I have been going to the special showings of the Oscar-nominated shorts for the last several years and I have learned one important thing--if I love an animated short, it's bound to lose. This isn't the case with the live-action ones, but I have the uncanny ability to pick which one I think should win and get it wrong every time! Sadly for THE OLD LADY AND THE REAPER, I loved it and felt it should win the Oscar--a true curse if I've ever heard one! I think, while it's not my first favorite, that LOGORAMA will actually take the Oscar, as it's more creative and visually stunning. Plus, the Oscar people (technically, the members of AMPAS) don't seem to like the morbid little comedies--as my favorites for 2008 and 2009 were also about death (wow,,,that says a lot about me, huh?).
THE OLD LADY AND THE REAPER is a Spanish movie but when I saw it, the film was in English. IMDb also says it's an English language film, though with its Spanish title I assume that there must be a Spanish language one out there somewhere. If you find it, let me know--I'd like to see that as well.
The film is a comedy about a power struggle between the Grim Reaper and a hot-shot doctor who plays God and keeps resuscitating a dead lady. As for the lady, she's quite old and very prepared to die--and just wishes that this jerk would let her go! It's all very, very goofy and is sure to make you laugh--particularly the cute way it portrays the Reaper as well as his three-headed Poodle! Clever, funny and manically paced--this is a hilarious film and the theater was filled with laughter from start to finish. Too bad it probably won't win.
Update (3/7/10)--I was correct, "Logorama" took the Oscar. It just goes to show that my instinct was correct but I still enjoyed "La Dama y La Muerte" better. See both films and do yourself a favor.
