Greetings readers and welcome back to another issue of the Short Short review. Just as a reminder, in this column, I attempt to review a short film or story in a really short number of words. This week I’ll be reviewing the short film, La Dama y la Muerte (The Lady and the Reaper) in 410.5 words because I’ve always wanted to write half a word in an article (could also be that it is 8 minutes and 21 seconds long and I divided by two…).
The Spanish 3D film, created by Javier Recio Garcia, was released in 2009 and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in the same year. The film tells the story of an old lady who is awaiting her death so she can join her dead husband. Eventually, the Grim Reaper arrives and tries to take her to the afterlife but is foiled by a suave doctor. The rest of the film shows the battle between the reaper and the doctor to rescue the old lady.
The film is clever, funny, and is well-deserving of its Oscar nomination. It looks stunning with smooth but playful animation that reminds me of Team Fortress 2 in terms of art direction. The characters show personality and evoke incredible levels of emotion. Especially of note is how the reaper’s various bones are individually animated and react to the various situations endures.
Moving away from animation, the soundtrack of the film is of definite note. The beginning of the film opens up with a 50’s era tune that evokes a feeling of age that makes you sympathize with the old lady’s longing for her husband. The soundtrack then moves to a jazzy orchestral mix that is reminiscent of The Incredibles and evokes just the right mood for the chaotic middle of the film. The end of the film has a similarly emotionally effective soundtrack that I don’t want to talk about too much to avoid spoilers.
Overall, La Dama y la Muerte is a fantastic short film that deserves more press than it has received. It’s funny, emotional, incredibly well done, and stands beside some of the industry’s best short films. I’m going to give the film a well-deserved 4 ½ skulls out of 5 (SEE, I did include a half and don’t you dare argue with me). Next week is the last edition of the term and I’ve got a surprise in store, so stay tuned!
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