★★★ Directed by: #DavidMartynConley Written by: David Martyn Conley Starring: David Martyn Conley, #SharonConley, #GaryModlish, #KellyONeal, #HanSoto, #TonyBravado, #KoleBenfield, #JacobConley, #DylanDanckert, #AriIsenberg Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson A high school shooting plot with a twist, filmmaker David Martyn Conley's explosive short film Father's Day tackles some hefty discussion points, from mental health and gun control to murder. Putting the audience in a constant state of terror, the tagline for this film is "Safety is an illusion" and boy do we feel it. Taking place inside an American high school, three male students are being held at gunpoint. The wielder of the weapon is not a fellow student, however, it is a man called Ash (Gary Modlish), and he's just shot a teacher (Tony Bravado) in cold blood for trying to aid the boys. First to arrive on scene is Detective Whitlock (David Martyn Conley) who attempts to convince the shooter to put down his gun and get everyone to safety. Regrettably, there is more to this harrowing story than a crazed gunman. Ferociously paced and loaded with action, Father's Day is a bold short film. Conley knows which triggers to pull to keep the movie engaging and thrilling throughout. The weighty themes are ever present yet the audience never feels bogged down by this, instead becoming emotionally invested from the get-go and eager to see how events transpire. The performances are strong, in particular Modlish, whose rabid turn was absolutely compelling for the duration of the piece. Conley is great at injecting moments of humour with his charismatic detective, yet still explores the hefty psychological impact of the narrative with a counsellor (an always brilliant Sharon Conley who is sadly underused). There were, sadly, some potent issues with the filmmaking which hampered Father's Day. The sound being the main offender. The audio for dialogue is scruffy at times, and some actors seem better rigged up than others during certain scenes. There was also a dreamlike aesthetic to the grading that robbed the movie of its immediacy, as if we were watching a throwback of something inevitable without any hope for a better outcome. That being said, Conley proves himself to be a formidable action filmmaker and storyteller. This candid tale of mental health, high school tragedy and the illusion of safety is powerfully acted and memorable for its strong plot. An interesting aspect to the movie is the way in which males deal with emotional distress. Ash's downward spiral in life seems to have manifested into aggressive, violent behaviour, and Detective Whitlock's seeming reluctance at the idea of needing counselling is indicative of society's insistence that boys don't cry. With a more nuanced aesthetic and bigger production budget, viewers should eagerly anticipate Conley's next move in film and see Father's Day as a heroic if flawed outing.

★★★ Directed by: #KaranTalwar Starring: #NeilBhoopalam and #YukiEllias Short Film Review by: #RachelPullen Love is a hard thing. Think about it. We put so much of our energy and time in to creating a space to share with someone, but it’s volatile, relationships are, you wouldn’t do it with a carton of milk that you know is only going to spoil, yet we do it with another human being, a person with their own thoughts and feelings and their own volatile nature, and yet we expect longevity, why?...wow I just depressed myself. Most relationships follow the same pattern, we meet, swoon, fall in love, think they are amazing, get complacent, get bored, lie, stray?, argue, feel rejected, transfer that rejection onto them with anger, yell some more...end. And so with this pattern in mind, director and writer Karan Talwar decided to investigate the subject in his own unique way with short film And Sometimes, She Loved Me Too. We are given access to a couple’s surroundings, the intimate things that are all around us that make up the space we dominate. The screen is filled with personal shots, so close that you could reach out and touch them, feel their presence through the screen, and this connection is important for that is all we are given in the way of visuals. This short movie is dominated by an audio track, one which is between two lovers, we hear them joyfully engaging in fun activities, enjoying each other’s company...the fools. Don’t they know that I, their most beloved film critic, have figured out the formula to all relationships...and with that in mind all they have are lies and despair to look forward to. Oh look I’m right...million dollars cash prize please, they soon start to fray, we hear the heart wrenching pleas for forgiveness, the strained arguments over the phone, the disconnection that sets in between these two former love birds. The absence of characters on screen allows for the audience to fill in a lot of the tale themselves, and is that not what being in a failing relationship is? We jump to conclusions and fill in the gaps with our own insecurities, often in the end causing more and more problems. Don’t we all feel disconnected at times from reality? Be it in the highs of love, or the bleak moments when a relationship falls apart. And Sometimes, She Loved Me Too as a #shortfilm is effective, moving and of course relatable to anyone who has been through a break up.

