Clean Getaway

This was another well produced, well acted film. The story had some great funny moments and I thought the actresses were very good, engaging and did a great job. I wasn't quite convinced over the story - I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll just say I wasn't sure about the bosses motivation. Still a very enjoyable film that was shot and edited very well.

Really slick short, produced to pristine quality on all fronts - directing, writing, cinematography, sound, music, the bloody makeup. The two leads hit their comedic marks with absolute gusto, giving the film a lot of its drive. The flashback seemed a bit too brief, begging to either be expanded upon or to be cut entirely.

Well acted, tight film, I needed a bit more info to really get the story but that was just a small point in an otherwise snappy piece.

Very good short, highly enjoyed. Very tight script. I can tell a lot of care went into the technical side so well done

Great structure and production value in this piece. This team did a fantastic job of embracing their genre and executing it with clever, understated comedic lines and on-point cinematography.

My favourite film I've seen so far out of the 4 or 5 heats I've attended. Coming into this film after a school's heat was exactly the kind of pick-me-up I needed, as soon as the beautiful letterboxed cinematography blasted onto the screen I let out a sigh of relief, and on top of that the acting was INCREDIBLE and HILARIOUS, and the story fit the black comedy genre so well. I loved the part where one of the girls nearly throws up, not because of the dead body but because she remembered the wet bread. My friends and I were quoting that back and forth to each other all night. The two actresses really owned their roles, and as characters they were both very different people so it felt like a really genuine dynamic. The make-up on the dead guy was great too. I definitely expect to see this in the city finals, and probably Nationals too. Hell, I hope it wins. Peace out.

A really tidy production. Great shots/shot diversity, awesome use of the match cut and bread. Really tasteful use of comic lines performed well by both actors. Definitely the best fit to genre film I've seen in the 48 this year!

Well produced film, I really appreciated the cinematography, probably the best image of this heat. Acting was good but I wasn't completely sold on the story - flashback could have been longer or explained more clearly. The wet bread was oversold for me, but the nonchalance over dead body in comparison was funny. Also liked the image and sound of the guy crawling away - only issue was when smacking him with the mop it was obviously not connecting.

This film displayed masterful restraint. A very simple (if twisted) story executed damn near perfectly. The use of the prop was the best I've seen this year, perhaps even ever. It MATTERED to the story. It had repercussions. Far too often are the elements, the prop particularly, thrown into the film seemingly as an afterthought. Yes, this could have been something else, but it in no way felt token. A few people have commented that the tangent to the boss was too brief, or didn't provide enough back story. Well I completely disagree. The purpose of that section was to show WHAT the boss did, not WHY. He was not a character of any significance. The film wasn't about him, it was about the two women. The only purpose he served was the cause of their situation and a constant source of fear, which the little flashback provided beautifully. I could go on and on about this film but instead I'll simply say that if this film does not carry through, the actual finalists must be fucking amazing to justify the snub.

Excellent acting and cinematography, great plot & script, if a tiny bit predictable. Makeup was also awesome. No idea why this isn't a finalist. A great effort, no obvious flaws, well worth watching.

Beautifully shot, great acting, great editing, perfectly contained storyline, great costuming, great locations, great practical effects. My favourite film so far this year from the competition. Auckland must be strong for you not to be a finalist!

Killer production value on this one from the sets to the cinematography to the music but I'm not as convinced that the story was as great as every else says it was, maybe it would have been funnier if I had the benefit of watching it with an audience instead of online by myself but the ending wasn't very strong I think.

So much to love about this short. The premise is cute (and sure, it's obviously implausible, but I loved the way they just left these implied absurd elements just hanging there unstated), but a premise is nothing without good execution. Too many black comedies seem to be merely a laundry list of taboo subjects to make jokes about this, but I appreciated the focus of this, and the seeming ease with which the content fitted with the story being told. A lot of credit has to go to the director too, for playing it straight and understanding the right tone to pitch things at - the restraint of the comedy worked a treat. It is also notable in this competition to have both of the lead characters being a) female and b) funny. And they were both bloody hilarious, and gave really nice (but very different) performances. The deadpan approach is critical to landing these types of jokes - as soon as you start winking at the audience, it's all over. One thing I'm curious about though: in the smoking scene, when she looks at the blood on her hand - I dunno, am I missing some subtext here? Or is that just an interesting character moment? (Also, "Dumpster Corpse", that has to be one of the most subtle cameos I've seen in a while...) Anyway, a really slick and intelligently constructed comedy, which I really appreciated for its tonal understanding and sensitivity. Great stuff.