Reviews

The production values (cinematography, music, editing) are quite high for a short film, and not an uninteresting premise. But neither script nor acting (nor the ending 'twist') is any good at all. Not much more to be said.

However, given the 600-character minimum, and since I'm not going to spend longer on this review than the film took to watch, I will say it all once again.

The production values (cinematography, music, editing) are quite high for a short film, and not an uninteresting premise. But neither script nor acting (nor the ending 'twist') is any good at all. Not much more to be said.

Short films often reach for something bigger than the form allows (and thus, disappoint), or they're not much more than a drawn-out punchline (and thus, disappoint), or else they intentionally tease as if pitching for a feature (and thus, disappoint).

But this short film knows exactly what it is and what it's doing. It's a short story, with briefly-sketched but recognizable characters, smart dialogue, well-played scenes, and a likable lead. The roles are believable (at least in a rom-com-genre sense) yet there's a consistently sweet tone to it.

Any film (especially a short) that - by the end - has you feeling something for the lead is a job well done; they've told you almost nothing but they've touched something in you.

Is it a masterpiece? Probably not. Is it a really good short film and worth watching? Yes, absolutely.

It's mostly fantasy, and so it seems a bit glossy, and it hinges on a dilemma that some may find objectionable. And it's LGBTQ friendly, which may put off others. But it's still deeper and truer to life than 75% of what you're watching now; unrecognized hurts and selfishness masquerading as selflessness and how protecting yourself can end up walling you off from the people you need, and who need you.

There's an unnecessarily long (gratuitous?) love scene towards the end that's distracting, so it's not perfect, not flawless acting, last scenes a bit formulaic and Hallmark-ish...but still, worth a watch.

...then this is for you. A bit more skin, a bit more violence, a bit more risque (it was the 90s), but the same halfhearted acting, writing, and directing. But the women and the settings are beautiful, so it's a fine choice to have on in the background while you're sandblasting the house or having a tooth pulled or something.