Rock-a-bye

A woman is forced by her partner to take part in a crime.

This intriguing short can be acknowledged as a crime film and as a journey of self-reflection.

The film begins as a mystery, making the viewer pick up the clues as the story unfolds and it is when a gun is produced that it becomes evident that things are very serious. Basically, the story is the build-up to a crime that has clearly been planned for a while and it is told through the perspective of Carla (Newell). The screenplay begins approximately a couple of hours before the vile act, which is to be committed by Carla and her partner, Clay (Lawrence). Clay is obviously quite focused, examining photographs of the location and planning what he and Carla are going to do when the deed is completed. However, she appears to be distracted, worrying about something.

Newell delivers a great performance as a young woman who is in a situation that she does not want to be in. The reason for Carla's apprehensive behaviour remains a mystery until the plot twist in the end, which reveals her true character. She has just made a life-changing discovery that has caused her to reevaluate the direction of her life and make a crucial decision.

As for Clay, he is a criminal, meaning he is willing to resort to crime if it is a means to achieving his goal and has no regrets. Played very convincingly by Lawrence, Clay is an aggressive, controlling and menacing youngster with a quick temper, who frequently uses profanity and does not value his relationship with Carla, which is apparent when he flirts with a waitress.

Anderson's directing deserves praise and special recognition goes to a well-executed long take that covers the crime. The shots that the director creates are significantly supported by Jermaine Wills's beautiful cinematography.

The film contains plenty of dramatic and tense moments, which are effectively accompanied by Reg Length's dynamic and dramatic music.

This short is a crime thriller that revolves around a criminal act that is about to be committed. From another point of view, it is a story about a young woman whose circumstances have caused her to change her life. Overall, this is a tense and suspenseful film with two interesting protagonists and it explores courage, escape, self-reflection and doing the right thing. Another admirable achievement by British filmmaker Spencer Anderson.