TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews I understand that this won the Oscar for the category it falls under when it came out. I haven't seen any of the competition, so I can't compare, but it certainly is great. It's a fairy tale in a modern setting, and not everyone will care for the world view arguably presented herein. This is sweet, without being so hideously overflowing with pure, concentrated saccharine, to the point of viewers risking getting diabetes from watching. It's got a sense of humor, which can be claimed to move towards the ever-so-slightly dark once or twice, and is otherwise almost invariably entirely inoffensive, as the short ought to be, on the whole. Jokes and gags aren't childish, gross or similar, although some of them may perhaps mainly be funny to us Scandinavians, and may not get as big a laugh for those not familiar with the relationships between the countries and their people. The story-telling device of narration is used fine, if nothing new is done with it. The performance is good. The animation is simple, with occasional exaggeration. It doesn't look or feel "sloppy" or downright bad. The plot is nice, and the ending, along with plenty else in this, is cute. I recommend this to all who feel they might enjoy it, and encourage not only Danes, Norwegians and Swedes to give it a chance. 8/10

ccthemovieman-1 This is an animated story about "chance" and "coincidence" ruling our lives, something the author apparently believes because it's stated by narrator in the first few sentences of the film that "we are all just seeds floating up there in the space waiting for someone to get us." With an atheistic outlook like that, it's no wonder this won an Oscar for "best animated short." Had the opposite belief been put into film, it wouldn't have stood a chance to be nominated. Anyway, Torill Kove, a Norwegian animator/filmmaker and current resident of Canada, gives us this "cute" story in which a series of circumstances all make for a happy ending. The illustrations are half the fun of watching this 15-minute award-winning short. They artwork is clean and colorful and a treat for the eyes.Liv Ullman does a nice job of narrating the film but I would have rather had a variety of voices. Having a female voice all the male characters sounded out of place.I wouldn't be surprised if Miss Kove did this story tongue-in-cheek, knowing that actually everything happens for a reason, not that all of life is sheer chance. No one is dumb enough to believe that, which is why this is a good fairy tale.

Polaris_DiB This is a very cute, very touching, and very loving little animated short. The best thing about it is its simplicity... it reminds me more of those PBS style animations or the Madeleine cartoons from when I was a kid. The storybook colors really aid in the warm, heartfelt feelings this movie gives off.The basic premise is that lonely people, through their need for connections, eventually set off chains of events that leads to "happily ever after" not only for themselves, but for other entities around them. It's romantic, but allows itself the opportunity to be silly and childish at times to help keep it from being sentimental or boring.I also like the small run-on gags that go throughout the short, such as the drunks on the cruise and the slipping cow. As a very minimalistic animation, every little thing, even in the background, has its own time and noteworthiness.--PolarisDiB

Robert Reynolds I've seen three of the five shorts nominated for the Oscar and this short is the best of the three I've seen. I'm not at all surprised that it was the winner. Since it would be difficult to discuss this short without going into at least a few details, let this serve as a spoiler warning: The basic idea behind this short regards the importance of random chance in all our lives. Narrated (very effectively) by Liv Ullman, with no other vocal work save hers, the story unfolds gradually and softly, with little touches of humor here and there. There are quite a few playful nudges at Danes and Norwegians throughout.The story centers on a Danish poet and his hit-and-miss relationship with a Norwegian farmer's daughter. The relationship has a good many twists and turns, with a logic chain made up of all sorts of random events which change the course of various lives. Barking dogs, inattentive mail carriers, slippery boards, a funeral and hairstyles all take their turn at changing things, all leading to the marvelous conclusion.This short is available (on DVD) from the National Film Board of Canada and is well worth watching. Highly recommended.