Little to Lose

In this short film a guy visits his friend where they exchange conversations about life and as one conversation leads to the next it all ends in a mysterious search online and an even more mysterious cliff-hanger ending.

At the home of a friend this brief meeting between two friends (2:00 minutes to be exact) packs in a few different things that need to be deciphered as the guys talk quite randomly together without pulling many punches. From the opening sequence the 1st friend is greeted at the door (by his friend wearing a panda’s head costume) and says, “I have 5 months to live and my wife is cheating on me – can I come in?” Presumably he's joking or is he? The delivery is totally deadpan blasé and the follow up conversations aren’t much cheerier or clearer as they discuss other family matters related to death. The visiting friend manages to change the topic to film although this too has death in the title. Once attuned to this rapid, blunt correspondence we can see these somewhat macabre conversations are probably to do with health. Added to these conversations is a final search online by the visiting friend, which introduces some other elements to an already haphazerd plot making things even more baffling but on closer observations adds some further leading insights to...something else .

The shots are uncomplicated but well executed with some good reverse POV shots and some effective shots sat around the home computer screen. The acting between the two guys is quite friendly but irreverent with some good facial expressions between them, captured well in some close ups as they interact with one another. The graphics on the computer look good with the 'Ooogle’ logo design and advertisement banner on the screen, although they really need pausing to be taken in properly. The sound effects on the whole are minimal but the one or two effects used for the background noise and computer activity blend in well showing a good level of technical skill, and in addition the props subtly laden the points about health without a word being said.

The conversations don’t necessarily flow or connect that well so the clues all need to be pieced together to get the jist of what’s mostly at stake here. Initially it comes across as a bit mad and flippant but, not unlike a ultra compressed mini soap, it has some curious social points to unpick in this (subtle or unsubtle - I’m not quite sure which) comedy sketch.