A Close Shave (NR) **** Featuring the voices of Peter Sallis, Anne Reid Directed by Nick Park Year Released: 1995 A Review by Frankie Paiva
The countless numbers of short films that play at your local film festival are endless. They are not just the hardest pick for your office's Oscar pool. There are many ideas that can be expressed in just forty-five, thirty, or even fifteen minutes. The sad thing is that non-festival goers will probably not have a chance to see any of these films. Despite the occasional Spike & Mike festival or the new short film websites that are popping up everywhere on the Internet, these (sometimes) masterpieces don't get much play. That's why it's amazing when a thirty minute short about the strange relationship between a man and his dog, and the adventures they go on, became a huge hit. The first two Wallace and Gromit films (The Wrong Trousers and A Grand Day Out) were big successes. The Wrong Trousers even grabbed the Oscar for best Animated Short. A Close Shave is the latest release from Aardman Animations, an Australian animation company headed by Nick Park (the director of this movie). Aardman is the front runner (some would say pioneer) in bringing animation to the mainstream film audience. With the series' recent success, it's not hard to seek this lovable pair out on video. In fact, I suggest you do so immediately.
Wallace lives in a cozy house somewhere in England with his dog Gromit. Wallace is an inventor and has all sorts of different gadgets in his house. (For instance, when he wakes up in the morning, Gromit pulls a rope and his rises until he drops through the floor into his chair. He is then dressed by a machine, and gets his toast delivered directly to his awaiting plate.) The running gag of all these movies is that Gromit is smarter than his master. He is a literally a person with feelings and sophistication. His favorite magazines include Technology for Dogs and he always reads the newspaper instead of fetching it. The duo have regular jobs as window washers and one day they are invited to clean Wendolene's, the owner of the town’s wool shop, windows.
Wallace falls in love almost instantly, but Gromit has other troubles. Wendolene has a mean and evil dog named Preston who seems to control her every move. There is a wool shortage in the city, and the wool has to be rationed, yet Wendolene has plenty of it. Could she and the dog be stealing sheep to make wool? You'll have to watch the incredibly funning conclusion to find out.
Every moment of A Close Shave is filled with extremely funny sight gags, many of which are priceless and will not be forgotten. One of the things I like about these movies is that the characters are so darn likable that you always know who to root for, even if you are laughing at them in the process. All of the animal characters behave in a human manner giving the film an unneeded comic touch. There is so much funny stuff here that it seems impossible to add anything more to this wild roller coaster ride. I also enjoy the replay value that this film has. I own all three shorts (this is by far my favorite) and I constantly find myself watching them again and again, and I still laugh. Go to your local video store now and seek Wallace and Gromit out, you'll thank me after it's over. This short animation masterpiece gets **** stars.
The Young-Uns: There is one scary scene near the end involving a vicious dog, (I won't say which one) but otherwise there's nothing in the film that's harmful. Good Age: 4 and up
A Review by Frankie Paiva The 12 Year-Old Movie Reviewer E-Mail me at SwpStke@aol.com Visit my website at http://www.homestead.com/teenagemoviecritic/mainpage.html
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