mother tells him his friend has been shipped off to Toyland. This German production clocks in at a brisk 13 minutes, and you can never count out a Holocaust picture, even if it’s just on the periphery. Won best short at Asheville.

SPUNBERG: It’s understandable how many have grown frustrated with the unparalleled success of Holocaust pictures, but this is a topic that must be shown and shown again. What I love about this film is how it takes the fantastical elements of Life Is Beautiful and weaves them into a condensed version of this year’s The Boy in Striped Pajamas. Just as we delight in Babes in Toyland, so must we suffer through Spielzeugland, and remember those fateful words: Never again. Consider this yet another positive step in Germany’s belated struggle to come to grips with its noxious past.

Conclusion

FREIBERG: In recent years, Academy members have more often than not skewed toward films possessing a certain brand of humor, no matter how understated. To wit, the last two winners were 2006′s West Bank Story - an over-the-top Israeli/Palestinian fast-food musical comedy – and 2007′s Le Mozart des Pickpockets – a light-hearted film about thievery in the streets of Paris. As serious, highbrow films usually garner the big Oscars, it’s not surprising that the Academy might want to reward more lighthearted fare here. To that end, the fast-paced New Boy has both the right kind of subject matter and the full trophy case to back it up.

SPUNBERG: As you mentioned before, the great thing about these smaller categories is their unpredictability. I can see all five of these films winning the award, and very few people would complain (the directors of the other four and their mothers?). That being said, I like your logic on New Boy. It does seem to fit the winning mold. If I had to pick a darkhorse, however, I’d go with Manon on the Asphalt. Why? Because it’s French!