Dinner

The short film-"Dinner" falls under the genre of Social drama. The cinematic piece communicates the concerns about social evils like infidelity and the harmful effects the secrets and lies can have on the people around. The director Linh Tran and writer Monze Lozano work on the script to showcase the nuances of such situations arising in the life of the protagonist and his family. The set design, lighting, makeup, camera work and costume design want to convey the presence of tension, anger, and pain at home. The director uses elements like Conflict and Drama so beautifully to bring out the essence of the movie to create awareness among the audience regarding the subject matter. Linh chooses Vietnam as the location of his movie along with the local television actors to play the characters written by him. By doing this he wants to go back to his roots through this film and also increase the degree of emotional engagement with the target audience.

The plot of this short film revolves around a boy named Quan who is a stubborn yet a mature child. One day while coming back from school he witnesses something that makes him question the sole reason for his existence and the family dynamics.

In terms of performance Hoang Duh Aah the child artist outshines in the film. He portrays the struggles of a little boy resorting to anger and fights to combat the emotional turmoil within him so effortlessly. Hoa Thuy plays the role of the mother of Quan in the story. She is completely broken inside because of what life has thrown at her but she wants to be strong and protect her son from unforeseen situations. The contrasting feeling is aptly illustrated by the actress making the character very relatable to the audience. Ho phong plays the father of the central character. He is the bad guy in the eyes of the audience. He continuously tries to amend the circumstances for himself and his family. The ordeal of not being understood by his son and wife is visible through the body language and the facial expressions of the male actor.

The theme of the film is a troubled marriage from a child's perspective. This movie talks about the adverse effect the child has to bear because of a hostile set-up at home. The makers of this film want to tell the audience about how sensitive children can be in general. There should be a sense of responsibility in the parents to make sure the children are exposed to all happy and healthy atmosphere for their all-around development. Both the parents should also keep in mind that the child feels comfortable sharing anything with them if the need arises. To make the future bright we should work on making the present happy. No one should have the right to take away the innocence of children from them ever.

The director has given the film an open ended closure so that the audience can interpret the film as per their understanding. I am really happy with the subtle treatment of the film considering the seriousness of the topic being discussed.