2012
Directed By Chris Quick
Starring Duncan Airlie James and Amy E Watson
I
That image above is what got me. Most
of the requests I receive to watch peoples short films are a bit
unnerving. I always want to encourage young artists but at the same
time I wouldn't be doing them any favors by sugar coating my
reactions. A 13 minute Scottish film with an ostrich as its
protagonist? At the very least I was already pulling for this one.
Danny (Ostrich, voiced by Duncan James)
is having a rough day, he loses his job and his girlfriend Katie (Amy
E Watson) in quick succession. That's all I really want to say about
the plot because I'd rather not give anything away. Its only 13
minutes long and yes it is worth your time. That is if you want to
watch a sock puppet deal with depression. I'm always up for something
new and this is most certainly something I have not seen before.
The Greyness of Autumn is at its
best when everyone is playing it straight. Casting a sock puppet
ostrich as your lead is absurd enough and gives the piece more than
enough humor. When ancillary characters are playing it big the film
gets a bit shaky. These moments are limited but enough to pull me out
of the piece and when you are working with such a limited running
time you don't want to do that too often.
With some minor issues mainly
concerning the overall tone of the piece aside, the use of the
ostrich is honestly a stroke of genius. When dealing with such a
heavy subject the filmmaker is able to sneak up on you and not come
across preachy or melodramatic. Its a great way of catching the
viewer off guard and makes room for some truly human moments. The
dinner sequence is great, its the reason I watched the film a second
time. The performances from James and Watson are fantastic. I really
wish this film would have spent more time with their relationship.
Watson is utterly believable as the girlfriend and that is no small
feat. With that being said when filmmakers want to take on important
themes they should have more to say about the subject.
Overall this is a great little film
that I feel very comfortable recommending.