Review of Wasp

This week I enjoyed the older short film Wasp from UK director Andrea Arnold. The short is about a young mother of four who is obviously burdened by her obligations to her children and her poverty. Far from an ideal mother figure, she is surprisingly irresponsible with her children, although her love and care for them shine through her immaturity. In the film, a former flame sees her outside with her children and invites her on a date that night. She jumps at the opportunity, telling him the children are someone else's and having them wait outside the bar while she tries to enjoy her lengthy date.
While the content of the film is, at times, uncomfortably realistic, the filmmaking behind it is intentionally restrained. The camera makes ample use of good handheld technique, while the frequent juxtaposition of poverty and nature make simple, beautiful scenes out of unpleasant realities. The child actors are particularly well played, as is the juvenile, trapped young mother, desperately seeking some adult interaction. Overall I thought Wasp was exactly what it set out to be, a realistic portrayal of a heart wrenching situation.


Watch WASP here!

Review of No Deal

   This week I watched several short films but chose to analyze the most light-hearted fare, No Deal. This short comedy tells the story of a familiar young man on the brink of a one-night stand with a cute blonde he met earlier that evening. Things start to go south, though, when they are interrupted by the girl's obnoxious and needy male roommate who seems intent on controling her attention.
   I enjoyed No Deal because it told a concise and entertaining story within a fittingly short time frame. The characters were familiar enough not to need lengthy development, but also not feel terribly one-sided. The young man is relatable in his uncomfortable quest for the female, and she is surprisingly easy to sympathize with as she caters to her irritating roommate. The camerawork was fairly clean and effective, with the handheld frame-shifts lending a sense of voyeurism without making anyone seasick. Overall, the plot is quick and the gags strong enough to make up for any missing elements. At just under eight minutes, you won't even notice there's no music!


Watch No Deal  HERE

Review of Portal: No Escape

   Based on the popular 2007 video game, Dan Trachtenberg's short film Portal: No Escape is a well-made and entertaining short fan-film. The action begins with actress Danielle Rayne waking in a prison-style cell and discovering a bar code branded onto her neck. She is being monitored by someone unknown and is fed through a sliding door in the wall. Soon she discovers a gun behind the wall that shots out portals and allows her escape via successive red and blue portals.
   Those unfamiliar with the video game are not at a particular disadvantage here, as Trachtenberg visually explains the basic concepts used in gameplay. The actress is quite good at expressing her thoughts without the use of dialogue, and the visual effects and stunts are very impressive. Additionally, I particularly liked the purposeful visual style, which kept a slim color palette and believable, of not original, set design. The music was decent but sometimes over the top in my opinion, and could have been improved with some subtlety. Overall, Portal was impressive in a host of ways and definitely worth checking out.


Check out Portal: No Escape HERE