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.