riverwildeuk Reviews

Emotional Fusebox (2014)

Missing the mark.

[5/10 · 7 June 2016]

Tribeca and Huff Post have been busy publicizing an article about 'how short film are too hard to access, but too important not to watch'. In all fairness they are not too hard to access given the number of online platforms streaming free short films like YouTube and vimeo. In all honesty, short films do not find an audience easily because of lack of EXPOSURE. The audiences of today's internet immersed world need an 'x-factor', a 'wow factor' to make them overcome their apathy to clicking play let alone go looking for shorts. However, those shorts that have the 'x factor', 'wow factor' are the ones that have stars in them which inevitably means it will have journalists from film magazines reviewing, embedding hence promoting the film. EMOTIONAL FUSEBOX is one such a short film which despite it's lack of oomph will certainly get exposure courtesy of our sycophancy with celebrity and recognition. As a short film Emotional Fusebox employs some well-known British TV/film stars who deliver credible performances though the most endearing ones are that of Anna's best friend and grandmother. The short tells the story of a young woman who has set up home in her mother's garden shed and refuses to interact with the world outside. the screenplay is saved by the humour and performances of the grandmother and best friend. The directing leaves a lot to be desired as there is nothing of note in the visual narrative as the story relies heavily on lackluster and obvious dialogue and sometimes cute but very labored use of props. In hindsight, it is always a good idea for actors not to laugh out of character when they know a dialogue is funny as if laughing at the 'cleverness' of what they are executing. In all fairness, the short film seems to raise your curiosity because of the premise of a girl living in a shed but it misses the mark on satisfying that curiosity in a big way.

He Took His Skin Off for Me (2014)

Just an interesting idea.

[5/10 · 18 May 2016]

The poster grabs you and so does the blurb on a story about man without his skin and you decide you like to see this but then its all downhill thereafter. Ben Aston's short film lacks story, style and good acting. Playing more like a metaphor on a couple's life initially, it becomes all about the 'cool' effect of seeing a man in a muscle suit leaving blood marks everywhere and the wife having to always clean up after him. Seriously, where is the story? Even films made breaking conventional story telling rules have a strong story. This short doesn't do story. The blood stained muscle suit and props connect the dots without allowing us to invest in anything of the characters. The excessive use of voice-over like the blood marks turns what could have been a potentially good short into a silly and boring one.

Outpost (2013)

Bro-mance curtailed.

[5/10 · 31 July 2014]

Outpost is a Bro-mance of sorts set in a desert outpost, on the border between India and Pakistan, guarded by one soldier on each side. Shiva Shankar Bajpai's 16 minute short will make you smile and laugh at a couple of points as a goat, an unseen mosquito and the two leads, Deepak Dobriyal and Pankaj Tripathi, hold your attention more than the weak story. The dialog is as sparse as the terrain and you are made to wait and wait for something to happen. There is an episodic and predictable feel to the short as we wait for our characters to let their guard down, in the absence of authority, and connect with one another. The absence of authority does make you question the believability of the story and setting given the real world volatility of the India/Pakistan border. I think Bajpai misses a great opportunity in not exploring his characters by way of a better story and screenplay. The cinematography and directing is adequate and once again missed opportunity at creating a stylized film.

------------------------------------------- OUTPOST was one of eight short films nominated for the Satyajit Ray Foundation Short Film Award, that I watched on Tuesday the 15th July 2014 as part of the London Indian Film Festival at the ICA in Central London. Unfortunately I can't post reviews on three of the eight shorts: RANI, ALCHEMY & DEVIL IN BLACK STONE as they don't have supporting IMDb pages.

No Love Lost (I) (2013)

One to watch!

[10/10 · 31 July 2014]

Seldom do short films impress to the point of leaving a deep impression upon you days later. This short took me completely by surprise and made me go WOW! As an American, watching a shorts program in London, it was really interesting to watch a story about the kind of discrimination and prejudice that is not commonplace here in the States. No Love Lost is a beautiful and dare I say brilliantly crafted film, without dialog, following a young Jewish/Muslim couple and if I say any more I will enter spoiler territory, which I like to avoid as much as possible. It had me intrigued and in suspense from start to finish. Director Shekhar Bassi keeps you fully engaged with his beautiful story, and visual style, told through strong-centered performances from actors Joshua James, Scarlett Brookes and Meena Rayann – a perfect cast of unknowns. The characters are well developed, as is their emotional journey. You never feel as if there should be dialog in the film that invites you to use your own interpretations and goes as far as playing with your sympathies as they shift unexpectedly between the characters. In hindsight, the director does not over dramatize or play up the discrimination subtext and concentrates on telling a simple love story, which keeps with the interpretive aspect of the film. The beautiful cinematography and powerful music score add more layers to this smartly crafted short. The editing is seamless and smooth. An impressive film from clearly a very talented film-maker.

