UK Shorts 3'

Title: Speechless
Runtime: 8 mins
Directed by: James Cooper
Synopsis: D has plenty of time on his hands. He could be doing all sorts of things.... but generally he isn't doing very much. Disillusioned with just about everything around him, he takes solace in gangsta rap, bags of family sized crisps, chips, sausages... and 'texting'.
By far, the funniest of the lot. I'd actually like to get hold of this at some point to show a few friends, where its all at. Conveying takes skill. Conveying without words is a good way of practising this. Which was in part what I was going for when I wrote 'Building Character'. Kudos for pulling it off with numerous laughs.

Title: Time Out
Runtime: 8 mins
Directed by: Angus Gafraidh
Synopsis: What would you do if you could see twenty four hours into the future?
This was humorous & well executed, but it it did have a dash of familiarity about it. The concept is not all-that original. Numerous TV shows through the years have been based upon it. Though technically this doesn't affect the end-product, it did notch it down a bit in my liking of it.

Title: Terrafarmer
Runtime: 2 mins
Directed by: Will Adams
Synopsis: A lone astronaut attempts to terraform a hostile planet with a malfunctioning robot as his only companion.
This felt like a showcase of 3d Animation. Humerous yes, but perhaps too short to actually get into. Perhaps an impressive series lies ahead?

Title: Blunder
Runtime: 8 mins
Directed by: Simon J Riley
Synopsis: A sales rep, witnesses the kidnapping of a female jogger whilst driving to meet a client. After following the kidnapper to his house and trying to save the jogger, Jack realises things aren't quite what they seem.
This went well for its first half, the setup & tension were working well upto a point. Once the story unfolded, it lost steam & became predictable.

Title: The Legend of Ol' Goldie
Runtime: 8 mins
Directed by: Matthew Snyman
Synopsis: A fairytale about a boy and his only friend... his pet goldfish. The thing is, Goldie isn't your average Goldfish.
The clichéd arguing parents annoyed, but the story of a boy with a pet & how it became a lasting friendship was engaging. Overall, I felt sort of neutral about it.

Title: And The Man is Born
Runtime: 9 mins
Directed by: Pravel Prokopic and Marie Morgan
Synopsis: A comedy of life's disappointments for one young woman. Realising her dreams never felt so bad.
Just plain weird & not in a good way. I don't have much else to say.

Title: Sun in the Night
Runtime: 4 mins
Directed by: Anne Wilkins
Synopsis: A mother hopelessly waits for her lost son to return, whilst her young daughter plays with a strange imaginary friend.
You can actually watch it yourself here:

Title: 21 Seconds
Runtime: 9 mins
Directed by: Ru McArdle
Synopsis: A gritty romantic tragedy. Maddie is looking for a place to commit suicide; security guard Keith is out to save her. Fairytale ending? Definitely not.
This felt too silent. It had an interesting use of motion to encompass the business surround the principal characters, however the story for me fell flat. 2 self-absorbed, self-pitying losers whine about how their life sucks. I must admit I wanted them to meet & suddenly be happy, even though it wouldn't be realistic, but instead it ends with more moping. Boo hoo. Die already! Sound too harsh?

Title: Charon
Runtime: 13 mins
Directed by: Chiara Ambrosio
Synopsis: Charon, the mythic ferryman over the river Styx, sails off on a journey to recover his childhood and mortality. This is a film about loss, mortality and time.
The use of puppets impressed, but it ran too slow in showing off this very skill. I did feel for the old chap working so hard for a little bit of peace & rest. I think it was supposed to be a deep & meaningful portrayal of the generations before us, which does come through, just too slowly.

Title: Sundays
Runtime: 6 mins
Directed by: Sarah Bick
Synopsis: A visual study of spending Sundays in make-believe. Because six bad days is bearable. Seven is not.
A visual study yes. A film no.

Thoughts Overall: As a set of shorts, a better ratio of good stuff to so-so stuff compared to the 'UK Shorts 1' programme, largely I assume this is because of the humour factor. What can I say? I like to be entertained.