Our film critic reviews the animated category’s candidates, which are playing at Coolidge Corner, and picks his choice to win the Oscar.

Perhaps it’s a sign of the times, that drumbeat of anxiety pulsing through the live action segment of this year’s Oscar nominated short films. Proximity to Valentine’s Day notwithstanding, this stress-filled collection boasts nary a spark of romance nor a scintilla of comedy.

Oscar-Nominated Short Films” theatrical release, presented by Shorts, starts at the M.V. Film Center on Feb. 14. The international films are divided into three categories: live-action and animation, which are reviewed here,

All that and some inside dope for your office Oscar betting pool. What the three programs of animated, live-action and documentary short films don’t offer are any sense of continuity or, conversely, variation,