If the base concept for this short sounds familiar it is because you're are thinking of Chris Morris' dark feature Four Lions, which is a wonderfully dark and absurd jihadist satire. This short film takes a snippet of that and we see two old friends bumping into one another in a café having not seen each other since camp. They reminisce and chat but then it becomes clear that they are subject to a rather macabre double- booking.
As an idea this is a great one with lots of potential for dark satire and cruel laughs; I know I have mentioned it several times already but Four Lions is a good example of what can be done with this sort of thing and I was engaged as the film started. Unfortunately we never really get beyond the basic concept and the comedy or scenario doesn't really build. While I was looking for the film to have much more bite, it was generally sillier than I would have liked. On this level it is still worked and it amused me, but I felt it stayed too light and comic and could have made more of the scenario.
Of the performances Srinivasan is good but I thought that Dabu played it too comically – although this is more to do with the material and direction rather than his decision. Overall this short mostly works as amusing piece riding off the value of the concept rather than the delivery being great. Perhaps I would have liked it more if I hadn't seen it done better elsewhere because this amusingly light but nothing more than that.
As an idea this is a great one with lots of potential for dark satire and cruel laughs; I know I have mentioned it several times already but Four Lions is a good example of what can be done with this sort of thing and I was engaged as the film started. Unfortunately we never really get beyond the basic concept and the comedy or scenario doesn't really build. While I was looking for the film to have much more bite, it was generally sillier than I would have liked. On this level it is still worked and it amused me, but I felt it stayed too light and comic and could have made more of the scenario.
Of the performances Srinivasan is good but I thought that Dabu played it too comically – although this is more to do with the material and direction rather than his decision. Overall this short mostly works as amusing piece riding off the value of the concept rather than the delivery being great. Perhaps I would have liked it more if I hadn't seen it done better elsewhere because this amusingly light but nothing more than that.
