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: Om Natten (At Night)

Date Viewed: 2/18/08

Details:

Julie Ølgaard

Laura Christensen

Neel Rønholt

Henrik Prip

Written & directed by: Christian E. Christianse

Producer: Louise Vesth

Score: +

The Review: Drama. One of the longest short features in a few years (over 40 minutes), a touching study of three girls spending the Christmas holidays in the cancer ward of their hospital. Very different types, they are drawn together by their shared experience with the disease, and contrasted by their distinct relationships with their families. A bit of a downer, but very well done, very effective.

Denmark. This is one of this year's (2008) five Oscar-nominated short live action films, along with Tanghi Argentini, Il Supplente, The Tonto Woman, Le Mozart des Pickpockets, all available to the general public via digital video release into selected theatres (for the third year) from Magnolia. The general quality, interest and curiosity of this year's entries seem not quite up to the levels of previous years. As with the animated shorts, each has its own signature twist (in the O'Henry sense of a short story), but there's nothing quite like The Last Farm (from 2006), which even though I didn't rate highly, is indeed highly memorable.

(22-Feb-08)

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