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!