"The Confession" is a 26-minute short film from 6 years ago and it was the first international project by Estonian filmmaker Tanel Toom. Language is English though, so don't worry about subtitles. The story is about two boys who share a "gruesome" secret that ultimately turns into tragedy. I am not really sure why I did not manage to enjoy this Oscar-nominated short film as much as I hoped I would. It is atmospheric, dramatic and the acting is solid too. Maybe it is just too long for its own good and I struggled really to see the film with the absurdity that the boys saw all the action. Aren't they too old for that? Shouldn't they have talked to their parents? At least, that is what I would have expected from the protagonist who is apparently a sensitive soul. I cannot share the appreciation everybody else has for this little movie. Cannot understand why it was nominated for an Oscar. At least, it did not beat the excellent "God of Love". I have to confess that I did not like "The Confession". Thumbs down.

The Confession follows the story of two young boys that are trying to find what to confess in their first confession. Their comedic explorations take a dramatic twist, while at the same time a few "psychological thriller" types of scenes give this cross-genre experience a lot of weird moments. Because evidently the director's intention to mix the genres was not justified, meaning that the mix had no deeper aesthetic purpose other than the very experiment of mixing, which is why at times the story is left dry, trying to discover a purpose for the characters other than the before-mentioned cinematic experiment. And that's a shame, because each of the genres is very well delivered, especially the first comedic vibes.

Well, I just got back from my yearly pilgrimage to see the nominees for the Best Live Action Academy Award. Compared to other years, this is an interesting field, as I actually liked all the films and see there being no clear winner. Usually I have at least a few of them I don't particularly like but this is a good crop...but there also is no clearly 'perfect' film as well. So, in light of this, my predicting that "The Confession" will be the most likely of the films to win is not at all certain--as I see this as mostly a three film race but any of the five could easily win.This film is set in Britain and is about two young boys who attend Catholic school and are anticipating going to their first confession. One of the boys is a bit of a devil, so you can anticipate that he's got a lot to confess. The other, though, seems like a pretty nice kid and he's worried that he doesn't have any sins to confess. So, the cheeky friend decides to help him--to help him commit a good sin that he can confess! While this is all very comical and cute, where the film goes next is VERY dark indeed--but I'll say no more about this as it would spoil the movie.So why did I like this film so much? Well, part of it is because the plot kept me guessing--it offered many surprises and I can really respect a film that does this. After having reviewed nearly 10000 films on IMDb, it's great to be able to say a film caught me by surprise. But the biggest reason I liked and respected the film was the wonderful acting by the kids. Getting kids to act realistically is hard--and the kids and the director did a great job! Likewise, the direction had a wonderful artistic tough--with great camera work (with angles, filters and the like that show an amazing professionalism).Considering that this film is by a young film maker who did this to complete their masters degree in film school, it shows a TON of promise for Tanel Toom and I can't wait to see more brilliant work from them. A tremendous film.By the way, although I think this was technically the best film, it may not win the Oscar because another short (also from the UK) with a similar dark tone and great acting by an underage actor is up against it. Both films are deserving and may just work against each other.UPDATE: Wow, this never happens. I actually picked this category correctly. In a conversation I had with a friend who saw the films with me, I told him that although I thought "The Confession" was the best film that it and "Wish 143" were so similar in tone and style that "God of Love" would win. Insanely enough, "God of Love" won and I think my prediction was correct--something that NEVER happens!

You can trust the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to introduce you to some very worthwhile short filmmaking with their nominees each year, films that would have otherwise never reached an audience outside of the festival circuit. This one is a particularly outstanding choice, among the very best the short film categories at the Oscars have offered in recent years.The 26-minute picture, which looks and sounds as good or better than many a costly feature production, begins as one would expect from conventional short film fare: Two kids in a whimsical situation. As anyone raised in the Catholic faith could testify, not knowing quite what to say during your first confession is a dilemma equally absurd and real. But expectations are turned on their heads by what the script spins out of this idea. A few minutes in, the viewer realizes he has committed a sin himself by summarily throwing the film in with all those others which content themselves with milking their singular observation for merely the humor and cuteness of it, especially when there are child actors involved. Not so here, as soon enough "The Confession" turns into a chilling, compelling drama that ultimately leaves one with questions about what faith can lead people to do. In the best short film tradition, the film gets there with surprising storytelling and a resonating message.Extraordinary acting from the leads, elegant and sober directing, exquisite cinematography. Highest recommendation.