Friday, October 7, 2016

Movie Review: When Worlds Collide Short Films (SDiFF 2016)

Image Source
Movie"Hush"
Director: Michael Foster
Run Time: ---

A mother is driven crazy by her son's incessant noisy behavior.

"Hush" is a film about a mother who has an unruly son that she can't stand. Of course she loves him, but his constant screaming breaks her down bit by bit. Really, it broke us down much quicker. We were tired of the kid after about 30 seconds and wanted him to get slapped by his mom for being such a blatantly disrespectful brat. Midway through this short, we knew that how we felt about it when all was said and done was going to heavily rely on the ending, which it could go one of two ways. Depending on how it ended, we would have either absolutely hated the short or totally loved it, and we will say it ultimately didn't disappoint. Some may be put off by the nature of this film, but we very much enjoy it and think it is very successful at driving its point home.

My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDb's Rating: ---/10
Image Source
Movie"Cupid"
Director: Maria De Sanctis
Run Time: 15 minutes

Cupid falls from the heavens and then falls for a woman. As their relationship falls apart, he has to make a decision about how to use his powers.

"Cupid" is a cute little romantic short about how Cupid, a young man, falls for a girl at a Valentine's day party. They seem to have a lot in common, but as the years pass by, she starts to grow and change as a person while he stays the same because he's cupid. He has an overbearing mother who isn't happy about his relationship and it starts to drive a wedge between them. There isn't a whole lot of newness in terms content here, but this short is endearing. As is the case with many short films, "Cupid" really strives for an impactful ending where our protagonist is faced with an important question. Good acting, cute story, and ultimately very sweet.

My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 6/10
IMDb's Rating: ---/10
Image Source
Movie"The Firefly Girls"
Director: Katie Micay
Run Time: 12 minutes

A man wakes to find a young girl in his home who won't leave until he buys some cookies from her.

"The Firefly Girls" is directed by Katie Micay. It stars Savannah Paige Rae, who many may know from her role on the TV series "Parenthood." She is a firefly girl, which is basically the equivalent of a Girl Scout. This girl breaks into a man's home and insists he buy cookies from her, not leaving until he does. There is more to her visit than what appears on the surface. His house wasn't chosen at random, and all becomes clear eventually. This story is meant to tug at the heartstrings of viewers as it deals with some pretty heavy issues, though some might call its execution and dialogue a bit cheesy. Savannah Paige Rae gets a chance to show what kind of emotional range she can put out in a very short time, and she is excellent in this short.

My Rating: 6/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDb's Rating: ---/10
Image Source
Movie"Prisoner"
Director: Matt Edwards
Run Time: 22 minutes

An American soldier takes a German soldier prisoner during WWII.

Written and directed by Matt Edwards, "Prisoner" is a short film that takes place during WWII. It stars Wyatt Russell as an American soldier who is able to take a German soldier prisoner in the hopes that he is led to safety. This is a film that examines how two characters from opposite sides of a conflict come to a mutual understanding. In war, the difference between friend and enemy is merely the color of your uniform. These two soldiers transcend this uniform for at least a brief time. Though very well made and well acted, this short is sort of basic in terms of plot.

My Rating: 5.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 5/10
IMDb's Rating: 8.2/10
Image Source

Movie"Partners"
Director: Joey Alley
Run Time: 6 minutes

A lesbian couple argues over the frequency of their sex life.

"Partners" is directed by Joey Alley and is written by Jenn Tullock and Hannah Pearl Utt, who both star in the short as Leigh and Kate, the titular partners. They are a lesbian couple who have had seen sex life dwindle over time, which is causing a strain on their relationship. The argument about sex quickly spirals into an argument about even bigger things. This is a very honest film in the way it displays an argument between a long time couple. There is an underlying humor to it all as well, and it shows that even though two people are in an argument, they can still come together at the end of it and have each other's best interests at heart. In the end, it finishes like many arguments would, not with a dramatic blow-up, but a simple turn.

My Rating: 8/10
BigJ's Rating: 8/10
IMDb's Rating: ---/10

No comments:

Post a Comment