Tsukumo

'POSSESSIONS': Three Stars (Out of Five)

Another 2014 Oscar nominated animated short film is this 14 minute Japanese cartoon originally titled 'TSUKUMO' (and re-titled 'POSSESSIONS', in English). Tsukumogamai is a Japanese term used to describe a 100-year-old object that comes to life and becomes 'self-aware'. The film is about a lone man traveling in the forest (in the rain) who makes his way to a shrine where (once inside) objects start coming to life (which is why the Japanese title seems appropriate). I found this short to be really interesting; it's maybe a little too abstract and mysterious for it's own good but it's definitely original and unique. I'd say it's worthy of it's Oscar nomination.

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The film opens on a forest in the rain, it's stylized but still realistically rendered, however the foliage does not move at all and a rainstorm would most likely indicate some wind or at least leaves reacting to the rain. A lone traveler enters the scene and finds his way to a shrine. The animation is a bit stiff, looking a bit like drawings texture mapped on three dimensional objects. Once inside the shrine the story becomes more surreal. The film exhibits a strong Japanese style of rendering and motion. SPOILERS AHEAD There are some nice moments as umbrellas magically appear and the box he carries around is revealed as a repair kit and is put into service to repair umbrellas. He also encounters a magical frog character, who doesn't have much to do. The most impressive part is the objects becoming a fantasy dragon, building itself out of miscellaneous debris in the room.

This short was nominated for the Academy Award for Animated Short, losing to Mr. Hublot. There will be spoilers ahead:

I came to this short not really knowing what to expect. I'm not terribly enamored of anime's visual look most of the time, though the stills and clips I'd seen looked good. It impressed me more than I thought it would and the short as a whole is quite impressive.

I'll try to keep the spoilers to a minimum, because the short is best encountered with as much left unknown to the viewer. A traveler caught in a storm (his hat blows away at the start) takes refuge for the night in a shrine, apparently a shrine for the dead.

He goes to sleep, only to awaken suddenly to find himself in different surroundings and with the first of a series of odd encounters facing him. He spends a good deal of time adapting to some strange challenges, literally pulling things from the box he carries to do what's needed.

He faces the ultimate challenge and quietly prays to the spirits of the shrine. The resolution of the short is beautiful, with just the right touch of whimsy.

This is available on Blu-Ray and DVD (Short Peace) and is well worth watching. Recommended.

This year's crop of Oscar-nominated animated shorts is unusual. In the past, normally there are 2 or 3 films which are exceptional and I would be happy seeing any of them win. This year, however, "Get a Horse!" is so superior that I would be incredibly shocked if it did not win. Now I normally prefer shorts from small film companies--as I want to encourage the non-corporate players and an Oscar is a great way to do it. But Disney simply outdid itself and the rest just pale in comparison.

Of all the nominees, at least "Possessions" is not the worst. I know this sounds very harsh, but I was left perplexed by this one and another nomination because they just didn't seem outstanding to me--at least not enough to be nominated for such a prize.

The story shows a man wandering through the forest and he stops at an old abandoned house for shelter. However, the place is haunted (of sorts) and the guy really seemed to try very hard to make his peace with the spirits and do right by them.

The film is Japanese and looks VERY much inspired by anima--very. The story is slight and the animation a bit better than what you'd see in a typical anime and the story is enjoyable.