A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

The Evaluation System Reviews by Title Reviews by Date

Reviews from Video Reviews of the Classics Personal Background

Title: Maestro

Date Viewed: 2/20/07

Details:

Director: Geza M. Toth

Score: +

The Review: It's a bird; he's a star; he's about to go on-stage. The two characters are both semi-mechanical: the bird as artiste, and the intelligent pantograph that is acting as dresser for the star. It ends with an O'Henry-like finish.

The camera perspective slowly rotates around the protagonist character, but in fits and starts, as it follows a non-canonical orbit; the jolts are a bit off-putting, but they lend a mechanical air to the whole enterprise. Not surprising, considering the end.

Includes a surprisingly accurate rendering of how most birds drink.

Hungarian. One of the 2006 Academy Award nominees for animated short feature; others included Danish Poet, Little Matchgirl and No Time for Nuts. Other animated short features (screened at the same time) that qualified or were shortlisted for Oscar nomination included One Rat Short, The Passenger, The Wraith of Cobble Hill, Guide Dog and Gentlemen's Duel.

(11-Mar-07)

Back to the chronological list of reviews