DeKalb Elementary

This year's batch of Oscar nominated live action shorts is exceptionally strong. Because of this, it's hard to say who the odds on favorite should be for award, though I think "DeKalb Elementary" would not be a bad choice.

The story is very simple. A young, troubled man walks into the office of an elementary school and whips out an AK (I am no expert and can't tell if it's an AK-47 or one of the later models). He fires a few shots but inexplicably does NOT go off on a murderous rampage. What follows is a troubling story about the 'death by cop' phenomenon as well as the incredibly brave woman who helped to de-escalate this awful situation. And, it's apparently based on a real story.

Why did I love this story so much? Well, there were two reasons. First, it was not yet another film about a gun massacre...there's more to it than that. Second, and more importantly, the acting was shockingly good...which also says a lot about the direction of "DeKalb Elementary". I would sure love to see more from these folks.