chestertravis

Sweets

This film is a mini masterpiece. I felt the world viscerally and almost physically at times. As though I could reach out and touch the grotesque creatures on screen.

At times during the film I entirely forgot I was watching a 48 hour entry such was the incredible artistry at work in Sweets. I have no idea how it was achieved in that time frame but I can't commend Tim highly enough.

Was it style over substance? Possibly a little. But with films like this I'm not really looking narrative satisfaction as much as I am a mood and feeling, which this delivers in spades.

Congratulations, Tim! As others have said, I wouldn't be surprised if this took ouit the competition.

Birdy Nom Nom

Absolutely sensational film. Excellent pacing, fantastic cast. Everyone playing to their strengths. Loved the idea and the puppet character was spot on!

Stage Four Law

Rabid Aunty Jean at it again looking to take out every award under the sun.

Gorgeous cinematography as one would expect from this team, pristine sound and a rich, dreamy grade.

Powerhouse performance from Hamish in a more dramatic role than we're used to seeing him, from a batshit script and idea played dead straight.

I laughed, I cried, I felt a little bit hungry.

They're a force to be reckoned with. But we all knew that already.

I Could Fly

Wow what an absolute unit of a film. Something I haven't seen written about in the reviews and something you're not credited enough for is this film being a historical jukebox of musical theatre styles all with your own original score. It's mental! Somehow managing to merge The Sound Of Music, Little Shop Of Horrors (?) West Side Story to... Oliver (?) to Sweeney Todd?!

I have absolutely no idea how you managed to achieve this AND make a coherent engaging film at the same time. Hats off. You deserved a place in the grand finals.

Highlights for me were:

The internal boot knocking sliding into the rhythm of the next musical number.

"She isn't one to lack punctuality" is not a line I thought I'd ever hear in a song.

Random boot opening the first time made me laugh out loud in the heats, the finals and even this time I watched it.

"So I can leave and never see you again?" "Absolutely" "I kind of love that". So subtle but such a cracking bit of throwaway dialogue.

Match cut was obviously next level and on par only to Toot Toot's use of the element this year - but honestly I prefer this use as it gives it a beautifully poetic ending, she shows up, the situation combusts and then it's lights out.

Incredible job from an incredible team and I feel so grateful to have met you all. Really inpiring and can't wait to work together in the future!

Toot Toot's Biggest Fantasy Movie

This film does what so many try but ultimately fail to do. It is both entertaining AND educational.

I particularly liked the PSA about the number 15 bus. Now that I know its ticket price and frequency, I'll be sure to visit New Brighton in the near future to scatter my own wife's ashes.

Loose End

In Swedish and other Nordic and European countries, the expression “red thread” refers to the core idea or theme of something - a “throughline” that makes it all make sense.

This is on display both literally and metaphorically in Great Lake Film Society's beautifully conceived, dystopian, film

It's a quite complex and confusing film in the sense that audiences members could come to multiple conclusions about what story is being told here. My take (and it may not have been the intention of the film makers) was a man trapped within a corporate entity unable to express his true self. When he finds himself following the strands of other people's private lives, he seems the world through a different lens and "disentangles" himself from society's requirements of him.

It has hints of Eternal Sunshine boiled down into a five minute period and for the most part does this extremely effectively. My only gripe would be that I'd love to have fully understood the ramifications of breaking away from one's string and what it would ultimately mean to follow another's. However, I believe the strings never existed and this was just a man peering into other timelines of his own future through the experiences of others.

- Sonder – n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.

Gorgeous film that was only limited by the constraits of its running time.

Added kudos for beautiful use of POV shots, inventive camera angles and techniques.

Congrats on the finals!