Protraph Lack of good storyline.

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

GazerRise Fantastic!

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

Horst in Translation ([email protected]) This is a 10-minute short film from Danmark that won writer and director Anders Thomas Jensen an Academy Award. It was his third consecutive nomination (although he was only in his 20s back then) and finally he took home the prize. After that, he worked on some of the most famous Danish films in recent years, but also on internationally successful projects such as "The Duchess". This year he has another pretty known film coming out: "Men & Chicken" starring Mads Mikkelsen who is among Denmark's acting elite right now. Speaking about that, so is Ulrich Thomsen and he plays the central character in this short film. While in a pub, he realizes that he forgot to vote and hurries to get his vote in on time. Unfortunately, on the way he meets all kinds of racist taxi drivers and when he finally sits in a car with an Arab or Turkish driver, even this one makes such remarks, about Asians this time. That restaurant, Pearl Harbor, Winter Games reference was possibly the funniest part of the film. Of course, it was also offensive, but somehow it was also entertaining. So, will our hero make it in time to vote? See for yourself. I can only say that this is a pretty good short film with an interesting twist at the end. It's the society and the people we interact with that shape us. Thumbs up for this short movie. Recommended.

Robert Reynolds This short won the Academy Award for Live Action Short. There will be spoilers ahead:This short concerns a man named Peter, an aid worker for a relief organization who realizes that he's forgotten to vote on election night. This is after he chastises two friends in a bar over what he takes to be racist comments, because, in my view, he's an overly sensitive clod. With the polls closing in 20 minutes he races out to vote, hopping in a cab.The cab driver is absolutely and with no apologies a racist and his comments definitely offend Peter, who argues with the driver and then demands he stop the cab because he no longer wishes to stay and listen to those kinds of remarks-even though he's losing precious time.Peter then encounters a few other drivers, all of whom make remarks he deems (with some justice in most cases) as objectionable, one of them a spectacularly funny rant by a foreign driver about kebab being replaced by a sushi place and the Japanese! Mr. Sensitivity finally reaches the polling place and tries to get in but is told he's too late by a black poll worker. He pleads for her to let him come in and makes a remark that, had he heard someone else say it, he would have called them a racist, which is just what the poll worker says he is and he's accosted by a man who says something outrageous in challenging him on his behavior and then punches him.The short ends with Peter making his way back to the bar and sitting down with the two he called "racist" in the beginning.. I take the ending as an indication that he's been given food for thought and maybe he won't be quite so quick to judge in the future.This short is well worth tracking down. Most recommended.

sashank_kini-1 A young man named Peter enters a bar and finds a morose friend drinking in the presence of a barman. He has sent 2000 blanket to Albania and he enthusiastically avers this to his friend, who takes it indifferently. In the next few shots, Peter and his friend argue over the latter's refusal to drink anything Mexican and Peter doesn't stop here – he even accuses the barman for 'initiating' racism by keeping such customers. His friend says that the barman has voted for the socialists, and this reminds Peter that he himself has forgotten to vote. The chap frantically calls for a cab to take him to the booth, and encounters an acrimonious driver (who looks Mexican) who can't stop railing blacks, Turks and Arabs. After a heated exchange, he gets out and takes another cab, this time with an opinionated German who seemingly believes in white supremacy. The third driver seems alright (he is an Arab) until he notices a joint previously selling kebabs being replaced by a sushi store. Peter finds it far easier to run it down to the booth without listening to all the racist remarks, not directed at him but at a different race. He reaches the place just to be stopped by a lady (who is black) disallowing him from entering. In an effort to change her mind, Peter tells her he is voting for 'her people'. The tables turn on him as not only is he called a racist, but he is also punched by a white man who uses a derogatory word while 'defending' the lady. Finally, the worn down man reenters the bar to quaff up a Carlsberg instead of the Mexican drink.Election Night isn't anywhere as great as the delightful Lunch Date or the wicked Black Rider. It doesn't have two themes running concurrently as in Lunch Date where we assume we are watching a movie about racism only to be smacked in the head at the end or in Black Rider where the title itself can be interpreted in two ways. It's more simple and straightforward, but there is enough humor to make it a worthwhile short. I do wish it were about a minute or two longer and the scenes with the cab drivers more extended. Good moments: the song choice (it starts with Ella Fitzgerald), some crisp dialogs and some humor. Bloopers (though I usually don't mention them): during the scene in the first cab, while we see the camera panning the driver's face and also see the back of the rear view mirror, we can't see Peter sitting behind even though he is clearly in the center space in the shots including both the characters.We live in a very funny world: on own hand, my father thinks says the whole of Pakistan should be eradicated from earth while on the other he can't help watching an Indian comedy show that mainly features Pakistanis! So I know there's nothing in Election Night that seems ridiculous. But it didn't have anything outstanding either. My Rating: 6.3 out of 10

MartinHafer ELECTION NIGHT is a clever film about racism. The film begins with a man meeting a friend at a bar. When the friend says on off-hand racist remark, the first man confronts him instead of sitting silently. While almost impossible to believe, the first man then realizes that the election is being held and he forgot to vote--and runs to the polls before they close. On the way, again and again, he gets in cabs where the drivers are total racist pigs and are amazed that he's offended--as if everyone of "us" is in agreement about "them". This is an interesting idea and didn't come off as too preachy.When he finally did arrive at the polling station, there was a very ironic little twist that made the film and made me think of the saying "no good deed goes unpunished". The only sour note to the film was the very last scene in the bar--it was really impossible to believe that this one incident at the poll could change such a good man so quickly. Still, it was a very clever and interesting film.By the way, this film is part of the CINEMA 16: European Shorts DVD. On this DVD are 16 shorts. Most aren't great, though because it contains THE MAN WITHOUT A HEAD, COPY SHOP, RABBIT and WASP, it's an amazing DVD for lovers of short films and well worth buying.