User Reviews

*SPOILER ALERT*

A quirky narrative to go with two quirky characters. Who wouldn't want to witness a bride in the depths of despair consoled by a Henry VIII live statue?

Written and directed by Natalie Malla, The Girl in the Dress portrays bride to be Emily in a tricky situation. Olivia Poutlet brings a spark of joy to the character, and the ironic introduction of Henry VIII's living statue adds an essence of comedy to the strange scenario.

Cinematographer Vanessa Whyte uses tasteful shots, portraying a picturesque warmth that is certainly relevant for a wedding day. This is also complimented by the upbeat yet mischievous score by James Jones. The quick cuts during Emily and Rob's awkward encounter deliver a sense of uneasiness to the viewer, replicating the way Emily is feeling before the wedding.

The use of fewer locations and actors is necessary within this short, for there are hidden symbols in other areas, especially wardrobe. Emily's dress is far from the typical wedding dress and is referred to by her friend as "ridiculous". Mix this with Rob's Henry VIII costume and the silliness of the situation begins to make a lot more sense.

This short film is cheerful and enjoyable to watch. It is hard not to warm to the strange yet comical experience that Emily has with Rob. Played by Nick Helm, Rob is certainly a favourite with his crude remarks and dry humour. He is attentive to Emily and far from the misogynist that is Henry VIII. The theme of marriage within this film contrasts with the symbol of divorce provided by the appearance of Henry VIII, and the mystique in the end keeps the possibility of romance open.

If an easy-going short film is up your street, then The Girl in the Dress is for you.

The plot is quite absurd yet despite its farfetched nature it manages to sell the story very convincingly. With a hysterical twist that makes you question the main character's sanity after she breaks up, Emily holds strong parallels with the character of Bridget Jones, where both attempt to make sense of life and love. It allows us to empathise with and relate to the stupid and inexplainable ventures we have all participated in when in love.

The script provides endless amusing opportunities for different forms of social embarrassment. Whether Emily is bickering incessantly with Rob, a gold-painted Henry VIII street performer who she first views as a bad omen to running around in a wedding dress she had professionally made when she had not been proposed to or hiding in the altar of the church during the wedding service after coming to her senses.

I enjoyed the use of locations that are local to the Capture Production Studio, such as Waterlow Park in Archway or St Michael's Church in Highgate. They make the story authentic to the audience, who may have been to or can visit these locations and add to the liveliness of the film through the hustling and bustling nature of this residential area of North London in the summer.

In the beginning, the use of saturated and vivid colouring appropriately represents Emily's rose-tinted and distorted perception of her previous relationship. By the end, the colour palette is more diluted to suggest she has finally moved on into the reality as she walks off with Rob. The soundtrack used elevates this message. The film draws to an end with musical lyrics that no longer question 'what she (Emily) will do when she's all alone'. The film promotes a positive outlook on life to demonstrate that silver linings are always around the corner.

Although it is not my favourite of the short films Capture have produced, it greatly deserves merit for its quirky take on a British rom-com and the amiable feeling it leaves behind.

From the start of the short film we receive a feminine up-beating type of intro that captivates you and makes you engaged. I really appreciate the way the production crew decided to set the piece. The chirping of the birds were relaxing and nostalgic like taking strolls in the park or waking up in the morning hearing them; while the view of the park and being outside made it feel adventurous and a scenario that would possibly happen any other day. Well maybe not.

Our first character introduction was Emily. My first impressions of her were that she's an anxious person who needed to be somewhere urgently or even needed to get something done. While sporting a white dress that looks underwhelming she begins to mutter to herself, we see that she's worried and in thought. As she begins to converse with the "statue man" of Henry VIII, we later learn that his name is Rob, we find out that she's attending a wedding but starts blaming Henry VIII for the situation she is in. Rob, being the helpful, friendly and honest man he is, tries to talk her out of her cold feet and cheer her up with his exercise he learnt in his acting classes. The way Rob looks at her after clearly shows he's having a love at first sight experience with Emily.

Before we're introduced to Mary, Emily's best friend, we find out in the most hilarious way that there is a plot twist. Emily is not the bride to be but a contender for the heart of the groom. Now the sympathy for her is gone out the window and she comes off delusional and infatuated with someone she could possibly not get. Mary comes and tries to talk some sense into Emily however it's not easy getting through to someone in love since they do things they normally wouldn't. When Mary walks up to say a few words in the altar she spots Emily hiding and puts her knee on head. She deserves it for sneaking there before the ceremony after all and honestly that was an unexpected but humorous expression between best friends because it would be relatable in a way. The film comes to an end after the wedding finishes and the best friends leave the altar together. Emily comes to the understanding she has to love and let go otherwise there's no moving forward. Mary goes ahead without Emily Leaving her and Rob together. I really did want to see the interactions between them at the reception or where the friendship could have gone and even other peoples reactions towards robs attire as he wasn't appropriately dressed.

