Short Film Movie Review

Movie Review: THE TRAP (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERTHE TRAP, 16min, Canada, Crime/Thriller
Directed by Adam Estey

When a young woman has had enough of her abusive, low-life criminal husband, she devises a vengeful escape plan to save her life and ruin his.

Played at the October 2016 ACTION/CRIME Short Film Festival

Review by Kierston Drier

Sexy and suspenseful, The Trap is a proudly Canadian short by director Adam Estey. The story follows Audrey, and her escape from her rich, dangerous and abusive criminal boyfriend.

The audience is taken on a ride through dark and sinister twists and turns, as a deadly cat-and-mouse is played out between the furious spurned lover, and his crafty ex.

Subtle and steamy, with mounting tension in every scene, The Trap is a suspense film, turned mystery film, turned action film. Cleverly designed with red-herrings and hidden details, there must be a special nod of appreciation to the film’s editor.

The sleek, highly polished look and feel of the film establishes the setting and story as one of cold and calculating life and death drama, which adds to the glossy appeal of the films’ cinematic value.

A film with a true handle of building complex and compelling story in a very short sixteen minutes, The Trap is a film to see. It’s an alluring look of what happens when burning love runs cold, and two criminals fight fire with fire.

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Movie Review: THE APOLOGY (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERTHE APOLOGY, 7min, UK, Mystery/Crime
Directed by Patrik Bergh

In this dark comedy we find an old man sitting alone in a roadside diner nervously waiting for the moment that will finally seal his fate. With the other man finally showing up, the story takes a sinister turn sinister when he decides to teach the old man a lesson.

Played at the October 2016 ACTION/CRIME Short Film Festival

Review by Kierston Drier

A dark comedy with a heart of gold The Apology will make you laugh while sending a shiver down your spine. Hailing from the UK and directed by Patrik Berg, this short finds our hero, clearly wound up in some sort of shady mafia dealing, repaying his debt to a dangerous mobster. The mobster, in turn, is unhappy with what he feels is an inauthentic apology. What follows is a Abbott-and-Costello style scene that will leave the audience snickering.

Awkward and uncomfortable, while still engaging and endearing, this film should be commended for its excellent casting. Each character is knowable almost immediately. The performances are strong and incite empathy, even pity, as well as humor for our lead.

Also commendable is the films’ utter simplicity. It has one scene, one setting, only two characters, and the whole story is told in seven minutes. Yet a full and rich relationship is built between our two characters and an emotional impact felt between both them for each other, and for the audience to them. The result is that the twist at the end (and boy, what a twist!) leaves the audience cheering for our underdog.

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Movie Review: WE’LL SEE IF WE DROWN (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERWE’LL SEE IF WE DROWN, 20min., France, Comedy/Crime
Directed by Hugo Becker

Mickey, Voltaire, and K.O are twenty-five. Mickey works at the butcher’s shop. Voltaire’s a con man in training. K.O fancies himself a boxer. All three have decided to stop eating pasta and skip town. But that’s where things get complicated: when you want something, you got to go get it.

Shown at the September 2016 COMEDY FEEDBACK Film Festival

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Everyone loves an anti-hero, whether you are watching a scripted show, reality TV or even the news, people naturally look for the bad guys. We’ll See If We Drown, a French smash-hit directed by Hugo Becker, is a story about three such delinquents. Mickey, Voltaire and K.O are three twenty-something pseudo criminals up to no good, with plans to rob the Butcher shop that Mickey works at and skip town to go fishing.

High-quality, high-concept and high-voltage, this film is set at a lightening fast pace that can easy leave a slow-reader stumbling to keep up with the English subtitles, but that is no reason to avoid it. This film has genius undertones layered under slapstick-style high jinks. Our anti-heroes are undeniable assholes- they lack compassion for the people they damage in order to get what they want, they are each individually narcissistic, misguided and vice-driven and yet there is a note of sympathy in all of them. To an audience conforming the the nine-to-five white-picket fence “American Dream” these three represent who we all may be on the inside if we followed only our momentary whims and desires. And each character has their soft spot- a love of fishing or a family pet, that makes them remarkably human and, in their own perverse way, likeable.

