Lorenzo

Mike Massie started his review on the 2004 short “Lorenzo” by stating, “As writer/director Mike Gabriel stated, despite listening to hundreds of tango music tracks to find the right piece, he ended up going with the very first tune on the very first CD he heard – a sensational work entitled “Bordoneo y 900” by Juan Jose Mosalini and his Big Tango Orchestra. As not only inspiration but also narration for this clever tale, the track undoubtedly makes the picture. With no spoken dialogue and no subtitles, “Lorenzo” is an utterly mesmerizing, universally understandable blend of music and visuals, boasting unnerving riffs and romantic interludes set against hilarity and horror as black magic gets the better of gluttony and callousness.”

Lorenzo the cat has his entire time lying in his warm bed, eating shrimp and making fun of stray cats that come outside his window to look with sad eyes like they’re begging for any of the leftovers that Lorenzo leaves behind. When the fat cat laughs at a black Siamese that doesn’t have a tail, the livid stray puts a spell on Lorenzo’s own fluffy tail, causing it to come to life – planning on beating the cat into a furious dance. In a sad turn of events, Lorenzo just might have to kill the possessed tail so that he doesn’t have to put up with anymore of this torture.

Massie noted, “The animation is quite fitting, juxtaposing traditional techniques against black construction paper paintings augmented by 3D brush strokes for a high-contrast look. The environments appear as if Lorenzo is in a permanent night club setting (the only place for a true tango), even though he walks on electrical lines and attempts to kill his spirited tail by tying it to railroad tracks.” Despite the short being dark and apparently sinister, the creativity is unmatched. Shorts, sounds and concepts don’t really mix together like they do here.

If there is a way you can see this five minute short, than do so. Find it on YouTube, or see the short film collection on NetFlix or Disney+. You will love it, especially if you’re a fan of dark humor.

Look out tomorrow for the next short in “Disney Month 2020.”