Greed. The whole concept is summed up perfectly by that one word. The script though could have been a bit more creative and could certainly have used dialogues.
Direction
The animation while nice lacked that punch. The expressions of the wild dogs were non-existent and you could only make out what the whole story was because you had heard it countless times.
The background music made the short seem like a kid movie. It certainly makes you feel that the short is not for elders. And if something is making you feel old, you are certainly not going to enjoy it.
Conclusion
I can berate Wild Dogs for not doing much, but actually I feel sorry for it. The moviemakers missed a great chance to make this short into something better. It could have been more funny and interesting if they had put a bit more time on it. It feels to be put together hastily. And with no dialogues it misses out on a lot of jokes it could have made. Groans and grunts seem okay for a little bit, but why go for the realistic touch when already the dogs are walking on their hind legs!
Oktapodi is about two octopuses that are fighting against the evil forces to stay together forever. This is an age-old tale of the world creating hurdles and problems for the lovers, yet it’s presented in an interesting and fascinating way.
Direction
The animation is at quite a high level for a short. The details that separate good from great are certainly there. One thing that needs to be appreciated is the expression that the octopuses deliver. They only have two eyes, but they exhibit all the necessary feelings through them. Sometimes they are convoluted, sometimes open wide, sometimes you see a dreamy look in them. Here the animator deserves a pat on the back for treating them as humans and not as some animals who can not express their feelings.
Conclusion
Oktapodi deserves a lot of credit for picking up a simple plot and giving it a completely different spin. It will not only appeal to the kids, but also to the elders and that’s what makes this short special.
But, one thing I would like to mention is that the short is probably too small to create a major impact on you. You will have a laugh or two while watching it, but its length means that you will forget it sooner rather than later. You might even be watching it for some relief during work and in that case you are never going to remember it for long.
A lot can happen in 10 minutes and that’s the whole point of the story. For someone 10 minutes might feel a long time, for others it could pass in an instant. And for some, 10 minutes is all they have to survive.
Direction
If the direction is poor, the idea can fall flat. But, here, the storyline is accompanied by some compelling direction and camerawork. Most of the shots are handheld, but you don’t feel the camera shaking too much to ruin your viewing pleasure.
There is this one continuous shot where the camera keeps rolling for like 5 – 6 minutes I feel, but it doesn’t look clumsy. It only enhances the feeling of anxiety and confusion that the little boy is feeling at the time.
Moreover, the effects to show that there has been a blast were brilliant! And I don’t mean the puff of smoke we see in the distance! I mean, the way the camera jerks a little every time there is a blast that makes it all even more real.
Even the soundtrack is put up together really well and the chugging sound that accompanies the scene when the kid is running to his home creates great tension and suspense. My breath actually became raspier and quicker as the scene went on. It really was that absorbing.
Acting
It might surprise you, but I can honestly say I did not think anyone was acting (apart from the guy in the store). It seemed so natural. And while it may not win awards for acting, because no one was that central to the theme (or had a big role), I did not find any faults either. The only person who was over the top was the salesman – but then salesman are sometimes boisterous in their approach, so it isn’t that big a bother.
Conclusion
10 minutes did what a lot of shorts were incapable of – it makes you think. I like to do my reviews immediately after watching shorts because it is the first impression that is the most important, but I couldn’t do it with this one. It overwhelmed me. Its simple yet powerful, strong and even beautiful. It doesn’t try to be too clever with the plot, yet it delivers a strong message.
Every minute is important. Every minute there is something happening in other parts of the planet. There are wars being fought, people dying, people crying etc etc. And yet we sit in our homes doing nothing about it.
This short is about a guy who lets his imagination run a little too wild and which eventually gets him into trouble.
Direction
Its good to see so many animated shorts coming out, but after watching Pixar and Dreamworks at work, it’s sometimes difficult to properly gauge them. The animation here was not of the standard I wanted it to be. It was a bit bland. The detail that separates good animation from great was missing. Having said that, it was way better than many other shorts that I have seen. And it was pretty fast paced, so you will definitely enjoy it.
Conclusion
I am probably being a mean old meany above – animation isn’t entirely that bad (considering I have seen a lot worse). And even the music featured in this short is done nicely. Though the absence of dialogues is a let down.
