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The Promised Stones

average rating is 4 out of 5

Critic:

William Baines

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Posted on:

Sep 15, 2021

Film Reviews
The Promised Stones
Directed by:
Reduan, DNI, Nabiatul, Macgres
Written by:
Reduan, DNI, Nabiatul, Macgres
Starring:
Macgres, Nabiatul, Reduan

A complex, unique animated short film with a beautiful artistic style.

 

The Promised Stones struggles in a lot of ways. At its core, it is a story of a girl trying to reconnect with her friend from a while ago. The story and introduction of these characters is touching, but the exposition is limited. Inside its 5 min 35 sec running time, the story, predictably, does not go too far. The general storyline is put forward, a sort of seedling of an idea that is arguably not enough to create a film over and remains largely undeveloped throughout.

 

It leaves the film lacking any sort of depth or connection to the audience through the characters. This is unfortunate as there is clear potential for these characters to grow and become people that we cherish and root for. But, although we may not like to admit it, a story that in theory can evoke a strong reaction needs to build a connection with the viewer first. The Promised Stones never has a chance to introduce the characters and make the audience have a deep connection with this world.

However, this story did demonstrate a great talent through the animation style and artistic abilities of its creators. A style that is minimalist at certain points but is unafraid to develop and take risks in how it portrays the story. This seems to complement the minimalist storyline well and does keep the short film interesting. Pairing this artistic vision with improved writing and, importantly, time to develop a story could lead to a fantastic animation.

 

This film left me with hope. Hope through it’s fascinating and overwhelmingly beautiful artistic style. Hope through the infectious passion for the process behind creating this project. Most significantly, however, a hope that these talented and creative minds could gain access to the resources needed for a more developed project. The Promised Stones seems to represent what the creation of simple animated films is about. A low-cost way to form a passion project and show the world a unique artistic vision. Despite its various flaws, such as the occasionally questionable writing and storyline, it projects the unquestionable enthusiasm of creation. The Promised Stones acts as an example of what passion and talent can create when resources are sparse.

About the Film Critic
William Baines
William Baines
Animation, Short Film, World Cinema
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