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'BEAR STORY': Four Stars (Out of Five)

A beautiful 11 minute Chilean animated short film; about an elderly (lonely) bear, that tells his life story, to others, through a magical mechanical diorama. In this short, a young cub, gets to witness his epic journey. The Oscar nominated short, was directed by Gabriel Osorio Vargas; and it was written by Vargas and Daniel Castro. The animation is breathtaking to watch, and the story is heartbreaking; and yet, it's also beautifully touching (especially at the end). Talk about oversharing though, that's what this short film is all about; and that's what makes it so memorable (and moving). I really enjoyed it.

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I am not surprised that this film is winning so many awards. Beautifully animated and seamlessly structured, it works as a solid story for both children and adults. It is very enjoyable as a tale of a bear struggling to reunite with his wife and son. But darker themes lace the story - paralleling real world state brutality, animal abuse, and capitalistic exploitation - as do elements of love, loss, and the unconquerable human (or bear) spirit.

If the author of Wicked decided to make a silent animated short film with the brilliant minds over at Pixar, they would probably make something as wonderful as Bear Story.

Gabriel Osorio Vargas's animated short Bear Story would be the perfect film to be embraced by the steampunk crowd. Its meticulous, mechanical, almost retrograde-style animation that simultaneously transports us back in time and in the future makes for an eye-catching affair, if those eyes don't well with tears while watching the story untold. The eleven-minute short concerns a lonesome bear, who tells his life story through a mechanical diorama he shows to passersby, as he collects tips while sharing a piece of his unfortunate life, hoping, if nothing else, to keep the memory of his family alive while he's doing what he loves.

While it has its fair share of mawkish sentiments, thanks to no dialog and a soft musical score, there's a commentary in Bear Story that didn't quite hit me until I began writing this review. The entire film's moral revolves around a bear continuing to work through heartbreak, sadness, and personal hardships by way of his passion. His meticulous, uncompromising craft keeps him going in many ways, and his zealous artistic ability is what keeps his gears turning like the gears in his many dioramas. The result produces two lofty morals: exhaust the pain away by fighting the tears by doing what you love and, for the umpteenth time, animation doesn't always correlate to being "for children."

The first ever Chilean movie to win an Oscar depicts a bear telling his story. Gabriel Osorio's "Historia de un oso" ("Bear Story" in English) has some ingenious animation - watch the scene where the bear sees the city disappear behind him - and a good story to accompany it. I interpreted the wordless short as a focus on human treatment of animals. I'd say that it deserved its Oscar win, and it confirms that Chile's film industry is turning out some good movies (Pablo Larraín's "No" was another). Not enough people get to see the smaller Oscar-winners, so I recommend checking this one out if you get a chance to do so. Very good cartoon.

This beautiful film likely emerged from the shadows of the atrocities Chile's Augusto Pinochet meted out on his own citizens. The nested narratives include mechanized henchmen, innocent victims, stars (likely representing the souls of the disappeared), and a longing for a wholeness that is forever lost. I use this film in teaching sessions and have watched it many times; I seem something new and surprising with every viewing.

I really liked this short animation it was cute and entertaining I also liked the animation in this it was very well animated I would recommend this short film to anyone it deserved the Oscar for best animated short film.

Historia de un oso (2014)

*** (out of 4)

Good animated short from Chilean filmmaker Gabriel Osorio Vargas about an elderly bear who tells his life story with the help of a mechanical diorama.

HISTORIA DE UN OSO, also known as BEAR STORY, was one of five animated shorts that received an Oscar nomination and it's easy to see why so many people have fallen in love with the film. I'm not going to say I loved it because I honestly didn't but I could see why so many people did. The animation itself isn't the greatest out there but for the most part I found the story to be quite touching and it's certainly a unique way to tell a story.

This Chilean film is from Gabriel Osorio Vargas and is the story of a bear who is stolen from his family and forced to perform in the circus. What makes this one so memorable is the way the story is told...as a story within a story that is being told through automatons built by a bear!

The Computer graphics, though very nice, are probably the reason I'd list this as my second favorite of the nominees. It's nice...but these days I've seen quite a few CGI films that are frankly better looking. A lovely film but not quite good enough to earn the Oscar for Best Animated Short in my opinion. I'll be sure to update this review to let you know if it wins, though with a Pixar short and Don Hertzfeldt's short, I think "Bear Story" has a difficult and less likely chance to win the award.

UPDATE: "Bear Story" did win. Didn't guess right this year!

A bear, living in a world of bears, shows a nickelodeon kind of show, using mechanical characters, to a little bear child. It is obviously the story of his life and hard times. At some time in the past, he and other animals have been taken to a circus where they are forced to humiliate themselves in front of paying customers. They are treated cruelly and beaten at times. But he has the memory of his family to drive him onward. This gives us a view of the cruelty that we foist on others time and again. The animation is superb.