Distraxion might give you a laugh or two, but that’s just about it. It is hardly 2 minutes so you can’t expect much more. I would have liked it to be a bit longer so the director could be a bit more expressive in his illustration. Even for a short movie it was too darn short.
Distraxion might not be enough to make a crappy day good, but it will just be able to distract you from your problems for a couple of minutes.
By the way, an “x” in the title doesn’t make it look cooler!
This short tells a famous story that is found not only in Christian scriptures, but also in Islamic book, The Quran (although with variations). I don’t wanna mention even an itsy bitsy bit about the story to maintain a bit of suspense :). But, its not a straightforward history lesson, as the story is told by a child and is animated.
Direction
It’s an animated movie, but it’s done very nicely. As this is based upon a 1960’s series of recordings in which children tell Bible stories, the animation is done so that it looks to belong to that decade. That’s probably the best thing about this short – its animation. With all the CGI now, we do miss the old cartoons and this certainly gives the feeling of one.
However, the child who tells the story – I am sorry but his accent is very difficult to understand. This movie is for international audience and a person with such a strong accent is not suitable for reading in such a short. It might look cute for a little while, but it becomes irksome when you can’t understand what he is saying.
Conclusion
“Give up Yer Aul Sins” is nice, but nice doesn’t cut it in this bloodthirsty industry of shorts! (No seriously it doesn’t). The short has to be something more. And this is where it fails. It makes no impact on the viewer and it might make you feel nostalgic, but that feeling will be replaced by irritation when you won’t be able to understand what the child is saying.
It’s a Bible story so people who have read the Bible already know it, but those who haven’t, they will barely be able to make head or tail of the short because of the very strong accent of the kid.
Give up Yer Aul Sins is a short that you won’t remember for long.
The title pretty much blurts out the story. But, it’s still a very interesting and funny short to watch. Who hasn’t thought of shooting your boyfriend/girlfriend’s ex – this short shows the lady actually doing it, and thus fulfills many people’s wish.
Direction & Acting
Nothing to complain about here. It’s pretty standard though there is hardly any soundtrack.
The acting wasn’t all that nice. Although the plot didn’t give much depth to their characters, but it didn’t seem like they were in a war situation apart from all the swearing. And they swear a lot. They probably concentrated on it a bit too much and forgot to act! They seemed a bit too relaxed to be in a war.
Conclusion
The surprising thing about this short was its length. It could have been longer. The idea was nice and they could have made a lot of jokes and maybe even created a lot more tension then they did. They just didn’t try hard enough.
I shot your ex-girlfriend might not amaze you with its acting or direction, but the idea is presented in a very different scenario. And that makes it a very good effort and quite an enjoyable short. Though the swearing does make this a short not for kids, the elders are going to enjoy it I am sure.
None. And basically that’s it. If you like movies that have some sort of concept or a storyline, this is not for you.
Direction
Its saving grace, direction is by far the best thing in this short. A thriller of sorts, the music and the random and absurd camera angles complement the idea. The zooming in of the camera and the speeding up of action now and then really enhance the viewing pleasure. You might not make anything of the story, but you will certainly feel a chill.
Acting
Considering there were only two actors, the scared and the “scarer”, it was quite good. The scared guy pretty much made all the faces and did all the movements that are the norm in a horror movie. And the guy who was chasing him, I particularly liked his make up. It was very well down.
Conclusion
I am really not sure why this came into production in the first place. It seems pointless and meaningless. It doesn’t even try to ram a moral down our throats.
But, strangely I do like it. Comparing it with horror movies of our time, most of them actually are pointless. So why can’t this short be?
Saying that it does make you feel a bit scared and it’s certainly not for kids. I won’t even recommend it watching in the dead of the night. Happy Meal will leave the horror buffs feeling content for sure!
Set in a post-apocalyptic world where people breathe off each other (its depiction is less disgusting (or arousing) then it sounds), Connected has a rather bland script.
Direction & Acting
It blew me away! Seriously! The landscape shots through out the short are some of the best I have seen. They really do paint a picture of bleakness and combined with the humans wearing some sort of mask and suits to survive, it gives an uneasy feel to the viewer (as it should).
