Playdate

Two childish men have fun playing with each other.

This interesting, entertaining and surrealistic short film follows the friendship between two grown men who behave like children. Wearing childish clothing, they embark on a series of activities that children aged approximately ten would do. They play in a playground, chase each other in fields, vandalise payphones and mess around with road signs and a tractor among other things. There is hardly a narrative and watching these two men act like children feels weird, yet at the same time, it is also sweet and amusing, until a terrible event takes place that changes the atmosphere.

Barbera and Gilman are amusing as two adults who, apart from their appearance, are basically children who just want to have fun. There are no spoken words at all and the two lead characters are constantly grinning as they enjoy playing together.

The music that is provided by Raymond Scott is one of the strongest aspects here. The score is heard almost throughout the entire four-minute-long film and it sounds light-hearted and childish, which goes very well with the many scenes where the two men are playing. Regarding sound, the music dominates, as there is no speech or sound effects to be heard.

The filmmakers make extensive use of fast motion, which makes the playtime between the two friends look even more comical.

This short could be classified as a surrealistic comedy which also contains heavy drama. It appears to represent the desire that adults sometimes have to be children again, the joys of childhood and friendship and it also points out the dangers of careless behaviour and the devastation of loss. The cheerful performances and enjoyable score make this film an experience that is worth looking into.