★★★★ Director: #AlphonsoGomezRejon Starring: #BenedictCumberbatch, #MichaelShannon, #NicholasHoult, #MatthewMacfadyen, #TuppenceMiddleton and #KatherineWaterston Film Review by: #BrianPenn In this shiny, ultra-modern digital world we barely give a second thought for electricity; the most versatile, dynamic form of energy. To consider its origins and practical use, most would look no further than Thomas Edison; rock star inventor who gave us the phonograph, motion pictures and electric light bulb. But do George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla spring as readily to mind? The Current War tells of innovation and the desire to generate light with electricity. The story begins in the 1880s as Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) strives to perfect the direct current method. He illuminates Manhattan with a spectacular show. However, financier J.P. Morgan (Matthew Macfadyen) isn't satisfied and wants to power a new industrial age. Edison pleads for more time knowing fellow inventor George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) is working on a system using the alternating current. Both believe their system is superior and feel their opponent’s system is dangerous. Immigrant engineer Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult) works initially for Edison but they cannot agree on the right method. The gifted Tesla approaches Westinghouse and finds a kindred spirit as they plan future ventures. The battle lines are seemingly drawn as Edison and Westinghouse fight for supremacy. The film is beautifully shot bearing all the hallmarks of executive producer #MartinScorsese with characteristic flourish. A strong storyline packs real punch as necessity and innovation meet head on. Some may baulk at a dusty history lesson; but it represents true drama; human ingenuity that transformed millions of lives. Benedict Cumberbatch is excellent value as Edison; but at times feels little more than an extension of Sherlock and Alan Turing (from the Imitation Game), all characters grappling with genius; a curious mix of arrogance and eccentricity that seems to pretty much nail it. Michael Shannon as Westinghouse is in complete contrast; calm and granite like in demeanour he becomes a useful antidote to Edison's periodic outbursts. Katherine Waterston plays the wife of Westinghouse with a surprisingly contemporary edge. As Margueritte, she is the confident woman behind the man and atypical for the period depicted. The Current War is an entertaining, highly watchable canter through a unique period in history. It strives to make the audience wiser; and for all the talk of Apollo 11 wasn’t this truly a giant leap for mankind? In spite of its delayed release and associated angst it remains a solid piece of #filmmaking.

★★★ Directed by: #NickBroomfield Starring: #MarianneIhlen #LeonardCohen Film Review by: #HopeMadden For fans, there is something endlessly fascinating about Leonard Cohen. Maybe it’s because, regardless of the volume of his work—songs, novels and poems—or the intimacy of his words, it’s still impossible to feel as if you know him. In Nick Broomfield’s latest documentary, Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love, it’s clear that Cohen's longtime companion and eternal muse Marianne Ihlen felt the same way. Ihlen inspired the Cohen classic So Long, Marianne, obviously, as well as dozens of others including Bird on a Wire. The two had one of those Sixties relationships—open but committed, tumultuous but loving, and ultimately doomed. For eight years they lived together, on and off, along with Ihlen’s son Axel in a humble cottage on the Greek island of Hydra. An artists' refuge of sorts, it was the kind of pre-hippie paradise where eccentrics engaged perhaps too freely in freedom. It was there that Broomfield first met Ihlen. Their friendship and the director’s clear fondness for his subject give the film a fresh and odd intimacy. Though his personal connection to Ihlen is an interesting inroad into this story, the doc sometimes feels like two separate and uneven pieces sewn together. That seems partly