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Directed and written by Tan See Yun
Starring Timothy J Cox and Joshua Michael Payne
Short Film Review by Rachel Pullen
Youth is a hard thing to let go of, we all want to be ‘’forever young’’ but time catches up with us all and of course that comes with downfalls but also joys, such as starting a family and committing to the one you love.
Short film Transience is an exploration of that feeling, in silence...
Plunged into a black and white silent movie is something we don’t come across very often in modern cinema, it’s a bold move from director Tan See Yun and one that I was so unaccustomed to that I believed the audio had been lost on the device I was viewing the film on for the first few seconds.
We follow the story of Tom and George, a married couple who live very opposite lives, George is a professional business man with a budding career and his partner Tom lives in the shadows, clinging to his youth and the freedom that comes with it, a freedom he is unsure that he wants to let go of.
Tom only realises what he has, and of course what he may lose when he sees a vision of an aging George, alone without his lover in a park, and so he makes amends and decided that commitment maybe not such a bad choice, good for you Tom.
And it is in the closing moment of this short film that Tan See Yun breaks the silence, adding a gentle classical piece of music over that final scene, a simple one of two lovers enjoying a meal, enjoying the others company, and as an audience we are treated to an enjoyable ending.
The choice to break the silence in those final moments was immensely powerful, we feel a rush of relief as well as calm in the decision that Tom has made, ensuring a emotional response from anyone watching.
Timothy J. Cox and Joshua Michal Payne’s performances in this short are outstanding, we are able to fully understand their feelings and desires from the emotions that they emit from facial expressions and movement, for unlike some silent films Transience does not have an written narrative and so we must decipher the story line from these two characters and their abilities, a challenge I’m sure for both actors but one that has great reward.
Transience offers a simple story line set within a simple and humble backdrop but there is nothing simple about this outstanding and though provoking piece.
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