---------------------------------- NO LOVE LOST was one of eight short films nominated for the Satyajit Ray Foundation Short Film Award, that I watched on Tuesday the 15th July 2014 as part of the London Indian Film Festival at the ICA in Central London. Unfortunately I can't post reviews on three of the eight shorts: RANI, ALCHEMY & DEVIL IN BLACK STONE as they don't have supporting IMDb pages.

Fly, Bird (2014)

Fly mind.

[3/10 · 20 July 2014]

Director Pranjal Dua's 21 minute short 'Fly, Bird' is a moody, at times experimental, meditation on the inertia of everyday living for a young chicken farm boy and a hotel maid. With some beautiful cinematography, Dua's short fails to impress and as I began shifting in my seat to the point of even wanting to check my emails on my phone, I resisted and tried hard to give the film my full attention. Another short opting to work without dialog, 'Fly, Bird' lacks the story-telling skill, direction and potency of its fellow nominee Shekhar Bassi's 'No Love Lost'. At several points through the film, one feels the director relying solely on the cinematography and lighting to create meaningful static shots that hold on the faces of the two central characters but do not deliver, as the visual narrative connecting the scenes is weak. Even the maid's emotional journey of monotony is overplayed in the final few minutes. Some sort of narrative and insight into the all the characters would have helped to make the film, already hampered by it's length, easy to watch.

----------------------------- FLY, BIRD was one of eight short films nominated for the Satyajit Ray Foundation Short Film Award, that I watched on Tuesday the 15th July 2014 as part of the London Indian Film Festival at the ICA in Central London. Unfortunately I can't post reviews on three of the eight shorts: RANI, ALCHEMY & DEVIL IN BLACK STONE as they don't have supporting IMDb pages.

Country of Bodies: Bombay in Dance (2013)

A nice idea needing simplicity and measure.

[4/10 · 20 July 2014]

I have not had much opportunity to see many short films that are dance films. 'Country of Bodies, Bombay In Dance' is wonderful to watch for about five minutes of it's full eight minutes length and then you realize it is too long and has not been saying much. It makes for a hard watch as you try to understand the narrative that director Puneet Rakheja is trying to deliver. The dancers are certainly watch-able up to a point as the repetitive choreography causes you to start losing interest. Set in a vibrant city like Mumbai, the film is greatly helped by the location and yet you begin to ponder why the dancers are not all Indian. Yes, I realize Mumbai is an Indian metropolis and must have citizens from all over the globe but somehow the non-Indian dancers dominate the aesthetic, which I think detracts from the tale. Since you are left asking what the director is trying to say, I suppose Rakheja complicates his tale with too many stories. The simplicity of something like Del Mak's 'The Shift' and a shorter running time would have lifted this short greatly.

----------------------------------------COUNTRY OF BODIES, BOMBAY IN DANCE was one of eight short films nominated for the Satyajit Ray Foundation Short Film Award, that I watched on Tuesday the 15th July 2014 as part of the London Indian Film Festival at the ICA in Central London. Unfortunately I can't post reviews on three of the eight shorts: RANI, ALCHEMY & DEVIL IN BLACK STONE as they don't have supporting IMDb pages.

Kush (2013)

Interesting

[7/10 · 20 July 2014]

Not knowing the history of events surrounding the aftermath of the assassination of the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984; this short made for an interesting peek into what might have happened to one little boy called 'Kush' on his way home from a school trip with classmates. I think interesting is at best the word that one could use with this short film as it takes us along a somewhat predictable journey when it comes to story-telling. The tent poles of the three-act structure are observed with a dash of unrelated world cinema and a couple of inexcusable contrivances that stick out at you immediately to the point of distracting you as you think 'Where did he get those scissors?' and 'Convenient that a slang conversation was over heard by one of the kids.' I suppose this could be attributed to director Subhashish Bhutiani's melodramatic/art-house Indian cinema roots and his acquired 'film education' in New York. At this point I should mention that it won the Best Short Film at Venice 2013 and was long-listed for an Oscar for Best short. However, it is best to look past that 'hype' and see the film for what it is. The director does well to keep the acting reins in the hand of his adult actors and limit the child actors from spouting structured dialog and giving them a couple of improvisational moments. The bus driver played by Anil Sharma is very watch-able and gives a nuanced performance. The cinematography and style is conventional and does the job. Apart from the predictability and contrivances, it is the attempt at being unassuming with his ending/twist/reveal in a very obvious way that takes away from the joy of enjoying what could have been a great short film.

