A delightfully written and directed narrative short, brought to life by a compelling cast, outstanding cinematography and excellent score. A true pleasure to watch, full of quirks, surprises and dark humour contrasted brilliantly with an innocent naivety, this film has something for everyone.
The small cast is perfect for this film, with the three leads all incredibly strong as characters themselves and through their faultless performances. Joe Reynolds as Sam is a true gem, playing his scenes out with a child-like innocence but a sense of knowing and maturity also. He manages to convey the complexities of Sam's character with utter ease and makes for a truly honest performance. Brian Cox's brilliantly portrayed character of Norman is the binary opposite however and showcases an old cynical nihlist compared with that of a young boy full of hope and intrigue which makes for some excellent character interactions within the film.
All technical elements of the short are superbly thought out, Phil Meheux's cinematography being a clear stand out, breathing life into every frame, particularly in the film's opening, helping to bring audiences on the journey with Sam. This worked excellently with the incredibly crafted animated title cards and Stuart Hancock's jovial score, setting the tone for the film and guiding us into Sam's world. Then accordion used within the score works brilliantly to coincide with the motions of either character, played fast and upbeat with a childish edge when Sam has his screen time and then slows down completely and is drawn out when Norman adds in his depressing nihilistic comments.
Each aspect of the film compliments another, the locations and production design are incredibly well dressed and crafted. The old overgrown allotment next to the busy concrete jungle background of London is truly perfect, almost paralleling the old and new generations and Norman/Sam themselves. Sam's balcony was a particular favourite of mine, filled to burst with plant life and showing how green-fingered Sam is and suggests how much time he spends there. This would make sense due to single mum Anna's busy work life and attending night school also. Sam is clearly alone often, As is Norman, and this is why their unlikely friendship forms.
The irony is, that despite Sam digging up the plant beds and aiming to grow things on Norman's plot, it is in fact Norman who has been planting the seeds. This seed being that he wishes to die, which became more and more firmly rooted in Sams head, to the point Sam convinces himself that Norman truly wishes this and has even inadvertently asked to be killed or Sam to assist with his 'euthanasia'. The only discrepancy here is the corrupt and perhaps dark cognitions that would be going through Sam's head...as a book smart, hyper-intelligent boy, It's quite hard to fathom that he would really think murder is the best course of action. Though you can see the naivety and the good intentions behind it, aside from Sam' yearning for Norman's allotment, I don't wholly believe Sam had it in him to go that far, but that's one of the only negatives I can draw.
The lead up to Norman drinking the overdosed coffee needs mentioning, as it was perfectly constructed. A score that rose in tension along with the camera work and open windowed shed design itself, all elements intertwined masterfully to really have audiences on the edge of their seats and hooked on the action.
The small cast is perfect for this film, with the three leads all incredibly strong as characters themselves and through their faultless performances. Joe Reynolds as Sam is a true gem, playing his scenes out with a child-like innocence but a sense of knowing and maturity also. He manages to convey the complexities of Sam's character with utter ease and makes for a truly honest performance. Brian Cox's brilliantly portrayed character of Norman is the binary opposite however and showcases an old cynical nihlist compared with that of a young boy full of hope and intrigue which makes for some excellent character interactions within the film.
All technical elements of the short are superbly thought out, Phil Meheux's cinematography being a clear stand out, breathing life into every frame, particularly in the film's opening, helping to bring audiences on the journey with Sam. This worked excellently with the incredibly crafted animated title cards and Stuart Hancock's jovial score, setting the tone for the film and guiding us into Sam's world. Then accordion used within the score works brilliantly to coincide with the motions of either character, played fast and upbeat with a childish edge when Sam has his screen time and then slows down completely and is drawn out when Norman adds in his depressing nihilistic comments.
Each aspect of the film compliments another, the locations and production design are incredibly well dressed and crafted. The old overgrown allotment next to the busy concrete jungle background of London is truly perfect, almost paralleling the old and new generations and Norman/Sam themselves. Sam's balcony was a particular favourite of mine, filled to burst with plant life and showing how green-fingered Sam is and suggests how much time he spends there. This would make sense due to single mum Anna's busy work life and attending night school also. Sam is clearly alone often, As is Norman, and this is why their unlikely friendship forms.
The irony is, that despite Sam digging up the plant beds and aiming to grow things on Norman's plot, it is in fact Norman who has been planting the seeds. This seed being that he wishes to die, which became more and more firmly rooted in Sams head, to the point Sam convinces himself that Norman truly wishes this and has even inadvertently asked to be killed or Sam to assist with his 'euthanasia'. The only discrepancy here is the corrupt and perhaps dark cognitions that would be going through Sam's head...as a book smart, hyper-intelligent boy, It's quite hard to fathom that he would really think murder is the best course of action. Though you can see the naivety and the good intentions behind it, aside from Sam' yearning for Norman's allotment, I don't wholly believe Sam had it in him to go that far, but that's one of the only negatives I can draw.
The lead up to Norman drinking the overdosed coffee needs mentioning, as it was perfectly constructed. A score that rose in tension along with the camera work and open windowed shed design itself, all elements intertwined masterfully to really have audiences on the edge of their seats and hooked on the action.