The_Llama
22 Reviews
Reviews
Benched
The internal monologue of a frustrated young man as he trys to 'pull'. A small idea executed well is where 48 Hours shines and this was a great example of just that. It was creatively shot with good sound and apt music choices. The lead, with the lions share of screen time, was energetic and comical throughout. While I liked this film for keeping it simple, I felt that the 'stalking' scene, while containing plenty of humor, took up a disproportionate amount of the runtime. A few shots, while obviously treasured by the team, could probably have been cut to keep the pace up.
Ringtone Revenge
A betrayed ringtone artist takes matters into his own hands. Up top let me say that this film does one thing well that is vary rare in 48 Hours: non stilted two-shot dialogue. Combined with some great shots, nice sets, and classic kiwi self awareness and I found this to be a really solid short. The lead actor did a magnificent job, portraying weirdness without being alienating. This film was also beautifully shot. However I got the impression they may have got a bit carried away for a few shots, yes they were cool (piano in particular) but didn't really fit with the rest of the style. This is being slightly picky though as the film was better shot that 95% of 48 Hour shorts.
Toast
A Groundhod Day/Run Lola Run take on the mundane routine of a young kitchen hand. This film had some great prop choices, including the toaster/time machine; and the main character was fantastic, a great mixture of humor and sympathy. Unfortunately, while starting strong this film suffered from a plot that didn't quite go anywhere, and what resolution there was seemed to jar with the tone of the rest of the film.
Ringtone Revenge
A betrayed ringtone artist takes matters into his own hands. Up top let me say that this film does one thing well that is vary rare in 48 Hours: non stilted two-shot dialogue. Combined with some great shots, nice sets, and classic kiwi self awareness and I found this to be a really solid short. The lead actor did a magnificent job, portraying weirdness without being alienating. This film was also beautifully shot. However I got the impression they may have got a bit carried away for a few shots, yes they were cool (piano in particular) but didn't really fit with the rest of the style. This is being slightly picky though as the film was better shot that 95% of 48 Hour shorts.
Tragic
A geeky student gets the chance to dance her way in with the cool girls. This film kept my interest, wanting to see what happened at the end and rooting for the main character. The cinematography was top-notch, particularly the stage dance scene at the end. I felt the ending was a bit ambiguous (intentional?) was it a cruel prank or redemption?
Orb Quest
n.b. I've given this film half a mark less than I otherwise would given its fervent fans one-line reviews. Two friends embark on a quest to find and recover an exercise ball. I really enjoyed this film, Superbad meets The Lord of the Rings. The main character had great energy and drive, with some genuinely funny throwaway lines. The plot was also well engineered while still being quirky. Little touches worked well too, like the custom-built website. The ending to this film was a little weak (you don't have to film somewhere dark for it to come off as dark onscreen) with in hard to see the characters executing a not-so-elaborate plan. Overall this speaks to the strength of the rest of the film though.
Illuminati
A disenfranchised scientist has little time to stop the universe turning triangular. This film took the (very effective in this case) Pacific Rim approach of taking the end of the world as a given and diving into the action. The hero's (over)acting was perfect for the tone of this film, and the foreboding triangle transformations were great subtle touches. I liked the humor in this film and that it didn't take itself too seriously. Some of the early scenes of dialogue were a little slow-paced, and came off quite improvised.
Your Ball Sux
I really loved this film! Right down to the excellent ghost effects! The plot was great, well thought through, and with an hilarious ending. One criticism would be the beginning felt a bit at odds with the wittiness of the rest of the film e.g. 'get in the box'. Also as others have said, the audio effects on the female character were a little to strong, making it hard to make out what was being said. Overall though great work!
Benched
The internal monologue of a frustrated young man as he trys to 'pull'. A small idea executed well is where 48 Hours shines and this was a great example of just that. It was creatively shot with good sound and apt music choices. The lead, with the lions share of screen time, was energetic and comical throughout. While I liked this film for keeping it simple, I felt that the 'stalking' scene, while containing plenty of humor, took up a disproportionate amount of the runtime. A few shots, while obviously treasured by the team, could probably have been cut to keep the pace up.
Long Overdue
I thought this film had a really witty plot which covered all the bases well. Unfortunately it was let down by a lot of technical shortcomings; the mastering on the (obviously talented) leading lady's singing made it quite hard to make out what she was singing, and the violent scenes just came off comical sadly. That said, I don't want to sound over-hash, I think most of the frustration comes from thinking your plot was great and wishing I could see a fully-realized version of this film!
Waiting for Morgan
Behind the scenes of a radical new cinema technology. This film had a very witty premise, and being a momentary had plenty of scope to exploit it for humor. I liked the credulousness of the main character, and I thought both the leads handled their rolls really well. I would have liked to see the actual 'vertical cinema' exploited for some laughs (noses talking to each other etc) and I felt a bit frustrated when it wasn't shown. Some of the improvised scenes slowed the pace of the film down a little to much, however the ending was really nicely timed and hit just the right note.
Stress
An ostracized killer has a unique calling card. I really liked the idea behind this movie; it had great use of the required prop, and, particularly at the beginning, some excellent and creative camera angles. A couple of things let the film down including quite a shaky camera and an unruly auto focus which distracted from the climactic scenes. The film lacked music but had excellent spooky sound effects to heighten the tension where needed.
The Shirt
A search for a shirt leads to a unforeseen end. This animated short was a stylistically well presented, using mostly black and white drawn cutouts that matched the noir themes perfectly. The plot was two parts tragedy, one part farce with some very well placed humour which punctuated the overall Nick-Cave-Ballard-Vibe well. The length was good too, a great story that didn't drag. If I were to level one criticism, the audio could have maybe done with a pop-filter or something? With so much quiet, moody narration it was a bit distracting to hear the main characters mouth opening to speak. Overall a great vision, well executed!
Journey into the White
A voyage isn't quite what it seems. I really enjoyed the style of animation in this film, it had a great deal of motion and depth. The plot was simple and apt for the genre, and the short running time reflected this which gets you points. I thought the ending was an unnecessary break from the style of the rest of the film, and judging from where I was sitting, turned off a lot of the audience.