-------------------------------------------------------------------- KUSH was one of eight short films nominated for the Satyajit Ray Foundation Short Film Award, that I watched on Tuesday the 15th July 2014 as part of the London Indian Film Festival at the ICA in Central London. Unfortunately I can't post reviews on three of the eight shorts: RANI, ALCHEMY & DEVIL IN BLACK STONE as they don't have supporting IMDb pages.

Magpie (2014)

Underwhelmed.

[5/10 · 24 June 2014]

It is always a dangerous thing to go into watching any kind of film, short or feature, from a filmmaker whose work you have seen before. With Stephen Fingleton, his most notable short film is 'SLR', by way of festival exposure and plaudits, which I reviewed some months ago. Hence on learning about Magpie I kept my expectations at bay and came to the film with a fresh pair of eyes and ears (though ones ears won't have much to take in with Magpie).

Does Magpie work let alone work as a short? I am not so sure that it works as a short let alone a good short as there is no real story but more a slice of life, in the future, of a character that forages so as to survive and that's pretty much it with a very predictable middle and end. The interesting use of the opening credits to convey the back story is a great device but Fingleton seems to demonstrate a deftness with devices. Where he seems to fall short is in creating an interesting enough story that holds one's attention through it's entire running time. The short comes to an obvious conclusion but does not impress or leave it's mark/impression upon you.

I suppose Fingleton can be forgiven for this lack-luster offering as it is a precursor to a feature that is already filming. My hope is that the filmmaker will be making every effort to bring a lot more to the big screen in his feature. That said it is possible that Fingleton was keen just to have more content on the web and in the festivals - I say this because I am hoping that this 'short' is not the ticked box for what the feature should be. With a well-known and recognizable cast in Magpie; Olivia Coleman (Sixth Sense, etc), Mia Goth (Nymphomaniac, etc), Martin McGann (The Pacific, etc) - (two out of three of the cast figuring in the feature that is in production), one can see that the short will obviously get attention from festivals where programmers will outweigh the lack of something interesting and anything original for the 'marquee' names.

Echo (II) (2013)

Hollow.

[4/10 · 23 April 2014]

A story that has been heard before in so many variations that this is certainly an Echo of nothing original. Directed by Lewis Arnold and written James Jose Walker this is a re-telling of the 'Boy who cried wolf' and not a good re-telling at that. Arnold directs by the numbers and relies heavily on his cinematographer and the performance of Lauren Carse, who is a very good actress and needs little direction in this done before tale. The cinematography is really nice when it involves the improvised outdoor scenes involving Carse and Carse & Oliver Woollford, who plays the younger brother. Caroline's family scenes are wasted opportunities by Arnold and Walker to engage the audience by giving more depth to her and the film's lack of story. It is also hard to ignore that Carse does not come across as a 17 year old school girl and is apparent in her performance at times. This is blatantly obvious when Carse and Woollford are on screen and he effortlessly steals the scenes. It is obvious that the casting of this piece is questionable including the very wooden and unconvincing Carolina Giammetta, who plays the mother.

The Exit Room (2013)

Muscular editing.

[6/10 · 20 April 2014]

The Exit Room introduces us to Joseph, incarcerated in the not so distant future at a government run facility. What kind of government we don't know and are never told as Todd Wiseman throws us into the deep end within the minute when Joseph is mercilessly herded out of a cell and viciously chained up...so far, interesting. However, the story does not kick in here instead as the film continues we are taken through a run of the mill sequence with a couple of added elements for shock value but not story value. The lack of a story hurts this film and makes for a unsatisfactory ending. Christopher Abbot is certainly watch-able and has a cinematic presence however is let down by the material. What makes much of it worth watching is the editing, which is muscular and in parts clever even though there are a couple of points where the edit is unable sell the viewer on his/her suspension of disbelief. It's a 6 out of 10 for me because of Abbot and the editing.

SLR (2013)

Clever, maybe; taut, definitely.

