I am grateful for short-films such as "Into the Surf". This is a gorgeously shot story about two brothers; the young one is shy and insecure while his older brother is far more confident and formidable, yet not all is well beneath the surface. The film is told out of chronological order, and we are not given full information as to what exactly happened to the older brother. We are given the vaguest hints, yet all points out towards mental disease. Up to the moment I'm writing this review, I have seen the short twice, and I'm still trying to put together the pieces myself, this is not a lack of direction or purpose from the filmmakers but rather a brave and exceptional choice of storytelling, as it keeps me engaged, trying to fill in the gaps myself, like a detective deducing what led to the fatal events of the film. "Into The Surf" is absolutely gorgeous to look at; the compositions, lens choice, cinematography and delicate lighting all come together along with a cleverly constructed editing and a meticulously written script. The direction by Tom Evans is superb. Evans comes from a background in documentary filmmaking, yet his transition to narrative drama is seamless, he is simply a truly gifted filmmaker who I hope has a clear path for him and more things to come. According to the filmmakers, the film was made with very limited resources, but I could swear it cost even more than they admit because the craftsmanship is exquisite. This is a testament to the talent at play here, the fact that they managed to create such a fantastic piece of cinema out of limited resources is nothing but admirable. The young cast performs admirably, both the young and younger versions of the brothers (kudos to the casting director for finding children who are absolutely the same image of their older versions). They all have a difficult task, which is to communicate to us what these characters are going through without spelling out loud what happened. I don't want to make it sound as if the events of the short are confusing, because they are not; it is put together in a way that the audience can figure it out if the will to do so is there. "Into The Surf" has an ethereal quality to it. I'm in awe at how Tom Evans and his crew managed to do so much in such a small time-frame. Even the final credits are beautiful when they had no need to be. Excellence all round.
Enrrico Wood – Oaxaca Filmfest's Curator
Enrrico Wood – Oaxaca Filmfest's Curator
