The Lost Thing

This Australian film is about a young man who finds a very bizarre looking 'thing' at the beach. He has no idea WHAT it is and no one else seems to care or notice. He makes it his job to try to find out where it goes. In the end, he finds a strange land filled with LOTS of strange creatures.

While far from my favorite of the 2011 nominees for Best Animated Short, this is still a very nice film and I enjoyed seeing it. I went to the theater with a friend to see this and we both agreed it was not very likely to win the award--mostly because the story is its weakest aspect. But, I should say that it DID have amazingly wonderful animation. The computer animation is truly wonderful--high quality, unique and impressive. So, in my case, while I didn't love the story (it was a tad weak), the film looked so great that I didn't mind too much. My advice is that it you see it, turn off your brain and enjoy.

UPDATE: I was surprised, but just moments ago I saw that "The Lost Thing" won the Oscar for Best Animated Short. To me, this was a surprise!

This is about someone facing insurmountable odds as he attempts to bring a strange creature back home. One day, the thing just shows up and is so unique that there seems to be nothing to connect it to. He is cut off at every turn, but he perseveres. The interesting thing is that this creature, while being somewhat monstrous in appearance, is kind and gentle, and he continues to deliver those traits. The theme of this film, which is from a children's book, has to do with misfits and their trials and the need for someone to believe in them. Nice work.

The Lost Thing is a 15 minute animated short film based on the highly acclaimed picture book by multi award winning author and illustrator, Shaun Tan, that says to have been influenced by Tim Burton, Francis Bacon and Rene Magritte. I will not dare to write a piece about Tan's life and work, but, by these influences, you can have an idea of how this movie will be shown: with subliminal meanings and metaphors. As this short film was adapted from the children's book of same name, you shall watch it through the eyes of a child, that is now knowing the world it lives. I believe the metaphor created successfully by Shaun means to a kid that the world it was born at is a place of bitter people that lost their brightness; they do not care about life and happiness anymore; but you must not care about it. You are special the way you are, and you will find your place in the world some day; not among the others people, but among equal friends who will comprehend your feelings and make you happy. And by its signification, watching this 15 minutes film worth it.

I have just finished reading The Arrival by Shaun Tan and I am so impressed. Looking for interviews with him, I have found on youtube The Lost Thing and watched it. Amazing. Very well done. Nice story. Nice parable. I come to find out this short took an Oscar. And that Oscar was won against The Gruffalo. I still like The Gruffalo better, but this one is somehow deeper. I guess the old men and women of the Academy Awards Jury went for the old man sadly looking behind to the lost youth instead of the wise youth theme. Still, it was a tough choice and I can name a few years when all the candidates were of lower quality. But that is life!

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The lost thing rises as a breath of fresh air against an ever rising tide of wise cracking or sickly cute fur balls and violent comic animation fueled by the American market. At around 15 minutes in length "The lost thing" had a production time line sprawled over nearly ten years with the bulk of work done over three years. The required creative control in adapting and complementing a very popular book have clearly been kept in check buy the directorial hand of the original illustrator and author Shaun Tan and very small production team principally Leo Baker, the main animator and computer graphics artist Tom Bryant.

It is a simple story which reflects on human natures diminishing observation and appreciation of a world out side the day to day pathway we are all forced to travel by both greater authority and selfish ambition. Childlike observations laced with surrealistic circumstance create the distinctly dream like world of "The Lost Thing"

"The lost thing" is short but so visually rich with Shaun Tans remarkable eye for detail it feels complete and invites repeated viewing. If your a little over street wise dudes with stand up comic sarcasm, over blown CGI action coupled with misfiring plots take a medicinal shot of "The Lost Thing". You can not go wrong.