appropriate, given that Leonard and Marianne spent increasing spans of time apart as the years wore on. And there’s no question that—for Leonard devotees, at least—the behind the scenes footage of Cohen on tour in the Sixties, commentary from his bandmates, and snippets of background intel from close friends is as engaging as it is enlightening. Unfortunately, we lose Marianne almost entirely by Act 2. The titular character becomes a bit of a ghost, and not even one who looms large over the material in the foreground. Of course, as the film was made posthumously (both Ihlen and Cohen died in 2016), their own insights are limited. In this way, though, Ihlen’s presence outweighs Cohen's in that Broomfield dug up audio conversations in which she discusses the relationship. The lack of Cohen’s own thoughts on their pairing—outside of one or two rambling, drug-riddled onstage song intros—makes its absence known. Still, there is a melancholy beauty in the way Bloomfield's documentary—his love letter to Marianne and Leonard—follows Cohen's song lyrics, telling of a fractured, unconventional but nonetheless loving connection. Indeed, it is Cohen's final words of love to Ihlen, a note sent to her hospital room as she lay dying, filmed at her request, that illustrates that very point. A bit disjointed but never uninteresting, Words of Love is an often compelling look at the relationship between muse and artist. For Cohen fans, it's required viewing.

★★★★★ Directed by: Shu Zhu Written by: #GWilson, #ShuZhu Starring: #JeanieLim, #RickyPak, #JoshMcHugh, #TroyHatt Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson Dark and introspective, filmmaker Shu Zhu's captivating short film Moth explores the haunted soul of an actor (Jeanie Lim) as she attempts to find success among a deplorable industry. Having gained infamy for a previous film, Blue Mistress, Christine (Lim) is still doing the rounds at auditions, hoping for another break from what seems to still be mostly male-dominated power people. Her mundane home life is juxtaposed with the pulsating energy of the movie industry and yet both seem to be slowly eroding her grasp on the world, suggesting a harrowing transformation is on the horizon. Shu Zhu arrests the viewer with this short by curating an atmosphere of pure intensity. As an audience member we are attached to Christine throughout the piece, with close ups and handheld shots getting as close as possible to her. This intimacy, however, does not engender empathy (although that is a byproduct), instead it makes us feel like an aggressor, hounding this person who seems to be struggling to find peace in their life. Jeanie Lim is extraordinary in the role. Her performance is nuanced and subtle, engrossing when she needs to be and vulnerable too. The despair of her character is communicated largely through body language, such as the fake smiles she throws at other actors auditioning, or the open eyes as she dances cozily with a producer (Josh McHugh). Christine's slow loss of grip feels all the more heartbreaking for Lim's beautiful depiction of it. This isn't the first movie to tackle the seedy underbelly of the film industry. Indeed, countless filmmakers find inspiration for their stories from their surroundings. So why should Zhu and co-writer G. Wilson both be telling another tale of woe from the red carpet? Well, short film Moth not only tackles themes of sexism and exclusion in the movies, it also takes a deeper look at the psychological effect this can have on a person. How a career that demands so many versions of someone can ultimately end up changing them into something completely different and, regrettably, worse. The filmmaking is beautiful, with so many creative and thoughtful sequences to immerse viewers. A particular highlight was the speeding lights overhead, as if the camera was on the backseat of a car. The lights seemed to pass like comets in the night, suggesting a metamorphosis was occurring that was beyond human control. Moth is thrilling and transfixing cinema that is unrelenting in its intelligence and scope. Watch the official movie trailer for Moth below.

