The Wraith of Cobble Hill (2006)

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The acting in this movie is really good.

The animation and style of THE WRAITH OF COBBLE HILL are its greatest assets. Although the animation is somewhat crude by modern standards, it's different enough and evokes a mood that is compelling. Too bad the story itself left me feeling completely indifferent. At times the film seemed about to say something profound, but again and again, I felt like the film just missed the mark and had very little to say--or at least that I cared about or that interested me. If it were making a statement about poverty, then they made the central character too amoral and unlikable to see that his life is a waste or have you wonder what life would be like in a nicer environment. I'm really not sure what the point was and assume that the point was that there was no point--none at all. While some might like this, for me it just left me feeling drab and unexcited about the whole thing.This film is one of the bonus shorts included with the wonderful DVD "A Collection of 2006 Academy Award Nominated Short Films"--a must have for fans of the genre. It's by far the weakest in the set--all the rest are of superior quality and will definitely peak your interest.

It's a film about a very lonely old man - the store owner facing another holiday without anyone. He gives the key to his store to a hungry boy because he wants to help him and also because he wants to know - or hopes - that the boy will look after his dog.The boy starts out with a little selfish behavior. I almost turned it off because it was breaking my heart to see the dog wagging his tail and getting no response and not getting care from the boy.It is sad because the old man gives up. Somewhere, you keep hoping the boy would snap - and reach out to the old man before its too late, too - but his examples of caring for others are non-existent - starting with his own mother.His kindness does pay off for the boy, his mother and the dog. The real wraith is the old man... seen but not "seen", if you know what I mean. He's like so many older folks and folks living alone in the world - alone, lonely, giving up - but with so much to give.Call me a sentimental fool but the message is clear and not confusing, at all.Very well done little film! roscoskat

I didn't understand the purpose of this story. It evoked no emotion in me. I didn't amuse or depress me; I didn't know what to make of it.....yet this was oddly compelling.I don't like depressing stories, and this definitely could be labeled depressing, as others have called it. I didn't find it that way. I just found it an interesting view into a character's life, in this a teen called "Justin." The kid lives at in a poor Brooklyn apartment home with his mom, who is about useless. She sits in bed and watches television all day, not even caring enough to put food in the house. The kid goes to the neighborhood convenience story, shoplifts a little bit and the kindly owner, "Mr. H.," asks if he would watch his dog for a few days while he goes away. Justin is reluctant but when the owner says "you can have the key to the store," Justin thinks "free food" and takes him up on it.What happens after that isn't much, yet the viewer - at least, me - winds up very involved with this kid, and the dog, too. There is a dramatic subplot in here with a neighbor upstairs but I couldn't decipher what that was all about. The sound during those brief scenes, as Justin looked into the room, was very muted so I doubt I was the only one who couldn't understand what that was all about. I guess it will remain a mystery, and I think that's what the filmmaker wants."Mysterious" might be a good word for this short, animated film. I loved the black-and-white artwork. This has a distinctive look to it and was a part of the attraction to viewing this.

I have some plot questions about this fine piece of animation. WARNING SPOILERS! I'm usually a very astute viewer, but for some reason this time I seem to have blinked at all the wrong times. Just what was going on upstairs? Did Mr. H fall and die up there? Did he die anywhere? There was that scene with the broken glasses; was that Mr. H? Was he struggling for his life for the rest of the film and causing all that noise upstairs? And did someone hang himself at the end? Who was that? Or was it just an outfit of clothes hanging and swaying on the wall? I need to see this one more time, or get my eyes checked. Am I the only one who missed this? Maybe it was intentionally unclear.Skip