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The Problem with "Paperman"
2
I find it a little weird that there are no women in this world, except for the main female character. Every single one of the workers and bosses is a guy. Almost all of the people on the street and in the train cars are men too. Presumably it's supposed to take place some time ago? Still weird, though, especially since there's nothing in the first few minutes that identifies it as not taking place in the modern day.
4
"forcing people together"
Did you actually watch the short? The two people fall in love at first sight, cliche yes but very common for shorts of this length. Yet they're separated by a mean boss, a busy street, train schedules, and a big wide open space. The paper airplanes are just bridging that gap. They're... cupid. The Fates. Whatever.
Did you actually watch the short? The two people fall in love at first sight, cliche yes but very common for shorts of this length. Yet they're separated by a mean boss, a busy street, train schedules, and a big wide open space. The paper airplanes are just bridging that gap. They're... cupid. The Fates. Whatever.
7
i'd have to agree paul. the animation and score are terrific but the story's really slight. the airplanes coming to life sorcerers apprentice style (sans bumbling of the apprentice, of course) is too much of a stretch. give me the opening sequence of up any day of the week.
8
Oh, and as for the Oscar, I haven't seen the nominees yet, but there's one like this every year, and it doesn't usually win.
9
What I loved about it were all the kids in the audience who sat quiet and in awe with a simple no dialogue cartoon. Chomet shouldn't be the only director out there that gets that children don't need animated cocaine poured into their brains every time they go to the the theater. (Didn't much like Wreck-It Ralph for that reason).
10
You all are clearly not animation geeks, because I've been drooling over this short for months screaming, "GIVE IT ALL THE AWARDS!!!" Plot is incidental to me, I'm all about the art. :)
12
The reason people are going crazy over this is the animation technique- they managed to make a 3D animated movie look completely hand drawn. That's kind of amazing in it's own right.
14
It's really pretty. I adore the style and I'm totally gonna add it to my youtube favorites when I get home, woohoo!
What I didn't really like is a suggestion that the girl is just there to be scooped up into a relationship whenever the guy gets around to it. I realize a six minute, dialogue-free, kid-friendly animated short is the wrong place to try and make a nuanced argument about gender expectations, but it was still there in the back of my mind. (Of course the only reason a guy like me would think about such things is because I'm trying to get laid or something like that.)
What I didn't really like is a suggestion that the girl is just there to be scooped up into a relationship whenever the guy gets around to it. I realize a six minute, dialogue-free, kid-friendly animated short is the wrong place to try and make a nuanced argument about gender expectations, but it was still there in the back of my mind. (Of course the only reason a guy like me would think about such things is because I'm trying to get laid or something like that.)
16
@2 - you missed the brief appearance of the mom in the train pulling her kid with a balloon away from the strange man with all the paper planes attached to him. WAHOO FOR TWO SECONDS MORE of XX!
i saw more impressive animated shorts at couchfest a few months back.
also for the other shorts junkies out there the screenings of the oscar nominated shorts WILL be taking place this year - in the landmark theatres world the programs have been switched from the varsity to the harvard exit (only live action and animation being screened there) and it appears that SIFF will have ALL 3 programs (including documentary! HUZZAH!) at the uptown -- all in early feb: http://theoscarshorts.shorts.tv/location…
(is anyone else ASTOUNDED that CAMAS is getting screenings of the shorts??? CAMAS!!??!!??)
i saw more impressive animated shorts at couchfest a few months back.
also for the other shorts junkies out there the screenings of the oscar nominated shorts WILL be taking place this year - in the landmark theatres world the programs have been switched from the varsity to the harvard exit (only live action and animation being screened there) and it appears that SIFF will have ALL 3 programs (including documentary! HUZZAH!) at the uptown -- all in early feb: http://theoscarshorts.shorts.tv/location…
(is anyone else ASTOUNDED that CAMAS is getting screenings of the shorts??? CAMAS!!??!!??)
18
It was pretty, and it was cute, and somehow you're managing to out grumpypants even me, Paul. Are you trying to quit drinking coffee today, or something?
19
don't be so sure, the lost thing beat out night and day in 2011 which was pixar. However Lost was a VASTLY superior short to night and day and probably the best short film of atleast the last 10 years.
Just last year The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore won out of La Luna which was also Pixar. Though books was probably about as sentimental as they come.
I'm sure I'm not the only one excited to see all the new shorts this Friday.
Just last year The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore won out of La Luna which was also Pixar. Though books was probably about as sentimental as they come.
I'm sure I'm not the only one excited to see all the new shorts this Friday.
20
I personally love the fact that they used more-impossible-than-Barbie proportions on the three females in the film.
21
Unpaid Commenter @12 nails it. I've got plenty of experience with both 2d and 3d animation (though I'll admit I may well be behind modern techniques of the latter to fake the former), and I was blown away by how well they pulled it off.
Yeah, it's a sappy little story, but most of the Pixar shorts are. (A noteable recent exception being "Partysaurus Rex".) Either way, they're always eminently charming.
Yeah, it's a sappy little story, but most of the Pixar shorts are. (A noteable recent exception being "Partysaurus Rex".) Either way, they're always eminently charming.
23
I enjoyed it, but did find the gender roles disturbingly -- maybe deliberately -- old-fashioned. Even though the initial spark is shown to be mutual, the guy is the one whose story we follow -- he's the one who pines and has magical paper airplanes forcing him back to her.
25
My boyfriend (who's in digital effects) and I both enjoyed this, but more for the animation -- the aforementioned beautiful texture and depth. I described the content as "Disney" -- really polished, really well-done, but not really telling anything new or specially interesting. It's Disney. They're the best at being them.
Basically, it felt like they wanted to show off this gorgeous art style, and picked a safe story -- boy meets girl -- to showcase it. It's good and ... FINE ... but considering how innovative and interesting the genre of animated short can be, it's not outstanding. Last year, I went to see all the Oscar-nominated shorts, and while Pixar's Luna was delightful, there were others that struck me more, and stayed with me a little more deeply. I think my favourite was the short about the young British man who immigrates to Canada and is totally out of his depth -- silly but also so sad.
Basically, it felt like they wanted to show off this gorgeous art style, and picked a safe story -- boy meets girl -- to showcase it. It's good and ... FINE ... but considering how innovative and interesting the genre of animated short can be, it's not outstanding. Last year, I went to see all the Oscar-nominated shorts, and while Pixar's Luna was delightful, there were others that struck me more, and stayed with me a little more deeply. I think my favourite was the short about the young British man who immigrates to Canada and is totally out of his depth -- silly but also so sad.
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