A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)

Date Viewed: 2/18/08

Details:

Matteo Razzouki-Safardi

Philippe Pollet-Villard

Richard Morgieve

Written & directed by: Philippe Pollet-Villard

Score: 1/2

The Review: Dry comedy. When their partners in crime are arrested, a pair of petty thieves (Pollet-Villard and Morgieve) is able to elude capture. But in the process they encounter a small boy (Razzouki-Safardi) who seems destined to stick to them like glue. But ego and assertiveness eventually cause a reversal of fortune. Small scope, pretty good characterization.

France. This is one of this year's (2008) five Oscar-nominated short live action films, along with Tanghi Argentini, Om Natten, Il Supplente, The Tonto Woman, 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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