[9/10 · 14 February 2014]

It is safe to say that Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) is one of the most watch-able actors working in Film and TV today that is if the material is good. He definitely does not disappoint here. The story revolves around the world of a voyeur where the protagonist's 'behind closed doors' fetish invades his life and the predator becomes the prey. Despite the predictable main plot and the obvious complications and resolution of that; it is the ending that holds your attention and Stephen Fingleton makes an interesting observation, if not indictment, about the world of social media. The directing is adequate, with a few sensible editorial choices, in telling the story but is lifted by the central performance of Liam Cunningham whom you cannot help but sympathize with at times. S.L.R. is on par with a decent thriller, I say decent because it is guilty of telegraphing its red-herrings and tension plot points and is actually saved by the plot and Liam Cunningham and Amy Wren's, sadly and understandably under-used, performance.

Faux Départ (2012)

Poignant and strong.

[10/10 · 30 January 2014]

This is one of those shorts that sparks your curiosity and then just holds your attention from the very first shot where you stay with Fahim (Umit Ulgen) as his world opens up. It opens up only to reveal a smaller world and soon we are introduced to the other two characters, making up this triangle of desperate characters, Haashid (Ali Zaidi)and Nana (Yonah Odoom) wanting to survive, aiming for a better life. A beautifully told story and strong to boot, it takes you through the emotional roller coaster of plans and dreams to a complete implosion of said plans and dreams. The actors play brilliantly and are very watch-able. It was only when the end credits rolled that it hit me this was a one-shot, from start to finish, a nine minute story told in a long one-shot. The filmmaker (Shekhar Bassi) handles the material, the actors and the choreography of his film brilliantly. Just as the filmmakers behind Long Branch, Shekhar Bassi directs with a deft touch and has created a strong cinematic short film. The cinematography is beautiful and kudos to the DoP for the hand-held camera-work and use of natural light. The reason why I have only given it 9 out of 10 is because I desperately wanted to know what happens to the characters and we are left with a emotional cliffhanger. It deserves a ten but I will give it a 9 because I just wanted to know.

Glenn Owen Dodds (2010)

One to watch!

[10/10 · 30 January 2014]

A delightful short film that takes the question of: Is there a God? and plays with it in a clever and funny way. The funny here is not Will Farrell funny but more Jack Lemmon funny. The central character of Glenn Owen Dodds (GOD) is played by the very talented David Wenham opposite Abe Forsythe playing Michael. A lovely two-hander plot driven story keeps you wondering where it's going to lead but what really makes it shine is David Wenham's character of Glenn. His wonderful comic timing and the subtleties in his portrayal makes Glenn a memorable character. He relishes the opportunity to heighten Glenn's flaws which makes him more endearing. This is a short that does not take itself seriously and does not try to do too much as the two actor's carry this short cleverly with their performances. Loved the denouement.

Miracle Fish (2009)

One to watch.

[9/10 · 23 January 2014]

As this short film is available online I have no need to give spoilers be revealing any of the story/plot. All in all this is a great little short that will have it's lovers and haters purely because of where Luke Dolan's story takes us. Yet it is a good story that sets itself up nicely by introducing us to the bullied 8 year old protagonist, establishing our sympathy with him early on. As I watched I initially thought this to be a wholesome comedy given every introverted student's wish forming a big part of the story. However, the unexpected but cleverly set up dark ending had me on the edge of my seat and left me applauding the filmmaker's story-telling triumph.

Spider (2007)

Hard to ignore

[8/10 · 23 January 2014]

In my continued attempt to avoid spoilers, I am hoping that I can do fair justice in my review of this good little short. If you have not seen it please do. For me it does not merely sit in the comedy genre but does have a gore element without the blood and guts. A plot driven film that hinges on two story twists - one too obvious while the other unexpected and funny - there is not a real story to this short. It would be fairer to say this is a sketch of shorts that pulls off a well executed plot. The performances are neither here or there and you are left to marvel at how they achieved the visual effects and applaud the filmmakers for that and of course the brilliant editing.

Abe (2013)

One without the other.

[6/10 · 21 January 2014]

Undoubtedly, many will come to this short after having read that the visual effects artist/director has managed to secure a feature of the same name and idea. On that, kudos to the filmmaker. While the visual effects specifically that of our anti-hero, a robot, ABE, are great to watch - the short itself is lacking a story. I guess one could say this is a futuristic slice of life sketch and not a story; a 'character study' of a robot without a story. The edit helps the rather bland camera work and of course the post also went a long way to help create the sinister look. However, this story is hardly original and moreover fails in being compelling. One can foresee the character of Abe is what the studios bought into and will develop a 90-120 minute film around with many more characters for him to be unleashed on. Thumbs up to the visual artistry but am not convinced any filmmaker deserves to be the next big thing if they are incapable of story-telling.

