I just got back from viewing all ten short films nominated for the 2012 Academy Awards (five animated, and five live action), and Northern Ireland's "The Shore" was, without a doubt, the best of the five live action shorts. Its a hilarious film (but in a realistic manner, not in the silly, whimsical way which has frankly worn out its welcome in recent years, I think), and actress Maggie Cronin, as "Mary," the protagonists's ex-fiancée, really steals the show. At around age 50 (I'm guessing), she puts most 20something actresses to utter shame with her supernal, voluptuous beauty. I simply could not take my eyes of this woman! This one should definitely win the Oscar, but it probably won't, alas. They'll probably give it to "Pentecost," because it mocks the Catholic Church. Like that's an original, or risky thing to be doing in 2012 (in fairness, "Pentecost" was also funny). But this is the film that would win, if the Academy cared about truth & beauty. Which is a bit like saying Uganda would have been a splendid country in the 1970s, if only Idi Amin had been a humanitarian. Oh well. I guess I should be happy this excellent little film was nominated at all (else I'd have never heard of it, let alone seen it).
