Film

***** (Five stars)
Luckily, the groan-inducing synopsis—“This program concerns life’s unpredictability”—is merely a weak thread stringing these films together. All seven feature lush, exotic and slightly sinister locations, and are absorbing, cinematic feasts for the visual palate.

Highlights are “In the Year of the Pig,” in which an Amélie­‑esque cast of quirky but lovable characters intersect in unexpected ways, and “New Boy” (based on a Roddy Doyle short story), about a new kid at school picked on by his classmates before they find common ground. While each of these films clocks in under 12 minutes, they still managed to develop good old-fashioned narratives.

“Cargo” is the only short that verged on the oblique or obnoxious. With its mysterious characters and their mysterious pasts, it seems determined only to make viewers feel left out.—Emily Jacobson, receptionist

[This is a TONY staff review, written for the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. It is not considered an official review and should not be read as such. Please think of it as a casual impression from a movie-loving friend.]