★★★★ Director: #BarneyDouglas Documentary Film Review by: #BrianPenn The sporting gods must have smiled on a film released days after England's triumph in the Cricket World Cup; victory fashioned by the sadism of a super over adding kudos to a new landmark. However, cricket remains a coded language heard by many but understood by the few. A game where mental agility matters more than physicality. An intellectual battle that pits batsmen against bowler, wicket keeper and nine fielders. Where is the logic of one versus eleven? Similarly, a bowler doesn't dismiss the batsman with one delivery, more by the cumulative effect of previous deliveries; probing for weakness, adjusting field placings and maximising pitch conditions. A potted history features briefly, describing how the game spread through the colonies; and the festering desire to get one over on the mother country. But it is essentially a documentary exploring the psychology of competition. All sport is to a certain extent played in the mind; but cricket is the supreme test of cerebral power. The Edge is a riveting depiction of sport played at the highest level. The mental challenge of reaching the pinnacle; staying there and managing the inevitable decline. The story begins in 2009 with the appointment of straight talking Zimbabwean coach Andy Flower. It tracks England's rebirth as top ranked test nation, bagging an Ashes win along the way. The highs, lows and inbetweens are brilliantly captured in candid interviews and stunning #cinematography. Cricket is so rarely seen on the big screen it was a treat to savour the visual drama of bat on ball. However, the overriding memory of this excellent study is the mental impact on performing seals that show signs of fragility. The unforgivable sledging of England players during the 2010/11 Ashes series is proof of a vicious almost toxic environment. Players didn't feel able to show their human side for fear of perceived weakness. They spoke with great eloquence of the anxiety bred by success. Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott were particularly revealing in a stark analysis of their feelings. Trott demonstrated how quickly mind-sets can change; taking the crease is all about concentration: the absence of irrelevant thought. Such clarity is sometimes transient in competitive mode. One cutting remark or heavy defeat can have players praying for an injury such was the fear of failure. All that remains is the memory of comradeship and shared experience of being the best, however fleeting that feeling might be. The film shows just how little we understand the human condition. Broken minds aren't as easily fixed as broken bones; and society needs to deal with the fall out.

★★★★ Directed by: #ScottSimerlyJr. Written by: #PatrickMcElroy Starring: Patrick McElroy, #LaurenBair, #HuntingtonDaly, #JesseKruger Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson Emerging amongst the Storm Area 51 Facebook event, Scott Simerly Jr.'s short film Alien Guy Tim feels peculiarly well-timed. Discussions about the existence of other life forms in the universe flare up every now again and storytellers are often equally as concerned with the people having those discussions than the aliens themselves. After all, what kind of nut job would believe in aliens? Alien Guy Tim (Patrick McElroy - who also wrote the film) is being followed around by a documentary crew, who are interested in his stories of U.F.Os and abductions by large-eyed beings from outer space. We see Tim in numerous environments, such as a meeting of fellow believers, or with his unsupportive family (Huntington Daly and Lauren Bair), and his dedication to his truth rarely wavers. Deciding to prove once and for all that he's not a crackpot, he takes the filmmaking crew to the desert in the hope of getting beamed up again. Adopting a #mockumentary approach, at first Alien Guy Tim feels like a bullying comedy ready to tear the central character apart for sport and laughs. However, it becomes clearer that this is not as insensitive as audiences might expect. Yes, we laugh at some of Tim's anecdotes (in particular the pleasure centres his alien bae exploits) but the mood of the piece feels warm and when we see his siblings attempting to run an intervention on his behaviour, it feels like a barbaric attack. By the final stretch of the short movie we wholeheartedly hope he does not lose his truth, real or not. McElroy is flawless with his portrayal of Tim, beautifully capturing the unhinged and the innocence without the turn becoming too cartoonish. It's easier to play a character as silly or to use Tim's word "insane" than to attempt a character that deserves our empathy through unusual behaviour. McElroy strikes that balance perfectly and cements the film in the process. The level of filmmaking here is glorious, with high production values and sophisticated techniques used to capture the various locations. Overhead shots of the desert were a particular highlight, allowing the breathtaking #cinematography to offer breathing space to the exhausting conspiracy theory claustrophobia so intrinsic with this type of storyline. Full of charm, guffaws, and playful characters, Alien Guy Tim is a little bit of the kooky good stuff. It is a reminder that no matter the validity of what a person believes they deserve to be treated as just as right or wrong as the rest of us...until a higher being lays a smackdown on the population and renders us all obsolete. Watch the official short film trailer.

