By Ayo Asani
The Space Between by Faustine Avril: ⅗ Stars
The film follows a young man experiencing art block as he travels to the countryside searching for inspiration. The locations were incredibly well-scouted, with some gorgeous shots in the woods and the city, both becoming characters within the story. The protagonist’s grief and loss were felt through the score, however, the dynamics of the relationships are left rather too ambiguous, and I felt confused about whether the connection between these characters was platonic or romantic, with the final lines of the film leaning more toward the latter. If more clarity had been provided early in the film, I would have gained more insight into the character’s psychology; how grief was blocking him from painting, and the toll of this loss upon the character. The atmospheric slow piano score evokes feelings of ennui but the sound design distracts from the subtleties of the film.
The Waves Before Arrival by Rongfei Li: ⅘ stars
A short film with a poetic documentary style and little dialogue about a woman’s day around the city. The following shot, combined with shaky camera movement, grounded the film within the cultural setting of the community. The cinematography is gorgeous; its dependence on natural light in combination with a black-and-white style elicits a sense of familiarity within the film. This creates memorable shots like the single red balloon floating in the sky. With more of a narrative structure, the concepts of place, culture, and people would have been seamlessly woven together.
What’s Eating the Juggernosh by Ben Lewis: ⅘ stars
This film follows two best friends: one struggling with an existential crisis as an outsider, whilst the other investigates his existential tendencies. The acting is excellent, the main duo plays off each other incredibly well, and the chemistry is fantastic, expressing both the comedic and more dramatic moments effectively. The comic timing is superb with the audience engaging positively. The use of eye-level shots and montages intertwined with the dynamic character exploration of this outsider, the ‘juggernaut’, strengthens the storytelling. The themes of existentialism and identity struggles are made relatable through the writing and off-beat dialogue, creating a charming film. The score punctuates the message of questioning your place in the world. However, the poor sound mixing did distract from the storytelling.
Black Poppies by Antonia Hall-Rodriguez: ⅘ stars
This film conveys a black soldier living recluse in the forest, who is searching for someone within the woods. Relying heavily upon the cinematography as its language of communication, this film is void of dialogue, but the black-and-white style, physicality, and prop work are all that is needed to convey the message of loss, death, and loneliness. Adrian E. Hall’s physicality is a compelling play to the tenderness of grief, demonstrating the depths of loss and tragedy. The use of film only amplifies the sorrowful beauty of the story, increasing the tension and solemness within the film.
Lost in a Phone Call by Ruihan Liang: ⅗ stars
The narrative observes a coder as he goes about his work, speaking with his girlfriend throughout the day. The sound design is effective, and it includes a well-placed plot twist in the story. We see him obsessed with work and apprehensive of the outside world; his girlfriend is only known through her voice. Her voice-acting work displays the supportive girlfriend role well. Both characters embodied the realism of daily life routines and rhythms, giving understated performances bringing the themes of loneliness and apprehension into realisation. The setting is confined to the apartment, which reflects the coder’s self-containment and symbolises his brief moments of yearning for the outside world.
Memory Lane by Faustine Avril and Adair Eagan: ⅘ stars
This psychological thriller follows a group of flatmates, where one member has completely lost her memory, not just of the night before, but most of her life. As the narrative unravels, the score and story become more disconcerting. Visually, the blue-filtered flashbacks with the obscured editing effectively display the horrors of the night prior, symbolising the loss of memory, the shock of betrayal, and lies. The costume also symbolised this loss and was made poignant through the dress. The protagonist’s purple-blue colour dress serves as a motif for confusion, guilt, and terror, combined with the figure-hugging mermaid silhouette, which reflects her entrapment. The ensemble had some strong performances, particularly from the women, displaying the sinister and maddening parts of the story. The score played a major role in curating the atmosphere with perhaps an over-reliance at times. The writing left me wanting more in that I felt fully immersed in the narrative and built a lot of intrigue around the character’s fate.
Photo by LooSE TV
