The Oscar-nominated short films are playing in select cities around the country. In New York I saw them at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village.
The first of the Oscar-nominated live action short films
was Pentecost, a light Irish comedy
about an altar boy who just can’t resist the urge to ruin Sunday mass. After a
supposed accident in which he caused the priest to fall by swinging the incense
ball too close to his face, he’s given a second chance by default to be part of
the altar boy elite ‘squad’ to perform a mass given by the Archbishop upon his
return to this small town. Taking place in the late 70s, the boy is threatened
with never being permitted to watch or listen to football again (and Liverpool
has the European Cup final coming up!) The boys are given a pre-game talk that
amounts to a sports team pep talk. Directed by Peter McDonald, it’s light,
amusing and somehow distinctly Irish.
