The Street

This short film financed by The Canadian Film Board was about, I assume, the writer's childhood and his recollection about his grandmother and her eventual death. While I'm sure many will find this film profound, I was left feeling a bit disappointed. Instead of meaning, the movie left me with the opposite, as instead of celebrating the life of the grandmother, she seemed to be more of a burden than anything else to everyone in the family but her devoted daughter. Perhaps others ascribed more meaning to it than this, but this left me very sad. In this sense, the film was good but certainly far from a "feel good film"! As far as the technical merits go, I liked the style of the narration but found the animation itself not all that interesting. A decent film but that's really about all.

This short, nominated for an Academy Award, (I'm surprised it lost, though I've never seen the winner, as far as I know) is a funny, sad, sweet look at life through the eyes of a child growing up in Canada. An excellent adaptation (by the author) of a story by Mordecai Richter and yet another feather in the NFBC's cap. Caroline Leaf is a marvelous director and this is one of her best. Most recommended.

This uses an engagingly smudgy, visually accentuated, style of animation as we pass the time with a Jewish family patiently waiting for the death of grandmother. Patiently? Well not quite everyone. The grandson has been promised her room in their second floor flat since he was seven, so he might sooner she just got on with it. A view not entirely disputed by his mother. A bit of chat with his friends informs us all of a few post mortem facts courtesy of Lenny Kravitz and "Perry Mason" before they shut up for fear of her coming back to haunt them! Mother gets a gall stones and gran is moved to hospital Mother recovers and back comes gran. Will she go on forever? Will the lad ever get his room? Did you know that the last thing someone does when they are hanged is have an orgasm? Watch and see...

To me, the best part of this story - by far - was the art. The animated short was painted on glass, frame by frame and has a different look to it than anything I have ever seen. It's fascinating to view. I would watch this again just to appreciate the visuals, which are unique.

I didn't find the story funny, which is what you usually expect from an animated short. It wasn't even appealing to me. It really isn't a cartoon, in that sense, but simply a short Jewish family's story illustrated instead of photographed. A young kid narrates the tale of his grandmother dying, and some of the reactions of the rest of the family. The kid is a bit of wise-guy. I might even watch this again with the sound off because the art is that good!

This movie was part of the DVD "Leonard Maltin's Animation Favorites From The National Film Board Of Canada.

Caroline Leaf's adaptation of Mordecai Richler's short story "The Street" discusses the impending death of the great author's grandmother, and his reaction to this as a child, via her trademark paint-on-glass animation style.

Leaf's technique has a wonderfully alluring metamorphic transitory quality to it that gives the narrative a pleasant flow.

Enabling her to bring the Jewish culture of Montreal's St. Urbain St to life.

The whole thing is only about 10 minutes long, but the animation immerses you into this cultural world, as seen through the eyes and naievety of a young child, starting to come of age.

And we, as viewers, can only help but empathize, and recollect on our own experiences and relationship with our own grandparents, as a result.

For many, this would involve dealing with the loss of such an important individual in our lives...and the anxieties that arise from such an experience.

Another wonderful animation from one of Canada and the NFB's most renown animators.

6.5 out of 10.