Road to the Oscars 2023. This short is nominated in 1 category and it´s animated short. Animated short is fun this year. It seems like a lot of wacky and weird things and not just the average. Now a lot has to happen to really make a short hit with me. This one really did it´s best and I liked what I saw. From the title and description, I was afraid it was going to be an artsy and vulgar short, but it was a pleasant and what felt like authentic story about how being a teenager sucks.
Pam is a young teenager telling you the story about how she is trying to lose her virginity and her year of dicks she´s been with.
The animation at display is a mixed and weird bag. The short shifts from a minimalistic and flat art style to different art styles in each chapter all depending on Pam's boyfriend. The art styles range from gothic art, neo, anime and some horrific art. Some art styles stand out more than others, I found chapter 1´s art style appealing and cool while chapter 3 had a really generic anime style. It´s interesting and fascinating how many different styles are used, and I was entertained all the way throughout. The main flat, boring and minimalistic art style reserved to real life while the rest is Pam´s fantasy, is unappealing to me. I think it´s that it´s too minimalistic. It doesn't really look like characters move and mouth flaps seem none existing at times. There is a lot to like here in terms of animation, but also a lot of things I didn't like.
This is a good idea for a story and the authenticity is the key to it. Without you believing in the character and their story, the short falls apart. It can seem a bit too predictable with the ending to an unrealistic degree, but I believe it. It´s a story about the anxiety, pressure, and terrible sexual encounters of our youth. Rather if it´s being scared for the first time, expecting romantic things, getting "the talk" with parents. It´s all relatable to a degree and it just feels authentic. I think everyone can find a small part of their past here or an encounter that relates just a little bit. Overall it´s about being a teenager sucks on so many levels.
There are some cool artistic choices and scenes here. The chapter two floor scene was cool. The fantasy scenes of chapter 1. The terrible talk scene in chapter 4. All shown and animated so well. Pam´s thoughts and feelings are shown beautifully through animation here and I really loved what it was going for.
The short is in 5 chapters and I think some stand out more than others. They also can feel like they undermined each other as the encounters don´t have a red thread but are different short stories from the same perspective. I forgot what happened in chapters I just watched, and while I enjoyed it, the short can feel a bit disjointed.
My year of dicks is both uncomfortable but also nice. It incapsulates the worst times and best times of being a teenager and dares to tell this story, a topic I feel like everyone is making jokes about now and also needs this more grounded look as it´s important to talk about no doubt. It´s a short that is uncomfortable, nice but mostly just an authentic tale of a young girls life.
Oscar predictions: I feel like this years animated short category is a bit broad and it´s hard to say who´s got the biggest chance. I liked this one more than the other I´ve seen but I think a short like this might be a bit too much for the academy, and as far as buzz goes, I don't think this is going to win. But hey, if it does, good on it.
