Cheers

Cheers, a short film written and directed by Sandeep V, presents a meet up between four friends. The setting is expected to provide a casual and light-hearted atmosphere, but this social situation is in fact charged with an undercurrent of anger and controversy. As the dialogue develops it becomes clear that one of the friends, Annesh, has been somewhat isolated due to his differing opinion on a mutual friend of the group. The character Bobby, who often stands up for him, comes to represent a moral middle ground.

Through the subject of a mutual friend’s actions towards his wife, the conversation reveals the character’s ideological stances. There is a contrasting dynamic between the two who are more conservative, versus the two who express a far more liberal and understanding mindset. The film becomes an exploration into differing beliefs within the confines of a friendship. Not only are there clashing ideals of marriage and gender roles, but the loyalty and emotions within the friendship they share draws in further strain. As a result the interaction and in fact the whole film carries a very charged atmosphere.

The cinematography performs well in establishing the group dynamic. The opening shot of the friends presents three of them standing in an enclosed triangle, while Aneesh is left to occupy his own frame. When they are shown to make a toast with their drinks the camera reveals only three glasses meeting in the air before revealing that one of them never joined in, to communicate the grudge against him. It has a certain cyclical element also, as the first and last shot is of a buddha painting on the wall, though its colouring changes. This cinematic choice is potent in communicating the lack of resolution, despite the weighted interaction. This could perhaps be a message of the film, that one's personal ideologies or beliefs are rooted in identity - not immune to change but certainly unfamiliar with it. This is an easily identifiable observation of the piece, but overall it lacks contextual foregrounding. The exploration into contrasting ideologies through the circumstance of their mutual friend is a context very personal to the characters but one the audience cannot relate to, meaning the strong intention of the film is somewhat lost.

However this may be a conscious choice from the director. By keeping the audience at a contextual distance, the storytelling is complicated. It means that any observations made are prone to change as the dialogue continues to reveal external factors charging the conversation. The characters remain set in their ways despite the friendship they share, unlike the audience who have an advantage of being emotionally detached. Viewers are thus able to build their own opinion on the situation and ultimately reach their own ideological conclusion.