* SPOILER *

Overall, I think that the structure of this short film was relatively simple but effective because it built up to a climax then tied everything off with a smooth ending. The film began with a question provoking opening that uses vibrant colours to produce a happy mood whilst hinting at certain ideas whilst also leaving it open for questions about what is happening.

The focus is shifted very smoothly to the next section through Emily mentioning Mary and then Mary entering. Through all of this, the audience can relate to Rob because he is trying to help Emily and is finding out new pieces of information that help him guide Emily to the right decision and so is the audience. Mary and Emily are arguing with Rob feeling quite awkward in the middle of it and both Mary and Emily using Rob to argue against the other which puts Rob in an uncomfortable situation which helps to amplify the argument and make it tenser. This is good because if Rob is feeling uncomfortable then it can get the audience more involved because they are similar to Rob in the fact that they don't know the full story.

The plot twist in the fact that it isn't Emily's wedding is smooth and takes a second to realise which helps the movement of the focus because it helps develop character arcs and the story line but doesn't stop the rhythm of the film. This leads to quick transition where Emily goes to the Church and you can see the conflict in her mind because she is trying to be confident by putting her faith in love but is also being swayed by Mary and Rob which causes suspense as she finds her final hiding spot. Emily's facial expressions help elevate the pressure until the suspense is released when she gives in to her friends and she does the right thing.

The relationship between Mary and Emily is sorted when Mary kneed Emily in the face and then they make up in the Church which ties off their relationship. The film ends with Rob teasing Emily about her mistakes which show how their relationship has developed and when they leave together it hints at their relationship developing but leaves it up to the audience to decide in their own minds what happens next.

In conclusion, I really like the simplistic and clean structure that is easy to watch and enjoy as well as the characters that become really developed in only 14 minutes. I think that the relationship between Emily and Rob was really funny and you could see that as they became more familiar with each other they were developing their relationship although I would have liked to see more or Rob and Mary's relationship because I think that it would be really interesting to have seen their disagreement at the beginning begin to form into friendship and respect for each other at the end.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Capture's 'The Girl in the Dress' ticks all the boxes for a rom com - it features lots of dramatic irony, a last-minute wedding day mix-up, and a healthy dose of absurd social awkwardness. It is certainly a direct descendent of the films of Richard Curtis (Four Weddings, Bridget Jones, Notting Hill etc.) but it brings enough of it's own quirkiness to stand on its own. A lot of the film's strength comes from its wholesome, pleasant vibe, as with many good comedies. This is due to the surprising likeability of characters. There's something undeniably funny about the fact that it's Rob, a street entertainer who spends his days frozen still as a statue, who turns out to be the most emotionally intelligent, warm and sensitive character in the film. He takes it upon himself to counsel Emily - preaching a simple, optimistic idea of having faith in love. The way we see Emily's plight also makes us sympathise with a character who isn't objectively likeable. Emily intends to crash a wedding and ruin everyone's happiness because she can't let go of a childish fantasy. The oversized ribbons on her hairpiece and dress make her look like a little girl playing dress-up. Olivia Poulet's performance is filled with nervous energy and neurotic twitches - these are all tell-tale signs. But when the narrative starts we don't have all the information and assume, along with Rob, that today is Emily's big wedding day. And she believes it is. The first half of the film centres on this climax of irony. Rob, attempting to be a good guy, gives out horribly misinformed advice and propels the story towards disaster. The camera work is largely static in the first half, and the focus is on the dialogue between Rob and Emily. Olivia Poulet and Nick Helm make their lines sound very natural whilst also delivering snappy, absurd punchlines - which is a real feat of screenwriting. The 'laughter circle' exercise moment is particularly effective - I found myself laughing, sort of joining in on the exercise. The second half centres on a set-piece which brings dynamic excitement and production value to the film. The first half could even stand alone as a micro-budget short film. However now DoP Vanessa Whyte switches to a Steadicam with wider lenses which allow her to float among the pews of an old church and follow Emily on a brilliant cat-and-mouse chase which provides lots of movement and tension. The use of the Church pulpit to frame Olivia's face and show the crowd of guests in the background, unaware of the double-meaning of Mary's speech, is the height of dramatic irony. All-in-all this film took a genre that I don't usually enjoy and made it very charming and wholesome. The script is intelligent and utilises irony effectively. The ending is smooth and happy - Emily comes to her senses (in the nick of time), Mary turns out to be a good, if forceful friend, and Rob is once again given the opportunity to be the good guy. Let's hope he doesn't mess it up this time.

I absolutely loved the character of Henry the VIII as I found him not just hilarious while he maintained a crucial part in the story about what Emily should do about Patrick, but I also found Nick Helm an astonishing actor who potentially outshined the Emily's character with his character's charm and personal talent that just feels natural and easy to watch.

There was something about the flow that I enjoyed so much and I think this mainly due to comedic timing, along with the diegetic and non-diegetic sounds that compliment it. Henry the VIII literally has the best come backs with such a good balance of irony, while the pace of the dialogues is just right and helps the comedy to flow so easily.