Our Lady of Lourdes (2013)

I don't think so.

[5/10 · 21 January 2014]

What is nice about this short is the visual appearance of the actors playing Lourdes and Bernard. It is only when the characters start speaking does one switch off due to the poor dialog and not to mention done to death plot/sub-plot and characters. In particular, the character portrayed Nick Moran - a good actor wasted on a bad role. It's only in the third act that you realize this poor short is a build up to the director's exhibition of visual effects and there is one particularly good visual effect that soon loses it's efficacy or wow factor given the rest of the film. i suppose short filmmakers have on the whole decided to create shorts that have a possible 'wow! that was cool.' moment hence the lack of focus on emotionally engaging the audience.

Room 8 (2013)

CGI yes!

[5/10 · 16 January 2014]

I would not class ROOM 8 as a short but more a sketch. On finding this film on Short of the Week I learnt that it was part of a competition in 2012 where five films were based on the same script by Geoffrey Fletcher himself. Of the five only two were interesting ROOM 8 and THE MRS. As THE MRS. has no IMDb page, I can only really comment on Room 8. As I said earlier, Room 8 is more of a sketch then it is a short film because it has no real story but a demonstration of how to achieve good CGI effects on a generous short film budget. (By the way, I am still puzzled where the budget was spent on THE MRS.) Where The Mrs. has a clear story with an imagined back story of two interesting characters; Room 8 does not invite us to invest any emotion in the characters or story. All the while we are led towards an awesome revelation; an awesome effect. And all the while I was asking but why is this happening? Why is the antagonist doing what he is doing? Once again based on pure production value, under so called short is paraded as being good but alas so called curators and decision makers are handicapping filmmakers and writers by celebrating the spectacle instead of celebrating the need for story. I am sure possible readers of this review and other reviews by me will say that I am expecting too much but my response to them is WHY NOT? If I am to give up 7 minutes or more to watch something, I would like for it to be awesome on the whole.

Long Branch (2011)

A must see

[10/10 · 16 January 2014]

This is a must see wonderful short. The actors, story and story-telling come together very nicely from start to finish. Cinema savvy folk may realize where the story is heading but the filmmakers provide us with the fun of getting there; the fun of the journey. This two hander is wonderfully acted and by the end your heart is warmed by the possibilities. Set in a winter-scape with clever use of the natural light, surroundings and avoiding the need for props, the direction concentrates on the story-telling and the performances. Short filmmakers can certainly learn a lot from this particular short. There is a very everyday feel to the film, an audience pleaser hence its acceptance to so many festivals in the first place. Well done!

This Is Vanity (2013)

Vanity Indeed.

[4/10 · 16 January 2014]

After a year of being introduced to short films by fellow filmmakers and experiencing second hand the less than impressive intelligence of programmers at various festivals especially Stateside, I decided that I will express my opinions as an audience about various short films I have come across since I do not belong to the short film-making fraternity worldwide. 'This is Vanity' is a short film indeed that pats itself on the back for being shot on 35mm and believes that it is a good short. Sadly, it is not. After watching a plethora of urban British films, the antagonist gang in the story are nothing but clichés without any depth of character or investigation. The two protagonists make for biting into your curiosity but that soon fizzles as the story takes the obvious and 'seen before approach' and culminating into a confusing third act purely for shock value. They are some nice production moments including pyrotechnic effects but ultimately it is a poor story with unimaginative directing and uninteresting characters. If the short of the week, blurb is to be believed then one has to question why give such curative power to a site like Short of the week which clearly does not understand story-telling and is only interested in the production values.

Voice Over (2011)

Beautiful but....

[6/10 · 16 January 2014]

Let me just say that this is a beautiful short, a beautiful looking short that is. Three stories connected by a Narrator's voice over, which in itself becomes jarring and exposes an inherent weakness in visual story-telling. The director draws you in from the beginning and the high quality production values are apparent from the start. Coloured and imagined for a very demanding visual audience that wants to be impressed. BUT in essence there is no story and it tries to be too clever then it really is as none of the three stories has visual connections hence all hangs on the captivating narrative voice. In all honesty, the filmmakers are guilty of trying to be too clever forgetting that story is key.