Chris Murray
14 Reviews
Reviews
Azanti
A tough genre, but these 48hours legends did very well. The Stop-motion element took your mind from the obvious lack of dialogue and told a grasp-able story none the less. A pain-staking labour of love, and sharp end result.
The Wish (hopefully nobody else picked that title)
Funny, and at moments, insanely clever. I bet the judges are thankful for the new requirement to list the time-codes of the required elements - I'm ashamed to say I didn't pick up on the door(s) slam until the nominees were played back in the finals. Absolutely genius. Normally I'm not a fan of films that use obvious in-jokes to 'remind' us all that it's all part of 48Hours, but looking at both last and this year's entry from Toot Toot, I think that may entirely be the point. That, and to hide a 'message' in plain, comedic sight - last year political, this year religious. "Oh, but M, you're reading too much into it!" Maybe. But I thought one Jesus joke would have played well. The sum of all it's parts made this film remind me of Crash Test Dummies 1993 album, "God Shuffled His Feet". And again, maybe that was the point. All in all, it is clear that Michael and team are having a lot of fun with Toot Toot, and I really hope that continues - because from this, we all benefit.
The Appointment
A well paced film, with some tasty shots. The choice to go B&W was great direction, and the classic '48hours twist' was a worthy one. Not overacted, and a great turn around for a two-person team. The audio is probably the weakest link of this film, and even then it is stronger than many others. All in all, "The Appointment" is a visually appealing film.
Quarrelsome Heat
Great humor start to finish, with some great titles and period-correct facial hair. The feel of the film made way for some spiffy OTT acting, and the script was worthy of a 48hour veteran team. A jolly good romp overall.
The Appointment
A well paced film, with some tasty shots. The choice to go B&W was great direction, and the classic '48hours twist' was a worthy one. Not overacted, and a great turn around for a two-person team. The audio is probably the weakest link of this film, and even then it is stronger than many others. All in all, "The Appointment" is a visually appealing film.
Cushy: A Pull Story
If there was an award for Best Accidental Art Direction, then it would HAVE to be awarded to the spill on the cushion. Seriously, a unicorn-shaped puddle? Cushy is a light wee film that absolutely nailed it's genre, (hence taking home the Christchurch award) and should be a real contender for Best Use of Genre at the Grand Finals. As others have commented, the story was a little...cushy...overall. But for a feel-good flick with no real tension, it's lovely. Looking forward to seeing what SJGR produce in the future!
Azanti
A tough genre, but these 48hours legends did very well. The Stop-motion element took your mind from the obvious lack of dialogue and told a grasp-able story none the less. A pain-staking labour of love, and sharp end result.
Utka
A worthy wearer of the Christchurch City crown, and fantastic re-entry into the competition from our Outgoing Fearless Leader. I was thoroughly impressed by this film. The timing was as impeccable as the Narrator's accent, which made it feel little like a 48Hours entry, and more what I imagine a traditional Slavic folk-tale would look like when shown on whatever stereotypically grim version of PlaySchool exists in the Motherland. I look forward to seeing how the rest of the country receives this wee story at the Grand Finals (said expectantly). Haroshaya rabota!
Baby On Board
Very slick film, great ULTRA entry and fantastic use of shadow/silhouette. I was happy with the baby having an adult brooklynesque accent! Made the story (and the baby's apparent entry into a life of crime) more fun. I find it very easy to be absorbed in a film (which is why I don't DO horror), but the explanation (mention) of the accent by the baby removed me from the story - all of a sudden I was in a theatre surrounded by a couple-hundred like-minded geeks.This brand of self-awareness feels like a bit of a safety net, one I'm confident DvM do not need. Anyway, this is starting to sound like a negative review - It is not! I really enjoyed the film and am looking forward to seeing it again in the screening room. Great work Richard and team.
The Spares
And the award for Best Colour Grading goes to... A lot of people have talked about how difficult Ultra was this year. I personally found TBALC's answer to this challenge to be both worthy and elegant in it's simplicity. That's all I'll say about that. A strong set-up led to a great title reveal - we all knew what we were in for from that point. Great performances with snappy, clever lines (DO either of you guys have a corkscrew? Asking for a friend...) and beautifully subtle animal twitches and movements. I must admit, I called the ending (in my head, I'm not one of THOSE people) as soon as they revealed the three species of animals, but it didn't make the remainder of the film any less enjoyable. Laura once again shows why she is 48Hours royalty, with Jeff and Daniel right up there with her. Thanks TBALC, this was a lot of fun.
Quarrelsome Heat
Great humor start to finish, with some great titles and period-correct facial hair. The feel of the film made way for some spiffy OTT acting, and the script was worthy of a 48hour veteran team. A jolly good romp overall.
Close Encounters of the Bird Kind
Funny. Weird. Delightful. Heavy. Bangin'. This is what Crabs hallucinate when they get Avian Influenza. Great songs. But you guys have always been at home with the Musical genre. Great acting, from both the imaginative young girl and Mr. Penguin. Once again we are left wondering where the heck Crab Crab Crab get their costumes from. Chromakeying is a risky move during 48 hours and a lot of teams have been less than stoked with the final rendered results (I can testify to this!). As we are often our own worst critics I would guess the Crabs would have been a bit disappointed with the glitches, but I personally felt little distraction due to it. The crazy roller-coaster just keep rolling. And rapping. Thanks for the laughs Crabs, and the lesson in ornithology.
Hero
Beautifully sad. A film that I'm sure I will watch many times when it is in the screening room. As Clayton said above, a real Goodfellas vibe, which is something to be proud of. Rico absolutely knocked it out of the park with his performance. (Kudos here must also go to Andrei for his directorial debut - great work man!) The subtle nuances of Rico's character are not often seen from child actors, and I really hope he continues to use these talents as he matures. In the meantime, maybe someone should send this film to Taika? He's made a couple of kids fairly famous. Another element worth mentioning is the use of shadow/silhouette - I imagine a lot of teams would have chosen to directly show violence to make the film edgier/grittier. Your choice to depict it with silhouettes was clever, and certainly no less gripping. A perfect choice for the tone of your film. Really well done guys, and congrats on your well deserved City Runner Up award!