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I’m a sucker for cartoons, so I began with the animated films. Peter and the Wolf was the Oscar winner, and it was beautiful to look at. It is a modern day telling of Peter and the Wolf, without narration of any kind. Peter, a dark haired, blue-eyed boy ventures, against his grandfather’s will, out to the field near his village. His companions are there; the duck, the bird, and the cat (a grossly obese thing that reminded me of Dom Delouise). The wolf comes, and, as in the story, swallows the duck whole, prompting Peter to catch it. It is stop motion animation (as are all three animated films), and the work is just astounding. It is easy to see why it won the award.

Even Pigeons Go to Heaven is a French film about an unusual salesman. When death is called out to claim a soul, this man visits first (running Death, on his bicycle, off the road in the attempt to beat him). His wares? Nothing less than a machine guaranteed to take the owner directly to heaven. This is the funniest short by far.

Madame Tutli-Putli, from Canada, is about a strange train ride. Silently, we follow a young woman’s train ride and the various calamities that befall her. Though odd and a little confusing (and in one instance lewd), the story is no less interesting, and the animation visually appealing. Look out for the chess players, who offered the best moment.

The live action shorts are not as easy to categorize as the animated. At turns both funny and hideously depressing, they are varied in topic and style. The Mozart of Pickpockets, the Academy Award Winner from France, follows two hapless thieves as they lose their way, only to find it again in a young boy who does not speak. The film is funny, but not my favorite of the group.

Night, from Denmark, is ridiculously depressing. It is the story of three young female cancer patients dealing with their declining condition and their relationships with their families. Though they find strength in each other, it is not a lasting bond, as tragedy strikes during the nights. I had a hard time watching this one, though it was well done and moving.

Italy’s The Substitute is dedicated to people with behavioral problems, though I think they mean to say problems with society’s conformities. It is about a substitute teacher with very unusual techniques – he riles the children up, making them do bizarre and funny things, even attack one of their own, for high marks. But this teacher isn’t just unconventional, he has a secret – he’s not really a teacher. Strangely funny, it was a good film, and I enjoyed it.

The story of a man desperate to learn the Tango, Tanghi Argentini is the most amusing of the lot. From Belgium, it follows an office clerk who convinces a coworker to teach him to tango, all in order to woo a woman. In a fairy tale twist, it turns out that the clerk is in fact playing matchmaker, picking out women for his coworkers for Christmastime. Charming and witty, Tanghi Argentini is the best film of the lot, save one.

And that one is The Tonto Woman. Though it did not win the Oscar, UK’s The Tonto Woman is compelling and dramatic, poignant and cruel. Based on a short story by Elmore Leonard (does it get better than that, really?), it is a western tale of a woman who has been captured by Indians and tattooed to look like one of them. She has been rescued and, due to her facial tattoos, forced to live in exile in the desert. Along comes a stranger on a horse, who finds her beautiful and intriguing. He woos her despite her protests. His intentions draw the attention of her husband, and his thug underlings. It is a fantastic story, artfully done. It draws you in, and you care about the outcome.

There are no bonus features on this DVD, and with so many films, they really aren’t needed (although commentary would have been cool). It is a fine collection of films, well worth watching.

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