On our podcast last week, Curt raved about the Shaun Tan's Oscar-nominated animated short film The Lost Thing.  The short is based on Tan's 2002 children's book of the same name, but it's one of those "kids" stories that will probably be more emotionally affecting for adults. The story revolves around a young man who meets up with a bizarre entity that has the personality of a lovable, lost dog.  The man then tries to find a place for the creature in a mundane, repetitive world.After taking the 15 minutes to watch the short, I can see why Curt loved it.  The short is hilarious, heartbreaking, and the visual style is absolutely gorgeous.  When you see an animated short like this, it makes you feel slightly depressed about the homogenization of major animated films.  I can't help but wonder if a studio would have the guts to design a feature-length animated film that looks like this.At some point today, you should really take the time to watch The Lost Thing.  You won't regret it.  Hit the jump to check out the video.Via /Film.

Here's the synopsis:

A boy discovers a bizarre looking creature while out collecting bottle tops at the beach. Realising it is lost, he tries to find out who owns it or where it belongs, but is met with indifference from everyone else, who barely notice its presence, each unwilling to entertain this uninvited interruption to their day to day lives. For reasons he does not explain, the boy empathises with the creature, and sets out to find a ‘place’ for it.

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