Three words to describe Adam Elliot's (master of clay animation) 22 min and 7 sec film Harvie Krumpet: sardonic and poignant. This Academy Award winning short film follows the title character, a naïve but optimistic Polish who ends up in Australia, and his unlucky life. That is an understatement; he gets struck by lightning, has his testicle removed, is plagued by Tourette's Syndrome, just to name a few. But one single phrase (Carpe diem) causes him to embrace life despite his unfortunate circumstances (hooray for nudist colonies and chickens!). Crafted in both a humorous and distressing manner – you will laugh one moment then sink back into depression out of sympathy for Harvie – and superbly narrated by Geoffrey Rush, this film will make you smile and want to lead a better life. After all, if Harvie Krumpet can do it, you can too.

I just stumbled on this on Sundance Channel and can't say enough good things about it. Everything I've seen of Adam Elliot's amazes me with its sweetness, its humor but always with streaks of real-life pain. This isn't stop animation for the kids, or at least for very young kids. Nonetheless, go out of your way to see this -- recommend it very, very highly. Elliot's characters first seem like little goblins. Then their existences are so gorgeously fleshed out with details and very human experiences. Every character that is introduced reminds me of people I have known once Elliot's beautiful writing (and wonderful narration by Geoffrey Rush in this case) lets you get to know them.

Fakt: This is a work that matches its ambitions. It successfully takes on the task of using the most whimsical of mediums to ask the most difficult question: "Does life really matter?" Of course, that question is the knockout punch. You won't see it coming until you're punch-drunk from its sarcastic jabs about the absurdity of existence. Its humor definitely stays close the the pain that gives it power. Some may be offended by its disdainful, even disrespectful treatment of Christianity. Harvie Krumpet finds his answer to the question elsewhere. But, by making a point of mocking Christianity, this film invites not scorn, but a rebuttal work of equal artistic grade (a tall order). All-in-all this film accomplishes more in twenty minutes than most can in two hours. Not bad.

This is a simple tale but it feels very manipulative. It lacks pathos for it does not leave a room for imagination or a personal thought or time for reflection.The animation is well done but I feel like it is too presentational. I would have preferred more images from behind, more space in the background and maybe then this would not feel so kitsch to me.But for a Hollywood style film it works OK but it is very derivative of Aardman films and this is bothering to me. Perhaps a longer film will test if this maker can do without the voice-over.I think the voice over is too glib.