Change Your Image
megan-breen-894-951691
Reviews
The Girl in the Dress (2015)
Hilariously Extraordinary
It is obvious from the very beginning that The Girl in the Dress is not going to be an ordinary tale of a wedding ceremony, which is what makes this hilarious short film so brilliantly clever. From the first moment the audience are introduced to Emily, to the moment when Henry VII begins to give a 'bride-to-be' advice, this film constantly supplies us with surprise after surprise.
Emily is not a normal everyday kind of character, instead she is over-dramatic and wild, and in turn provides all of the humour that this short film revolves around. The very first few glimpses of Emily present the audience with the suspicion that she might not be telling the truth. After being tricked into feeling sorry for her, the audience are then informed that Emily has driven herself mad over the obsession of the promise of love; she talks to herself as she sits down on the bench, she makes little eye contact and she rambles on, hardly leaving time for Rob to say anything at all. All of these factors build up to make Emily the perfect protagonist for this film.
Irony plays a huge part in creating comedy within this film. The High Heels, often a sign of sophistication, but not in Emily's case as she behaves in a childish manner. Then there is the contrast between Emily and Rob. Rob is an actor, often the stereotype is that actors are over dramatic; yet again this is proved wrong when Emily becomes the one who takes things to the extreme.
While comedy is prevalent in this short film there is a sweet underlying message towards the end; while we may not get exactly what we plan to get in life, we will get what we need, and this is why The Girl in the Dress is a perfect representation, maybe not quite so realistic, of life itself.
Killing Thyme (2015)
Beautifully Haunting
If I am being entirely honest I fell in love with Killing Thyme as soon as I'd finished watching it. As if the fact that it stars Brian Cox and Charlotte Riley wasn't enough, its clever portrayal of a child's view upon death and his relationship with a man who is living, in his eyes, on the brink of death is both terrifying and heart-warming. The title gives it all away really, and I love how great of a play on words it is. When I was first presented with the idea behind Killing Thyme I questioned how a film could ever be successful if it was based around an allotment, yet they've managed to make the one thing I thought would be boring into an entirely captivating watch.
As soon as it opens with establishing shots of London, and a boy running through its streets doing things all little boys do, the audience can tell this boy is simply a small fish in a massive pond. His fascination of plants is unusual for someone of his age, seen as it is so often associated with old age, which only makes him all the more interesting. The film constantly reminds the audience of Sam's naivety, which is contrasted with the fact that he's had to look after himself, because he has had no male role model.
The film revolves around the theme of life and death, and is there ever a point that you give up living. Norman is the prime example of someone who has given up. Is it because he lacks the purpose he once had? Or is it because he has lost many of the people he loved? Either way, Norman has been tricked by society into believing his life is no longer worth living because he is not as physically able as he once was. The sweet innocence of Sam crossed with Norman's pessimistic look upon life creates the perfect atmosphere for the next twist in the plot. While Norman has been introducing Sam to the 'darker' side of life, e.g. alcohol, death, he has not realised how much Sam has really been paying attention, which leads to the idea that is planted into Sam's head.
Killing Thyme ends on a high note with Norman realising that the words he had spoken to Sam were hollow words, so when he was confronted with the immensity of death he realised that he had been wasting his life away. The beauty that he is then the one to use the word 'we' to speak about the two of them, makes the audience notice that he has created an unspoken friendship between himself and Sam. This ending leaves the audience with the message that no matter how old we get, we should live our lives to the full no matter what.
As a whole Killing Thyme has been magnificently created, with the music and shots helping to build tension where it was needed. It is an inspirational and thought-provoking short film, which I would most definitely watch again and again.
Gin & Dry (2010)
Thought-Provoking and Amusing
It is not often that you come across a film that focuses solely upon the Elderly in a thought-provoking and amusing way, yet Gin & Dry has done this to perfection. Not only does it put a twist on the stereotypes we hold against old age, but it also leaves its audience with an underlying heart-rending message.
Albie is the perfect protagonist. He is presented as the wise and loving old man who knows he's lived his life to the full, which immediately gives the audience a reason to trust him. This is further reinforced by his emotional speech, which becomes the main turning point, providing the audience with a realisation that time does not last forever.
There was not one minute put to waste in this beautifully humorous short film. Every shot, character, piece of dialogue or music reflected the story that was being told. Scenes such as the lead-up to the heist gave a real sense of the idea that you will always remain young at heart, as the residents fight to be the first to reach the door. Yet these very scenes make the audience realise that the people who once fought for our freedom are the ones we treat with very little respect, as is presented in the character of Adam.
Adam's character becomes the only character the audience can relate to; the young man who believes he's got a hard life, because the residence won't co-operate with him. That being said Albie's speech to Adam is a direct message to youth, saying that as a generation we have lived life without the worries they overcame for us.
All in all, Gin & Dry, with its striking cinematography and lasting message, is most definitely worth a watch.
Hawk (2011)
Most definitely worth watching.
Man's relationship with nature has gradually become a controversial issue for the modern world. Where we once saw a future that was bright and exciting, we are now greeted with the cold, harsh truth; we as a species are killing our planet. Hawk captures this beautifully; expressing that in society there is a belief that some things are more important than life itself. While I believe that the film was extremely impressive, I also believe that it was limited to expand on characters and relationships because of its length.
The film immediately begins through Rowan condemning 'men' for their beliefs and values, commenting on what they fail to see; the true beauty of nature. Old Rowan is portrayed as mysterious throughout the film, which prevented the audience from discovering a connection with his character. The narrative jumped between young Rowan and old Rowan suddenly, meaning that the relationship built up with Rowan as a child was lost as there was not a gradual introduction to Rowan growing old. That being said, this also helped the audience to understand that Rowan had lost touch with his human nature, as he surrounds himself with only animals. This made the ending very effective as it is shown that even though Rowan saves the siblings; they do not help him in return, proving that Rowan was ultimately destined to be alone.
Both the visual effects and score were magnificent and played a huge part in helping to create an environment for the audience to get engrossed in. There were very few bright colours used throughout the film, with the exception of Ruth's red cloak, and the flickering flames. Use of these colours left clues for the audience to figure out, the flames suggesting that the tales Gawain spoke of were ones that Rowan should be cautious of, and the red cloak comparing the character of Ruth to Little Red Riding Hood, forcing the audience into hoping she doesn't stray from the path.
Animals used in the film also helped to present to the audience the idea that 'men' will always take on the belief that their lives are more valuable than a creatures. The dog presented this view to the audience, with the connotation of the lead being that the dog is not truly free and that humans are constantly in control of how it lives.
Overall, Hawk is a brilliant piece of cinematography, which will easily leave an audience pondering upon how powerful nature truly is.