Negative Space

As we venture through the years, how much that we do is important? The relationship a son has with his absentee father occasionally comes back to how to pack a suitcase, how to get the most out of the space we have. I felt truly sad at the conclusion of this film. What have we done to take what little we have?

I'm not usually a fan of stop motion, but this animated short completely exceeded my expectations. I initially underestimated it after reading the outline, but I was proven wrong.

First, the story is emotional, touching, and deeply relatable. It genuinely feels like it's drawn from someone's real-life experiences-particularly the relationship with a father who was often away traveling for work, while other kids' dads were at home playing with them. Yet, despite the distance, a meaningful bond was formed through the suitcase. The film even manages to slip in a bit of humor along the way.

Second, the visual creativity is outstanding. The symbolism throughout is powerful, and several scenes-like the zipper moment and the ocean sequences-are absolutely brilliant and visually stunning. It's not something I ever expected to say about a stop motion animation.

A film about relation son-father. Simple, touching, cold, precise. In same measure, a diagnosis about everyday relations from near reality and a portrait of the love in special form. For a boy- a great movie. For the subtle way to translate in image profound, defining truths. A boy, a too busy father, a suitcase and the funeral of the parent. A terrible, poetic last observation of the son. And the image of car-zipper on a huge suitcase as reflection of wise manner to give a profound message.

How do fathers and sons connect? Is it by playing games? By hugging? To this day, I'm not sure how my father and I ever did it, although we did.... I'd like to think so, anyway. I know after I spoke at my father's memorial service (and my brother didn't), he smiled and said "That's who he was to you." In this animated short, a father and son connect by the father, a traveling salesman, teaching his son how to do something very important to him: pack a suitcase well.

The piece is a trifle about trifles, yet anyone who has ever cared deeply about another individual will tell you that it's not the big things that matter, but the trifles that no one else notices that gets you through, the secrets out in the open. I'm not certain how much the visual choices add to this short -- animating it as a computer-derived claymation piece is odd. The choices don't really have time to affect the impact, as it is short enough to maintain its impact.

I'll be blunt. This year's collection of Oscar nominated animated films are a rather sorry lot...there, I said it. Most of the films are nice and reasonably well made but really nothing more....which makes me wonder who picks these films as well as what criteria they are using for their selections. Of all the picks, I think "Negative Space" is the most confusing as I just can't see what makes this one special.

The animation is okay. The characters are unique but also a little grotesque. The story is about a boy who connects with his father through efficient packing of suitcases. And, all this is punctuated by a joke at the very end that made many in the theater laugh...but I kept thinking "all this just for one joke??!!".