However, it kind of felt like something was missing in terms of the storyline as this could have escalated in so many ways while still balancing the comedy side of it well. Like, I'm curious to know what happened after they left the wedding as even though she ended up not speaking to Patrick, it still doesn't feel like she got some kind of closure. And even if she didn't get the closure she needed I would still like to see how her character escalates after deciding not to say anything.

The girl in the dress is a short comedy film written and directed by Natalie Malla that showcases a troubled love story. At the beginning of the film we are introduced to two strangers that have met in a sunny park under unusual circumstances.

The viewer is subjected to an emotional fiery breakdown from wedding-dress-wearing Emily (Olivia Poulet) as she divulges her love for a man to street performer Rob (Rick Helm). We soon realise that Emily has not fled her own wedding but in fact, is planning to gatecrash her ex lovers.

The production appears to be mostly slapstick comedy with Emily boldly presenting most major negative female tropes. Emily, unfortunately is my least favourite type of leading character. She appears pathetic and desperate for a man. Her character is portrayed as totally unhinged. It makes poor Emily hard to connect with and extremely unlikeable.

The production did however, manage to make way for some laughs and the overall tone of the piece was upbeat and silly.

The concept of 'The Girl in the Dress' is very original and has a lot of potential. The first half shows off how talented the three leads are and how well they bounce off other in the zany situations that escalate between them. The script is very self aware by using the stresses of everyday life and even Henry VIII (whose track record as marriage material is poor at best just like Emily) as an example when it comes to comedic moments. The film starts off with a typical 'cold feet' wedding day narrative and spins it on it's head by not only having a painted statue man enter as the voice of reason but also the reveal given during Emily's friend abrupt arrival further raises the stakes when it comes to comedic potential.

That said, I did kind of find myself disappointed by 'The Girl in the Dress's second half. It felt like a great amount of buildup fizzled out the moment we left the park and the scenery changed to the church. I feel more could have been done to escalate the humor to maintain the hard work that was put into staging the entertaining comedic/narrative buildup at the start. Too much time is spent on a montage highlighting the wedding guests and their reactions rather than capturing how crazy of a predicament Emily has caught herself in, in particular it was a missed opportunity not to show her reaction as the bride and the groom exchanged vows (it would have been gut wrenching and maintained the comedic chaos that is at the heart of the script).

As well as this, the camera angles throughout could have been less standard to keep the audience engaged and while I understand that this is an independent short film that is mostly realistic in presentation, experimentation is appreciated especially when it comes to the endless potential that comes with the comedy genre. Furthermore, the cinematography could have better especially in the park where you have so many bold colors (white, gold, green, pink and purple) in scenery and costume that compliment each other.

Overall, I really liked the ideas that were presented and although this is a comedy, the narrative has heart to it like Emily not only learning but actually getting called out for actions (even then it was still funny when Rob was being as blunt as possible and the way Mary technically kept her promise to hit Emily if she showed up at the wedding was also a nice touch).

The premise of the film is highly original and promising with heaps of comedic potential due to its various zany scenarios and eccentric characters. For instance, I appreciated the minimal exposition, throwing us straight into the 'runaway bride' drama, or so it appeared... which worked excellently with quick cuts and the joyfully quirky score to tonally convey what the film encapsulates from the offset.

One of the most brilliant aspects of the film and Natalie Malla's writing is that it's full of ironic juxtapositions. In particular, the presence of Rob in the script, a guy covered in gold spray paint, posing as Henry VIII next to a park bench who turns out to be the most grounded and seemingly stable character within the script, is pure gold.

Helm's Rob, is a complete stand out for me with his effortless comedic timing. His delivery and ability to switch from sarcastically blunt to emotional and considerate is plaudible. Olivia's Poulet's Emily however, just didn't stand up to Helm's performance. Though her character and situation is farce and over the top, I believe the dialogue to have been too on the nose at some points and the delivery lacking believability.

The cinematography was also rather stagnant for me, especially during the park sequences. Reverting to the shot reverse with little other coverage made it feel a little more theatrical than cinematic. Feel they wasted the chance to utilise both camerawork and editing to heighten the comedy even more here. Thankfully, this changed during the second half of the film where Whyte's camerawork tracks Emily as she crawls through the church seats; the movement here worked perfectly alongside James Jones' humorous and playful score which paralleled beautifully with Emily's motions and emotions making the scene that more hilarious.

The second half of the film on the whole was rather disappointing, compared to the well-paced first half. It seems much too rushed, neglected even. The cuts to the wedding guests were pretty unnecessary particularly as we only focus on Emily for the duration of the scene. I did appreciate the decision to do this, but feel missing out her reaction to the vows may have been a mistake, as it may have helped us warm to and empathise with her character more.

On the whole, an easy watch with a quirky little narrative, characters and set up. I just felt the execution of all of these aspects needed a little finessing along with sharpening up the dialogue and reworking elements of the second half of the film.