Meeting Point

A man and a woman talk about the loss they have suffered.

 

A half-an-hour short film that contains a great deal of drama and a story that involves the passing of a spouse and a child, infidelity and a car collision.

 

The film begins as a sort of mystery, with a man, Andy (Laight) sitting at a bar, having a drink, while looking at his phone (which has a cracked screen), reading a news article about a serious car crash. Whether the event is related to him is not clear, however, the atmosphere changes abruptly when Andy notices the time on his mobile: 20:55 and all of a sudden he appears to be alone in the pub.

 

Following this mysterious and sinister intro, the film could be separated into three sections that alternate with Andy sitting on a bridge with a young woman named Vicki (Bentley), having a deep conversation about loved ones who have recently passed away. The first section regards Andy as he talks about his beloved late wife Sarah (Humphreys), their past happiness together and how he misses her dearly and sometimes even imagines that she is still with him, as he makes two drinks and thinks that he is talking to her. This segment is quite poignant as it shows a loving relationship that is no more.

 

The next section involves Vicki's misfortunes and in comparison to Andy's story, it is not peaceful and tender but rather tense and distressing. The flashback shows her living with her young son, Jamie (Winn) and partner, Jack (Noon). Jack has discovered that Vicki has been unfaithful and what follows is a nasty argument that will lead to an even worse event.

 

Up to this point, this short appears to be about two people sharing their experiences and emotions about the grief they are dealing with and supporting one another. The last part is when things take a sharp turn, making the viewer question everything they know so far. Why the plot twist? What purpose is serves (if any) is not evident. Perhaps the film would have more value as a story about two individuals sharing their grief, without surprises in the narrative.

 

The ending aside, this short has a lot going for it, one element being the strong acting and another being Evans's outstanding cinematography. Furthermore, the sense of melancholy would not be as effective were it not for the music by Rosse Baillie-Eames that includes some wonderful piano melodies.

 

This is a story about grief and it explores it quite effectively. The performances, the score and the cinematography add considerable value to this beautifully shot short drama. The twist in the ending might just confuse people, making them question what is going on and the film could had probably done without it, instead focusing on being a story about two people dealing with loss.