This comedy may not sit well with a North American audience, use to a more linear story style, or a less condensed plot- but this reviewer would argue that a true film-lover should experience foreign films as frequently as they can. It is our deviation from the cinematic comfort zone that allows us to learn more about the wonderful world of film. We’ll See If We Drown has elements of slapstick, elements of irony and elements of melodrama. It also has undertones of anarchical philosophy, symbology and nihilism that will tantalize the astute academically minded. Check out this film! It’s a riot for any viewer who loves watching the bad guys do all the bad things.

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Movie Review: THE SOUNDS OF STREET VENDORS (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERTHE SOUNDS OF STREET VENDORS, 8min., USA/Cuba, Documentary
Directed by Michael Brims

A portrait of the music and the sounds of street vendors in Havana.

Shown at the September 2016 DOCUMENTARY FEEDBACK Film Festival

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

The Sounds of Street Vendors is a soundscape portrait of Havana’s bustling daily marketplace. As colorful as it is musical, this piece, directed by Kyle Chen is especially interesting given the recent changes to the political and economic scene in Cuba. This film stands as a testament to Cuba’s economic essence: entrepreneurs sell their wares- flowers, peanuts, fabrics kitchen supplies- or their services, like knife sharpening, all in order to make a living. This cinematic piece is as engaging to the ear as it is to the eye, every vendor seems to be singing to attract their business. As though each vendor where birds, chirping to attract their mates.

To the arm chair sociologist or the culturally curious, this piece is a cultural rosetta stone- likening itself to market places everywhere. To a cinema-buff however, it may be frustrating, as the film is more an exploration of a city’s streets and sounds, than it is a dedication to a specific plot or storyline. The film is framed nicely with the larger-than-life vaudevillian style peanut vendor, whose sultry and enticing voice both opens and closes the piece. Beyond that, however, there is not much in the sense of story development. Instead a story that develops following central cast, crew or plot you are brought along as through a journey of discovery, as thought you were a tourist in the street yourself. The characters we see are each individual vendor, and while their moments in the film may be short, they are colorful and clear. Each vendor with their own song, their own items or services and their own clear selling tactics.

Fun, light, bright and whimsical musical The Sounds of Street Vendors is a rich documentary, that shows the audience another type of world. Like many other excellent documentaries, you are not told what to think, but if you leave this film craving peanuts, the vendors of this marketplace have worked their magic on you.

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Movie Review: WAR OF SPACE (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERWAR OF SPACE, 5min., USA/Kenya, Documentary
Directed by Matt Mays

As human and elephant populations increase across the Serengeti ecosystem, the Maasai Mara region of Kenya is struggling with room for both to exist peacefully. Conflict is daily and sometimes deadly. A group of dedicated rangers is working to find a way to end the war of space.

Shown at the September 2016 DOCUMENTARY FEEDBACK Film Festival

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

A stunningly beautiful short, War on Space, by Matt Mays, tells the story of on-going conflict between the human and elephant populations of the Maasai Mara region of Kenya. Poignant musical composure and spectular footage of the Kenyan Landscape are not the only strengths of this piece; this film is an investigation of human ingenuity and hope.

Human-elephant relations have been a long troubling issue in the Maasai Mara region- with human growth crowding out the roaming lands for herding elephants. Elephants attacks have claimed human lives and the ever shrinking room for elephant movement have lead to attacks on elephants as well. Yet War on Space investigates the solutions to these problems with human advancements in technology. In an effort to find harmony with humans and wildlife, new legions of troops now assist in peacefully navigating elephants away from human habitats via GPS devices and drone usage, sparing countless elephants lives. To help instruct the future generations, local schools teach the importance of protecting the elephant population.

This film shows a beautiful type of hope. A future where humans live in peace with the world we are a part of. It shows the transformative power of education and technology. It brings light to an issue many North American audiences have never known about. It is gorgeously produced and exceptionally well executed as a piece of cinema. Most importantly for our cinema lovers- it it successful in it’s attempts to create a visually beautiful spectacle while also weaving a compelling and meaningful message. A wonderful documentary about humans and our impact on this amazing, awe-inspiring world.

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Movie Review: THE CHAMPION (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERTHE CHAMPION, 17min, USA, Documentary
Directed by Patrick McGowan

A former Iraqi boxing champion, Estaifan Shilaita overcomes tremendous hardships as he builds a special bond with his family and taxi cab customers in Chicago.

