Oranges

He asked if I like Oranges at the start. I'm forever scared of Oranges now. What was going on here??? It was shot ok but terribly boring and repetitive plot and we all easily guessed what was going to happen at the end. It's great to see you are so comfortable with your body.

An older guy with a cool beard has a bath while eating toast and drinking tea. The phone rings and he lets the answer phone get it. It's his mum calling. She calls again, and again and again. Visually looked really nice, with some well-placed cups and plates blocking some potential penis viewing. A bit creepy and unsettling but at the same time rather tedious and repetitive. Also, given the nature of the ending the ringing phone doesn't quite make sense. A brave film, with a brave actor. Nice work!

Quite enjoyed this. It had me scratching my head a few times, but the ending was well done. Liked the cool tones in the bathroom, and the depth of field when observing Vic's facial expression in the bath was razor thin, so props for whoever was on the camera.

Cool shot of the guy's eyes up close. Nice work with his name on the answering machine. That's one I haven't seen yet. Too much wang, though nice repositioning of the coffee mug on the next shot. Well shot and a good, solid story, though a perplexing ending. Was the dude's mom not the lady who was calling? Perhaps she was an impostor, but the guy didn't know which way was up so he didn't act terribly surprised at the news? Was she calling beyond the grave? Did she die in that very narrow window between calling and the guy showing up at the door? Why did I have to see so much of that man's body?

This was a really good short film that was just a bit too long and muddy. The twist was excellent, and I'm pretty sure that the film was supposed to be taking place over the night/early morning before the funeral while Vic can't sleep and is playing back old messages. I could be wrong, as it isn't exactly made clear, but that's what I took out of it. I agree with MistaTeas - the ringing was unnecessary. A tone would have been better, given that they are messages. The constant fades to black were an interesting idea, as was Vic being in the bath for the entire film, but it didn't quite come together as the messages became a little tedious after a while. I think something needed to happen before the twist, but I'm not quite sure what. The cinematography was really solid, especially for a one-man team, with some nice-looking shots in there. The sound needed a bit of work, but that's understandable given that you're doing everything yourself.

A very clever film. The constant phone calls in the bath from an obsessive mother were hilarious. I did not find this tedious at all as the repeated answer phone message echoed what the main character was feeling. And who hasn't tried to take a bath with constant disruptions OR had a stalker like this? Cinematography... could have been adjusted so you can't see his weener (I didn't notice but my husband did!)... but understand that being a one-man team, that can be tricky. The twist at the end was very cool. Love the multiple interpretations,... In some ways it makes no sense as it was portrayed that his mother only rung him a few minutes ago but now there is a funeral service... OR is he insomniac because of a guilt trip that he ignored his (now dead) obsessive mother... Who knows... you decide... sorry had to minus a star because my husband started watching out for your weener :(

This was a very sweet, cool little film. The tone feels genuine and personal. This sustained, intimate tone is for me the valuable thing in the film. I confess a little part of my mind was initially held back, worrying that you might introduce some more gross, explicative narrative element. As people do. But you didn't. Well, maybe the visitor at the end is a nudge in that direction. I think I really enjoyed this film for some of the things that others may dislike or be less enthusiastic about. The sort of mono-focus on an emotional or spiritual state. Incident is almost absent, expressed mostly by pieces of dialogue from the answer phone. I think repetition is very effective here, legitimately used, and could have been pushed further. I worried a little that the mother's dialogue was a bit over written. I just watched it again and changed my mind on that. I think maybe her sound is too clean, and she is too young? This film is a perfect example of how a good idea can have an achievable form. It's an idea where you are not struggling with your limitations. So bravo, well done. I hope you develop some films beyond the competition, taking plenty of time, using similar creative principals. On a second viewing I thought the photography was over lit or overexposed. Sometimes lighting is just about what we can subtract. A more modeled look with more shadow would have worked well. But as an indication that the film is already a good watch, I didn't think of this until later. Please put me in your address book as a possible future collaborator, especially if you want to shoot on film. Cheers, Gregg. viz(at)xtra.co.nz