The Short Film (Live Action) category is one of the Academy Awards’ most neglected and ignored categories by at-home viewers, the vast majority of whom have never heard of the entries. This matter is particularly sad this year, as the category is full of strong selections without a definitive favorite. Fortunately for the Five College area, Northampton’s Pleasant Street Theater is currently showing all five shorts under one ticket. Here’s a breakdown of the nominees:

The Confession

“The Confession” follows the story of Sam (Lewis Howlett), a Catholic schoolboy preparing for his first Penance. Concerned he has no sins to confess, Sam and his friend Jacob (Joe Eales) orchestrate a prank to gather material for the confession booth, but the plan goes tragically awry.

Perhaps the strongest film in this category, “The Confession” takes a risk in putting the weight of the film on the shoulders of two child actors, but with the exception of a few lines which seem too adult, the boys pull it off well. Howlett is particularly effective, conveying emotional depth to make more experienced actors envious.

The film is also the most visually interesting of the five nominees, with long shots of the rural English countryside contributing well to the movie’s chilly mood. Anyone with a Catholic upbringing will appreciate the treatment of the awkwardness of the film and the sensation of guilt it generates.

Harrowing and horrifying, “The Confession” is an emotional punch to the gut which fares well against any full-length film.

Wish 143

In “Wish 143,” David (Sam Holland), a sixteen-year old cancer patient is offered a gift of his choosing by a Make-a-Wish style foundation, but his only request is help in losing his virginity.

The film – Roger Ebert’s prediction to win the Oscar – is a refreshing take on an overused scenario. “Wish 143” rarely succumbs to the saccharine tropes of terminal illness films, largely thanks to Holland’s performance. He so capably alternates between wry humor and flickering anger that when his emotional mask is finally removed, the effect is devastating.

It is an excellent blend of comedy and tragedy which arrives at transcendent conclusions. “Wish 143” evokes the need for physical human contact which we all share.

Na Wewe

The Belgian “Na Wewe” is this year’s only non-English language nominee, depicting ordinary travelers suddenly caught in the genocidal conflict between the ethnic groups the Hutus and the Tutsis in Burundi.

Despite its lack of actual violence, the film creates an impressively tense atmosphere, and its ability to show glimmers of humanity amid horror is at times quite moving.

The biggest problem with “Na Wewe” is that its cast of characters is too large for its running time. The aggressive Hutus sort through a busload of passengers one-by-one, and while the actors’ moments of defiance and terror in the situation are compelling, they are too brief to be fully engaging. Further, anyone with even marginal knowledge of the Rwandan genocide might find the film’s portrayal rather tame.

“Na Wewe” has moments of greatness, but it falls short of the standard set by the other nominees.

The Crush

Ardal, an Irish schoolboy besotted with his teacher, challenges her boyfriend to a duel for her hand in “The Crush.”

Like “The Confession,” “The Crush” has a talented youngster at its head, Oran Creagh. Creagh outshines all the adults in the film with a natural gift for comedic delivery. His childish confession of love is utterly convincing, and when the film takes a darker turn, he still manages to be believable in unbelievable circumstances.

The movie somehow packs in multiple twists in less than 20 minutes, which leaves the ending feeling muddled, but on the whole, “The Crush” is an engaging and charming rollercoaster ride.

God of Love

The lone American contender and arguably the weakest of the nominees is “God of Love,” the creation of New York University student Luke Matheny, who wrote, directed, and starred in the film.

Matheny plays Ray, a lounge singer enamored with his band mate, Kelly (Marian Brock). Ray prays for Kelly’s affection, and his wish is magically granted in the form of love darts, which create infatuation in their targets.

“The God of Love” stands out as the only completely comedic nominee. Presented last at Pleasant Street, this abrupt change of tone from the first four shorts makes the film seem frivolous instead of humorous. Shot in black and white and weakly incorporating Greek mythology, the film misses the whimsical attitude it appears to aim for, instead coming off as too slick and calculated.

“The God of Love” is the most unique of the five nominees, but it suffers from a self-conscious attempt at being hip and artistic.

The live action shorts will play limited showings at Pleasant Street Theater through March 3.

Ian Opolski can be reached at [email protected].