Shown at the September 2016 DOCUMENTARY FEEDBACK Film Festival

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

The Champion, a powerful short film hailing from the USA, directed by Patrick McGowan, is the story of Estaifan Shilaita, former Iraqi boxing champion turned taxi driver. The story follows Estaifan in his pursuit for a better life for himself in Chicago. Full of stunning re-enactments, brilliant cinematography, powerful composition and above all, breath taking humanity in its’, The Champion is all at once heartbreaking and humorous, compelling and inspiring.

Estaifan may seem on the outside like any other metropolitan taxi driver- friendly, smiling, overtly chatty. But under his ever-calm and ever beaming face is a story of rich history and deep roots. Achieving great fame in his youth in Iraq as a light weight boxer, Estaifan fled to find a better life for himself. He fell in love in Greece and took his new wife to Chicago under refugee status, where they began raising their four children under the American dream.

This film boasts excellent production value, rivaling any highly acclaimed feature. But it is not the visual beauty of the film that makes it sing- it is the honesty, the heart and humanity of Estaifan’s life. His resilience and happiness in the face of conflict is nothing less than a testament to human triumph. As a film, The Champion, glosses over the political and economic tensions that propelled our hero’s to flee Iraq. It glosses over the struggles a young refugee family must have faced in a new country. The film only briefly touches on the pain of loss that Estaifan and his wife feel, at having spent nearly forty years in the USA without ever being able to access their family in Iraq. It glosses over all of these things so that is can focus on joy. For Estaifan’s life is so utterly full of his own encapsulating joy it is tangible. The audience cannot help but be uplifted by it. And it makes this film spectacular.

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Movie Review: DARKNESS FALLS (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERDARKNESS FALLS, 15min, Sweden, Sci-Fi/Thriller
Directed by Jarno Vinsencius

Melissa suffers from amnesia. When she slowly regains her memory, the world isn’t what it supposed to be. Darkness Falls is the winner of best Sci-Fi Picture award at OutlantaCon Short Film Festival 2016 and nominated for best Sci-Fi picture at SCI-ON! Film Festival 2016. Darkness Falls is also the winner of Best Cinematography at Roswell Film Festival 2016.

Shown at the September 2016 Sci-Fi/Fantasy FEEDBACK Film Festival

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

 
Darkness Fall, a Swedish film directed by Jarno Vinsencius is the compelling tale of Melissa, a woman with amnesia who wakes up in a forest with no idea who she is. She regains her memory with the help of an in-the-know male counterpart who sends her an anonymous letter offering aid. Our heroic duo is seemingly always on the run from some ominous enemy, as they frequently seem to be narrowly escaping capture or confinement by one or another figure.

There is some excellent camera work in Darkness Falls, some strong cinematography and clear visuals. The tone of the piece feels a little loose, however, with the film never reaching a nail-biting level of fear or tension. Some viewers may feel the film’s twist coming, however, the performances are strong and the films steady pace keeps interest, even if all the questions are never fully answered.

There is an eerie element to Darkness Falls. And that element plus its ultimate reveal nestle the piece firmly in the category of science fiction. A film any sci-fi lover would like to sink their teeth into Darkness Falls.

 

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Movie Review: 20:15 (2016)

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MOVIE POSTER20:15, 12min., Canada, Sci-Fi/Thriller
Directed by Marc-Andre Morissette

20:15 is a drama-mystery, sci-fi thriller in which we follow the lives of a mysterious man and a loving couple. Their lives will forever be changed once their two worlds collide.

Shown at the September 2016 Sci-Fi/Fantasy FEEDBACK Film Festival

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

 20:15 from Canadian director Marc-Andre Morisette is a dramatic and impassioned piece played out with almost no dialogue. A stylistic choice that nevertheless heightens the tension of the story. After the horrific loss of his partner by an unknown gunman, our hero becomes obsessed on a machine, hell bent on using his present to somehow fix his past.

Full of graceful shots, excellent camera work and beautiful muted tones, this piece is poetically beautiful to watch. The story is engaging and the twist is satisfying, with a thought provoking ending that is sure to be a conversation starter.