★★★ Directed by: #MichaelWong Starring: #WangYanhu, #LuLi, #MyraMala Short Film Review by: #BenjaminSchofield Well, this film certainly exists. Although, I’m forced to ask the question “is this a film?”; it’s over before you even have time to answer. There’s no real plot, I guess there’s some sort of characters, but really they’re just actors that are on the screen, rather than named, fleshed out, speaking characters. They’re effectively props. That’s not to say that the actors give poor performances, just that they’re not really given anything to do, particularly given the film’s short runtime. In fact, all technical aspects of the film are sort of brilliant. The editing is jarring and confusing in a way that wonderfully compliments the mysterious tone of the film. And the #cinematography allows for some gorgeous shots, shaky, exciting movements, and beautifully colourful lighting. The sound design blends eerie sound effects with dramatic music to further enhance the feelings of horror and suspense. The set and costume design present a desolate dystopic world, sickening you to your core. Then it’s over. There’s really not much to say about this film because there’s not much a film there to say anything about. It’s a simple concept, which can be summed up in two words, “scary tattooist”, and the concept is executed pretty darn well, but then that’s it. There’s no character development or expansion of this world or really any explanation as to what’s going on. The film intrigues and excites but never pays off on what its offering. It’s all foreplay and no orgasm, and the foreplay doesn’t even last very long; just a couple minutes of a hand job and a kiss on the cheek and then its lights out and time for bed. Ultimately, The Tattooist plays out more like a trailer than a fully-fledged film in its own right; it sets up a nice idea and displays some genuinely fantastic visuals, and honestly I’d like to see a full length film on this premise. But for the moment, that’s all it is: a premise.

★★ Directed by: Kristian Comer, #JTMaguire Written by: #KristianComer Starring: Kristian Comer, #RahiemWilsonMorgan, #RickLevi, #ScottChurchson Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson The innocence of youth and the bludgeoning effect of reality collide in this short film Riding With Sunshine, directed by Kristian Comer and J. T. Maguire. Comer (who also writes here) plays the lead character Vikki, an effervescent student and wannabe actor who is out for the day with her friend Mario (Rahiem Wilson Morgan). After an enjoyable and fruitful stop at their school, the friends travel home in Mario's car. Soon, however, they are pulled over by two odious cops (Rick Levi and Scott Churchson) who unfairly scrutinize Mario and leave the pair bereft of hope in mankind. Bold themes of police racism and brutality were not to be expected in a short film called Riding With Sunshine. However, this juxtaposition is essential to the foundation of the movie, most notable in the visual gimmickry applied to Vikki. From the outset, she is the only character in colour, the rest of the people and settings are in black and white, and it is not until her turbulent interaction with the police that she too loses her colour, most likely representing her loss of innocence or naiveté. Strong thematic prowess aside, there are a lot of flaws with this piece. The performances are amateur across the board (except for one of the teachers who was fairly decent) and the dialogue is clunky and wooden. Many scenes feel contrived to get the characters from A to B without any sense of dramatic intrigue. It's not until the car sequence that some semblance of conflict arrives and this is over fairly quickly. The sound was off in parts and the #cinematography was far from nuanced. Whilst this didn't undermine the central point of the story it will likely jolt audiences and leave them struggling to look past the student filmmaking production values. By tapping into the same social-realist well as dramas such Crash, Gran Torino, or Mississippi Burning, the filmmakers are wading into a genre full of heated topics such as race relations, white privilege (Vikki cannot seem to comprehend why the cops are pulling a black driver over), and embedded bigotry within the system. It's hefty stuff and fortunately Comer and Maguire prove themselves capable of handling such hot property intelligently. Their short posits that there is still a glimmer of hope to be found in the promise of youth, that perhaps everyone, if not at least the majority of people, will be lit in full colour one day. Watch the short film trailer below.

