Review of the short film ROBBIE THE RABBIT.
by Amanda Lomonaco

Played at the September 2015 WILDsound FEEDBACK Film Festival.
http://www.wildsoundfestival.com/september_2015_film_festival.html

So this one was… particularly unique. The child actors were amazing and the story itself, though rather dark, maintained a certain level of innocence and comedy throughout. The end, however, could be described as somewhat off-putting.

Most classical stories tend to at least attempt some form of morally acceptable conclusion, and something about a story involving children seems to cry out for a “moral of the story”. Robbie the Rabbit, on the other hand, seems to have selected the unexpected as its ideal conclusion. Although the finale is alluded to throughout the film, some part of you can’t help but resist the idea that such an ending is even possible. Perhaps it was that very resistance that the filmmakers were attempting to invoke, forcing the question of why we are so unwilling to accept that anyone would choose to undergo such a procedure.

Despite its disturbing ending, you can’t help but appreciate the cleverness of this short in all its detail. The production itself is of an impressive quality, and the quaintness of the characters hooks you from the start. The character of the sarcastic teacher, making cynical remarks to a group of kindergartners, disrupts the reality of the rest of the story, and is the first indication that something about this is a little odd. In fact the character of the teacher himself somewhat removes this film from the realm of traditional reality, if nothing else simply by the self-reflexivity of his comments. Or perhaps it is his very cynicism that traumatizes Robbie into the adult state we find him in.

I feel like this could be a bit of a divisive movie; one of those “love it or hate it” situations. Granted that’s always likely to happen with oddball films like this one. Steer clear if you’re really squeamish, but otherwise give it a try; you might learn something new about yourself.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of ROBBIE THE RABBIT:

Deadline TODAY to Submit your Short Film, Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca

Watch recent Writing Festival Videos. At least 15 winning videos a month: http://www.wildsoundfestival.com