The World According to Shorts

Anthology films are often a mixed bag, but this collection of six international shorts maintains a remarkably high standard. Four of the pieces are basically straightforward narratives: the Chilean satire La Perra, about a couple whose suspicions regarding their maid's proclivity for theft makes for a curious kind of aphrodisiac; United We Stand, from Norway, a darkly comic tale about a bunch of elderly radicals who save a young woman while hiking in the wilderness, only to find themselves stuck; Antichrist, a grim Polish fable, reminiscent of Lord of the Flies, revolving around a bunch of feral boys engaging in increasingly dangerous games; and the Brazilian The Old Woman's Step, a charming portrait of an elderly grandmother who walks to town to sell a chicken in order to buy a birthday gift for her fisherman grandson. Each of the aforementioned pieces boasts the virtues of brevity and precision that are characteristic of the finest short stories. The last two entries are the experimental We Have Decided Not to Die, from Australia, comprised of three luminously shot studies of extraordinary body movement, and Ring of Fire, a wild b&w animated film from Germany about the erotic fantasies of two drunken cowboys. For fans of short films, The World According to Shorts will bring considerable pleasure; for others, it may serve as a fine introduction to a persistently undervalued form of cinematic artistry. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)