Morisette’s choice to limit the diegetic sound in his piece gives this film a distinctive avant-garde tone. It changes the cinematic experience for the audience. A more traditional film may create the feeling that you are immersed in a real-life story, perhaps not even aware that you are watching a film at all, and instead standing invisible observing the lives of the characters.

20:15’s stylized choices give the distinct feeling that you are watching a piece of Art, where the stylistic choices are equal to the plot of the piece itself. Morisette’s movie has a mysterious tone, with notes of Film Noir. It is a film that feels like it provides cultural capitol as well as entertainment.

Lovely devices tie the story together and thoughtfully composed music and sound composition elevate the piece to a more refined level. A film that may not be everyones’ preference, but certainly an enjoyable watch.

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Movie Review: THE LAST JOURNEY OF THE ENIGMATIC PAUL WR (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERTHE LAST JOURNEY OF THE ENIGMATIC PAUL WR, 17min, France, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Directed by Romain Quirot

The red moon threatens our existence on earth. Our only hope is the enigmatic Paul WR, the most talented astronaut of its generation. But few hours before the start of the great mission, Paul disappears.

Shown at the September 2016 Sci-Fi/Fantasy FEEDBACK Film Festival

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

 There is a big red moon that hangs in the sky at all times now, and it will kill us all if Paul WR, an astronaut with the power to read thoughts, does not fly into it and save human kind. That is the pretence of Romain Quirot’s The Last Journey of the Enigmatic Paul WR. This French film must be praised on several levels, one of which being its attention to iconographic detail.

The film is set in the future, with hover cars and hyper-real technology. And yet everything the film touches has a strong retro 1960’s iconography. The film has beautiful color and brightness, and visual splendor that gives a nod to Frances’ famous Amelie.

The story leaves much to be questioned, but still satisfies the viewer. In the end we are left to wonder what makes Paul WR choose the path he does. Curiously, a film about reading thoughts, begs the audience to compose their own about the ending.

It can be argued that The Last Journey of the Enigmatic Paul WR is an alternate dimension housing a different version of earth, because the world the characters live in is both resembling our own and yet exists completely outside of us and our timeline.

We do not have an ominously huge red moon threatening our destruction, nor retro 1960’s car that hover and fly. But this is the joy of classic science-fiction- that we can throw out our disbelief and settle into a world that is a fun-house mirror to our own. We long to fall into a story set in a universe close enough to out own to be relatable, yet far enough way that we do not have to be made uncomfortable by the threats being too plausible.

Enjoy this film, it’s a beautiful view, an introspective story of a flawed hero who is at odds with a world he never made.

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Movie Review: UNCANNY VALLEY (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERUNCANNY VALLEY, 9min, Argentina, Sci-Fi/Experimental
Directed by Federico Heller

In the slums of the future, VR junkies satisfy their violent impulses in online entertainment. An expert player discovers that the line between games and reality is starting to fade away.

Shown at the September 2016 Sci-Fi/Fantasy FEEDBACK Film Festival

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

 Uncanny Valley an Argentinian film directed by Federico Heller is utterly exceptional. Very few films hit so many themes, keep such intensive pace, tell such compelling story, create such engaging characters, all while spinning a well balanced allegory.

Uncanny Valley has beautiful and stunning production quality, rivalling any feature film.

The story, a documentary-style account of aggressive virtual-reality addicts, living in the slum-like conditions. The film follows the details the daily life of a VR addict while under the influence of hyper-realistic gaming.

Put into a hypnotic state and kept alive by government funded assistance, these gamers waste their lives away shooting and destroying enemies in a virtual war. The enemy, like the tip of any science-fiction iceberg, is always bigger than at thought at first sight.

Grippingly real from the very first frame and air-tight in regards to plot and story, what makes this cinematic piece so overwhelming is its chilling plausibility. The audience reels from the idea that this seemingly fantastical world may only exist five minutes into the future of the present day.

There are themes in this piece of human consumerism, government conspiracy, the value of human life and a very real Orson Wells “Big Brother” vibe. The jaw-drawing twist at the end of the film will leave the audiences’ spine tingling, even those who do not claim to adore the science-fiction genre.

Bravo, Federico Heller. You have ensnared us.

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