Molly

A short romantic drama written and directed by Darius Shu and starring Hiroki Berrecloth and Frank Kauer.

Vinnie (Berrecloth) is a youth who works in a launderette, apparently by himself. One day, another youngster named Ryan (Kauer) begins frequenting the place and gradually, the two of them become friendly and eventually, they proceed to build a romantic relationship. However, due to insecurities, their romantic bond will struggle to advance.

Being more character-driven than story-driven, this slow burner that contains a fair amount of tender moments and an equal amount of painful ones. The main focus is the rapport that develops between the two homosexual young men, with the film slowly and carefully observing how it grows from playful chit-chat into something much more meaningful.

Shu grabs the opportunity to show his filmmaking skills, creating wonderful shots that are supported by his cinematography. The strengths of his creativity are highlighted during a series of sequences that involve dancing inside the laundrette, a camcorder, a character being underwater and what appears to be a fish bowl (containing fish) that is inside a washing machine. This short has the privilege of having the bittersweet and beautiful music by Benjamin Doherty and the addition of the songs A Little Respect by Erasure and Friends by Billy Cullum is a plus.

The story is told primarily through Vinnie's perspective and Berrecloth is dramatic as a quiet, sensitive, reserved and insecure guy, whose issues become evident when he confronts a man (Aldous Ciokajlo-Squire) who takes an interest in Ryan and when he refuses to get intimate with Ryan. Ryan's character differs from Vinnie's. Kauer portrays a confident and sociable person, one who seems to know what he wants.

On the surface, this is a loves story, one that explores the world of homosexual romance, relationship complications and self-reflection. The main drama comes from inner struggles, particularly people's inability to express themselves and connect with others.

A gay romantic story that looks into the commitments involving romance. A dramatic and beautiful viewing.