I went to the showing of the Oscar-nominated animated shorts--something I haven't missed in about a decade. Although I loved Disney's "Get a Horse!" and think it's the clear choice for the award, the rest of the films left me rather cold. So, when they also showed three non-nominated but commended films, I felt a bit surprised as the three commended films were better than several of the nominees! Of the three commended films, I probably enjoyed "A la Francaise" the most--but they all were treats.
"A la Francaise" made me laugh a lot--and that is a rare thing with this year's showing of shorts! In addition, the quality of the animation was amazingly good--too good not to get nominated. The story is set in the time of Louis XIV. However, Louis and all his guests at Versailles are pigeons*!! Now they act and dress much like 17th century folks did but they are birds. I know this sounds silly--and it is. However, the plot is infused with such a wonderful sense of humor it made me smile. Well worth your time and I really want to see more from the team that made this wonderful film.
*My daughter insists they are chickens. Whatever....
