Oscar short-film lineup full of British, Irish youth

British and Irish youths dominate the field of contenders for this year's Academy Award for live-action short film. From a surprisingly dark look at a children's prank gone terribly awry, to a boy's crush on his schoolteacher, to the story of a 15-year-old with a malignant tumor hoping to lose his virginity before he dies, the 2011 Oscar candidates don't exactly encompass a wide demographic.

Even the lone American entry, "God of Love," about a geeky Brooklyn hipster who croons vintage jazz and throws darts (that's his act), has a decidedly adolescent feel.

Which leaves Ivan Goldschmidt's "Na Wewe," set in Burundi during the civil strife of the mid-1990s, to add a global, multigenerational element to the mix. But even here, in this snapshot drama about a group of people caught in the deadly conflict between Hutus and Tutsis, it's a frightened boy who figures as the central character.

Although this isn't the strongest lineup of Oscar shorts to be seen in recent years, nor by any means the edgiest, there's compelling work to be found.

"The Confession," Tanel Toom's startling meditation on religion and responsibility, begins with a pair of schoolmates making mischief in a cornfield. It ends in death and tears. Lewis Howlett, who plays the boy Sam, is heartbreaking - watch the young actor's face as he enters a church's confessional, to unburden himself of the pain and guilt and horror he has experienced. This is my bet to win the Oscar.

Michael Creagh's "The Crush," with the filmmaker's son, Oran Creagh, wonderfully soulful as an 8-year-old Irish boy totally obsessed with his pretty teacher, also threatens to veer into violence and tragedy. Happily, it doesn't.

Ian Barnes' "Wish 143," which stars Sam Holland as a Leeds teenager with a terminal tumor, leavens its maudlin material with humor and grace, and with fine turns from veteran actor Jim Carter (Mr. Carson in Downton Abbey) as a priest, and Jodie Whittaker (Venus) as the hooker he solicits to spend time with the sick lad.

"God of Love," which stars and was written and directed by NYU film school alum Luke Matheny, has its oddball charms, as Matheny's Raymond Goodfellow happens on a set of magic darts with which he endeavors to win the heart of the girl he loves (his band's drummer, played by Marian Brock). This whimsical take on romance and destiny is almost too cute for words, but the black-and-white photography works nicely, and Matheny's rubbery mug - a bit of Harpo Marx, a bit of Roberto Benigni, and a bit of Jason Schwartzman - has a goofy allure.

"The Confession" directed by Tanel Toom; "The Crush" directed by Michael Creagh; "God of Love" directed by Luke Matheny; "Na Wewe" directed by Ivan Goldschmidt, and "Wish 143" directed by Ian Barnes. Distributed by Magnolia Pictures.

Running time: 1 hour, 46 mins.

Parent's guide: No MPAA rating (adult themes)

Playing at: Ritz at the BourseEndText