The soundtrack was okay, though the repetition of the breathing sound began to annoy me. I can understand that they want to emphasize on humans breathing and all, but its very annoying hearing someone gasping for air for 5 straight minutes!
One thing I would like appreciate though is the western music played at the climatic scenes. It was a very big risk but it pays off handsomely. It might make the scene a bit comical, but I liked the change. At least, it wasn’t more breathing noises.
Can’t really comment on acting, as we don’t get to see any person’s face through out the short. We do see people dying, but that was pretty routine stuff. Nothing too fancy there.
Conclusion
I am not sure what was the budget of this short, but it seems quite big as far as shorts go. However, it doesn’t tingle my senses nor make me excited at all. The script is too bland. It maybe moralistic, but I need a little bit of entertainment too!
Connected can be applauded for its cinematography, but for me, it fails to make a connection with the viewer.
Making films that have a meaning and are there to teach something to the audience is a good thing – but repetition does make things boring. While the short does carry good intentions in bridging the gap between nations, I just don’t feel that it captivated me that much.
Direction & Acting
You expect a short produced by Fox to have no faults regarding direction and camera work, and yeah it was pretty much spot on. The tension created (which basically lasts through out the movie) is done nicely and it does make you wonder (if you have never seen such a movie before) how our heroes will get out of their predicament.
No complaints about acting either – it wasn’t great, but it didn’t need to be either as the short didn’t demand very little emotions.
Conclusion
For quite a while, I was at a loss. Seriously. I didn’t know what was wrong with the short. There is clearly something wrong, but I didn’t know what! Direction and acting was okay – the story might be a bit predictable, but it at least had meaning and purpose.
Then it hit me! Nothing, and absolutely NOTHING stands out! It takes no risks at all, the story isn’t new and no character development leads to no outstanding acting.
Hence, Strangers is just going to slip under the radar. It won’t be remembered for anything. Everything has been pretty much done before.
"The National Film Board of Canada, in association with the Cannes Short Film Corner and partner YouTube, welcomes you to this NFB competition, now in its fifth year.
It's your turn to choose. Internet votes will decide the best film, and the winner will be announced at Cannes on May 21. The prize: an HD MINI-DV camera and a mobile studio including laptop and editing suite.
A sleep deprived office worker finds a Black Hole whilst photocopying late one night Suddenly the possibilities seem endless. Will greed get the better of him?
Phil & Olly aka Diamond Dogs met in the last murky years of the 20th Century at one of Wimbledon School of Arts now legendary parties. They teamed up in 2003 and began shooting no budget promos whilst busting their balls as Art Directors to pay their bills. Phil & Olly continue their careers as editor & art director respectively to fund their directing projects in a world of ever shrinking budgets.
The boys are currently in production on music videos for Will and the People and The Enemy and in pre-production on a 30 second Miller Light commercial. They are also penned to shoot a 4 minute short for Future Shorts in conjunction with Samsung called Spontaneously Capture your life and in pre-production with The UK Film Council in association with Virgin Media Shorts on a short film project called The Archaeologist."
REVIEW
Concept
Strange, bizarre, peculiar – you won’t go wrong with any of these words while describing Black Hole. The idea is totally out-of-this-world yet the message is simple. God provides enough to satisfy our needs, but not our greed.
Direction
Director does not take any risks and I am fine with it. Though I do feel that the short could be a bit long to show how our protagonist gets erm associated with the hole, but apart from that its fine. No faults, no fun, work done.
Acting
When things start getting weird around you people generally tend to get surprised or scared. Well, they at lease show some emotion! The guy in this short shows none! Or maybe 0.5! This short features only one person so the producer could have at least gone for a better actor. For the most part of the movie he seemed drunk to me!
Conclusion
Black Hole is very different from other shorts I have seen. It pushes the boundaries of reality and literally breaks them apart, but it does this with a message in mind. Delightfully simple yet capturing our imagination is what Black Hole is all about.
It could have been so much better if the actor, could, you know, had tried to act! A great plot ruined!
Score: 6.5/10 (I would have given it an 8 if it had not been for YOU KNOW WHO)
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