A Dunder Plunder

A house burglary turns into a conversation about relationships and romance between the burglar and the owner.

A middle-aged woman (Ash) is at home at night by herself, sitting on her bed. She appears to be upset and she is viewing a film on her laptop and having a drink. Suddenly, the sound of glass breaking is heard and a man wearing a mask enters the bedroom. The woman is shocked, however, he assures her that he just wants to steal some valuables. She then receives a message on her phone, sent by the man who stood her up earlier that evening. From then on, the two of them talk about her life and try to determine whether her boyfriend truly fancies her or not.

This is an entertaining dark comedy that also contains drama and adult humour. The entire narrative takes place inside the bedroom and in real time. The plot evolves around the surprising rapport that is build between the two protagonists during a rather awkward situation. The dialogue is clever and it is rather moving watching the 'nice' burglar acting like a gentleman and attempting to comfort the poor woman who is having a difficult time finding the right man.

Ash is terrific as a recently-divorced, lonely individual who is trying to move on with her life. Her character is vulnerable and emotional and needs romance in her life. Silva is entertaining as a crook who actually has a good heart and feels for the woman and tries to give her advice when she opens up to him about her troubles.

Director of photography James Swift does a great job and creates wonderful cinematography. Ben Eyes composes electronic music that adds good quality.

This award-winning short film received Official Selections at numerous festivals and it is a significant achievement. In eight minutes it tells a story that is intriguing, awkward, funny and emotional and the addition of the strong performances make this film a memorable experience.