Good Grief

This was a lovely film. The quality of the acting was very high, the production was great, and the film very effectively conveyed mood and tone. It made me laugh, and it made me sad. It tapped into a pretty universal sadness, and the comedy cutting through that was very sharp. The resolution was a bit mental, but of course it’s a 5 minute film with a snappy ending- so this can be embraced.

A bit of an odd combination that didn't really do it for me, the funeral bit was touching but the interaction with the guy with the dog was confusing, why did the old man call him an idiot and why did the kid steal the dog? I get that the guy being there was the genre part but don't think it was a great concept overall.

Beautifully shot film as a funeral for a dearly beloved dog is accidentally interrupted by a snappy little pupper from next door. Played mostly stone faced with little bits of light spread throughout, I personally loved some of the humane touches such as the older man taking a rainbow coloured umbrella to the remembrance (when my own sister died a few years ago everyone dressed up in as bright colours as possible so that personally hit quite close to the bone). And the little boy not wanting to say goodbye had this almost hitting that really hard to reach sweet spot of emotion that is so so hard to do in this comp. Possibly the best overhead shot in Wellington as well. Music sweeping and on point too, for the most part. But I can unfortunately see why this didn't make the final. To nitpick, the camerawork was brilliant for the most part, and I totally appreciate going handheld a good amount to convey the raw emotion of the characters, however I noticed slight focus shifts as shots came into focus on a regular basis and it was honestly a little bit distracting. I mean at times it worked as it really directed focus but at other times it just seemed a slightly out of place stylistic choice. I cannot however complain about the sound which was crystal clear. The main issue which would have slightly held this back, as obviously the judges liked it well enough for it to make the shortlist, was that the script lost its way in the final minute. Obviously you're not going to get a perfect ending in 48, but the stealing of the dog and reaction did feel like a tonal jolt. The actors did a fine job and this probably did go close to making the Wellington final, it's just yeah for me personally that wrap up left me scratching my head :(.

A grandfather and grandson say good bye to their beloved dog in a backyard funeral ceremony and are rudely interrupted by the neighbour and his dog. Beautifully shot with a stunning overhead shot with the brightly coloured umbrella. It's refreshing to see a 48Hour film thats focusing on the emotions of the characters (grief, annoyance, cheekiness) and doesn't resort to violence to create drama. I did feel like the boys actions of stealing the dog weren't justified and I ended up sympathising with the neighbour, so that didn't work for me as a payoff. I love that you made an effort to cast a wide age-range of characters in your film, this felt considered and adds flavour and diversity in the world you have created in the film.