★★★★ Directed by: Steven Alexander Russell Written by: #StevenAlexanderRussell Starring: #OliviaGriffin, #DamionRochester, #KaylandJordan, #JohnCoulter, #LeeSchatzman Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson The legendary tale of blues guitarist Robert Johnson given a ghost story makeover by filmmaker and storyteller Steven Alexander Russell. Short film The Dark Strums weaves a gothic narrative that sees a haunted guitar travel through generations, wreaking violent havoc to the players and audiences it encounters. Damion Rochester plays the renowned musician Robert Johnson and opens the film in a romantic scene with his sweetheart Elma (Kayland Jordan). What looks to be a picturesque courtship by a beautiful lake takes a sinister turn when RJ whips out his guitar and Elma's eyes go super, super emo. Fast forward some decades later and aspiring musician Sylvia (Olivia Griffin) is about to purchase the very same guitar from an antique dealer (Lee Schatzman). Everything seems to be fine until Sylvia whips her guitar out and plays for someone's birthday (John Coulter) and an uninvited guest appears. Atmospheric and seductive, Russell knows the lineage of cinema well that he's tapping into. This is a short movie grounded in horror fables and scary stories, playing to the fantasy horror element of the crowd, such as fans of TV shows like Supernatural. That being said, the coalescing threads of myth, legend, and fiction are brilliantly handled, allowing The Dark Strums to feel unique even if it is literally riffing on tried and tested genre tropes. Rochester is a compelling on screen presence, looming over certain sequences with a penchant for theatrics. Jordan takes a full swing at her character's rebellious and curious nature whilst being distinctively vulnerable. The pipes on Olivia Griffin are worth showing up for alone (especially when she rocks out at the guy's lonesome birthday party), and she also plays the turn well of a struggling artist hoping for a change of luck. There are a couple of bum notes during the piece, such as some shaky sound in the opening scenes, as well as the quick pacing. More time was needed with Sylvia in order to make the arrival of the guitar more impactful, we needed to see her struggle more (perhaps showing the viewer the "bombed" open mic performance). That being said, other aspects of the filmmaking were impressive, such as the creative framing of a chandelier light to show a horrific event, or the demonic whispers that arose when the guitar's spirits were awakened. Thrilling if not scary and delightfully creative, The Dark Strums may be a familiar melody to fans of episodic horror shows but the dedication to the form is noteworthy and the result is a foot-tapping treat of terror. Watch the short film trailer below.

★★★★ Directed by: #DanThorburn Written by: #DomOld Starring: #MaddieWakeling, #GarethGeorge Short Film Review by: #RyanMarsh In poor health, Aubrey (Maddie Wakeling) tracks down her estranged father, Doug (Gareth George), to scatter her mother’s ashes. Despite her illness, Aubrey is tough, with independence thrust upon by her mother’s death. Wannabe Rockstar Doug plays in local clubs at the cost of a relationship to his family. The characters’ depth, believability, flaws and understandable motives are the film’s strength. This is down to the performances. Wakeling delivers dialogue convincingly, especially when Aubrey argues with Doug. Unfortunately, she is like someone pretending to be angry when acting alone. During the argument, George also performs well with a sharp anger to his voice, aggressively striding forwards and subtly conveying guilt. Director Dan Thorburn works nicely with cast and crew because he knows the film he wants and how everything should function. He has rationality, control and confidence delivering instructions to people with care for detail such as Doug’s hesitation to leave Aubrey suffering by herself in a toilet. Understated and used sparingly, Harry Nicholson’s stripped-down score is occasionally played in scene like through the van’s radio or on a guitar. It embodies the romanticism of being on the road by progressing from feeling determined to sad. Unfortunately, it lacks distinctiveness as you expect this musical style from this genre. Will Coldwell’s sound design also artfully starts the film with falling rain and ends with waves crashing. Jonathan Bradshaw’s editing helps the #cinematography communicate a character’s body language and emotional state. Near Wild Heaven quickly opens introducing Aubrey which is contrasted with the ending where the image dwells before cutting to the title for memorable impact (like a full stop). A more specific example is with Aubrey’s outburst in the van and an exterior view communicates