Published in: Short Film Reviews

Short Film Review “H-24”

Author OneFilmFan

Published on: January 22, 2019

WATCH THE FILM HERE

First, the Recap:

Do we ever truly sit and determine the course of our lives–what’s past, what’s present, or the ever-elusive notion of what our future might hold?  No matter the amount of time we commit to making abrupt attempts to ascertain those things in which we believe, we know, or we dream could be a part of our existence, why does it hold that when it all seems most hopeless, this is when we choose to try and comprehend? In a lonely, undisclosed room, a man named Carl (Pierre Glenat) sits on his bed and allows outwardly silent, inwardly voiced musings to travel this precise path.

Contemplating all that he has been as a person while more specifically divulging a childhood secret that has haunted him, for good or ill, his entire life, the moments known as seconds, minutes run past with their brutal efficiency, unstoppable and unrelenting, even as Carl struggles to have a semblance of calm for the moments to follow that could determine the rest of his life, whatever uncertain span it may entail. As the myriad of directions his recollections continue to take runs with their calculated pace in his mind, Carl’s reality takes a turn for the unexpected, bringing about a reveal that might speak more loudly than all his reveries.

Next, my Mind:

Perfectly uncomplicated yet carrying a measure of intelligent introspection and virtually philosophical depth that gets presented in a most unassuming and accessible way, the magic that is short film gets put on full display through this four minute seventeen second debut short from French writer/director/producer Yassine Harbachi. For this critic, character-driven narratives always tend to work best in order to showcase the often humanity-laden messages indie cinema is so adept at producing, and here is no exception, providing an slower burn (if really possible to state when the film is only a little over four minutes long) but engaging series of instances being experienced in one man’s mind as he deals with pondering concepts about his own life and how they’ve been applied to it, yet speaks heavily to how we tend to “weigh-in” with ourselves certain ideas about things we desire to control, yet do not actually, much less fully grasp or desire to accept even.

Is what we’ve often unswervingly resolved in our heads about the way things are to unfold merely delusion, fear of mortality, the inevitability of life moving inexorable forward with the consistency and unabated momentum we sometimes strive to “prevent” from doing so, all while incessantly realizing the regrets about things left unfinished?  It’s not about getting overtly “deep” here as much as the film’s way of reminding us about what it is to be human, have a troubled mind or soul, and how we tend to believe we’re always alone in it all, even when the choice to be so is frequently our own. Taking a look at this current, contemporary world we call home, filled lately with so much hate and anger, could one argue this film communicates the basic message about us needing to have a bigger willingness to seek help when wrestling with inner worries, or at least be more open to simply acknowledging we do have the option for help if we desire? Visually, the film’s pure black and white starkness aids in driving these points home, at least in my opinion, as it represents the straightforwardness of how much of this life truly is just that.

The art of acting is, well, exactly that–an art form. To do it well, keep the viewer’s attention, and still bring about the fullness of what a given character embodies in a short film where time is the “enemy” is no easy task, and therefore really allows an actor to shine and prove there merit. This is precisely what this critic felt was accomplished by the highly understated exercise in nuance and pure subtlety Glenat brings forth as Carl, a man wrestling with his own sense of self along with the “gift” he’s reminiscing about and how it has so greatly affected his existence. There’s an underlying intensity to what Carl feels, even as a stoic outer visage would seem to speak otherwise, and we watch as it brews and brews until finally reaching its boiling point, after which a key moment occurs that puts his laments and inner queries into context and focus, though how this reality impacts Carl we can only guess and find some closure with.  It’s the genius of a character-centric narrative to have it portrayed like this, with Carl so overtly inactive and driven by an inner monologue, yet we glean his entire being is just building to a scream and therefore we anticipate what revelation is to come from it all, which in itself is performed wonderfully by Glenat, leaving us honestly wanting more, but willing to surrender to conjecture with enough having been divulged.

There is a sole, but very integral, supporting turn presented by Caroline Lavergne here as well.  In total, “H-24” is a gracefully executed debut for Harbachi, a credit to the indie filmmaking community with its strongly demonstrated use of intentional restraint and purposefully and keenly underplayed acting that draws us into the somewhat fractured psyche of a lonely man confronting dilemmas that are much more than meets the eye and tangibly stirring, even when unspoken beyond the heart, mind, and soul.

As always, this is all for your consideration and comment.  Until next time, thank you for reading!