A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Il Supplente (The Substitute)

Date Viewed: 2/18/08

Details:

Director: Andrea Jublin

Score: 1/2

The Review: Situation comedy -- a class of self-absorbed high school students is abruptly interrupted by the arrival of a substitute teacher. But this substitute is definitely not doing things by the book, and for all the resultant chaos, is definitely in control of the classroom. The tables are eventually turned, but not in the way you might imagine.

Italy. Questionable winner of this year's (2008) Oscar for short live action films. It was nominated along with Tanghi Argentini, Om Natten, 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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