someone’s world collapsing from afar. Behind this drama, Thorburn’s and Dom Old’s script focuses on relationships and characters in a hopeless situation. The ending seems left open reflecting relationships’ complexity. Unfortunately, the twist loses impact possibly due to its presentation or the characters’ short screen time. Regardless, it produces plausible dialogue that suits the film’s tone. Maxwell J. Graham’s and Paolo Franciamore’s cinematography adds to the gritty realism with a washed out and grey world evoking the narrative’s sadness. Notably, the camerawork’s instability provides a unique, if potentially off-putting, visual language that gives the production a fictitious documentary appearance. In the nightclub scene, the camera is close to Aubrey’s face suggesting claustrophobia. This then switches from her point of view to her in the backroom. During the argument, the camera is intensely near the actors and the closeup on Aubrey communicates her devastating realisation. An opportunity is missed to include more footage of the stunning scenery, but the final scene’s metaphor depicting two people drifting apart on the sea is worth it. The last scene symbolises life’s uncertainty which is addressed along with relationships. For instance, Doug is a terrible father, but loves his daughter which is emphasised with the road trip and subsequent self-discovery. Flawed, morally grey characters show how family could fail us during a life changing tragedy. On the whole though, the film centres on a slob and his determined daughter. Near Wild Heaven is grim like a kitchen sink drama on a road trip scale. Unfortunately, it doesn’t subvert or try anything new with the self-discovery trope, little time is spent on the journey and nothing is added to its adopted themes. However, it tackles the uncertainty of relationships intricately which mainstream cinema often does not.

★★★★ Directed by: #ReshanFernando Written by: Reshan Fernando Starring: #NilsBentoConnault #RashidOumaKhlouf Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick Inspired by a true story, A Gold Star Kid is an endearing short film that asks what is truly important in life and what are the things we place value in. We meet our Gold Star Kid Matt (Bento-Connault) as he wakes from a dream filled with gunfire and other battle sounds. His bedroom is full of army toys, which he carefully re-arranges, also taking care with some dog tags and a service medal that he hangs over a picture of himself and his father. He calls for his mother who has left him a note before going out, leaving him home alone and so begins his seemingly routine process of feeding, cleaning and clothing himself. Eventually he heads out into the world, where he discovers something most kids only imagine, a twenty euro note lying in the street. Now, Matt faces a decision as to what he will do with it, and despite a few self-indulgent options along the way, chooses to do something unexpected. This is Matt’s story, and as such the Gold Star Kid dominates the vast majority of the screen time. Bento-Connault and director Reshan Fernando between them have managed to find the right balance of showing the escalated level of maturity Matt possesses for such a young person. When Matt finds the money, he waits and waits for someone to come and reclaim it, knowing that is the right thing to do. But when no one does, then we begin to see the side that shows us he is still just a kid, having to deal with the temptations of toys and sweets, all things children would probably immediately think about if their dream of finding money in the street came true. But also, there are some moments which are much more subtle, such as watching him pick leaves from trees and climb walls as he walks around, all of which is natural childlike behaviour and is well-placed throughout. There is a nice use of colour here, with Matt seeming to emanate a bright, golden aura which brings the eponymous character to the forefront of his story and allows him to stand out against the more subdued tones of the real world around him. Not only is it effective in this regard, but it also highlights Matt’s spirit and good moral character despite his tough circumstances, as well as imbuing a sense of hope concerning the subject matter. The score is basic, consisting of a single melodic piece, as is the camerawork, but this is all that is needed to compliment the story which is the important centrepiece here. With strong themes and a well-paced, simple narrative, Reshan Fernando has managed to create an effective tribute to all those in the armed forces and their invaluable service. Yes, A Gold Star Kid may be simple, but it is an important and quite moving emotional message about the things that are truly important in life.