WATCH THE FILM HERE
First, the Recap:
Ah, what a wonder it is, the realms of self-absorption. Sometimes, in all truth, it’s hard not to feel a little sense of this prideful concept when we possess a level of confidence in what we can (or BELIEVE we can) achieve. More so, this seems to arise when competition arrives on the scene and stakes are then placed in some form, which only drives our desire to best whomever is “foolish” enough to doubt our apparent “mastery” of what medium is providing us the opportunity to so overtly excel without fear of losing. Usually a set up before “the fall”, what happens when confidence to such a degree might actually be proved legitimate? For one couple, Ty (Kevin Tan) and Kim (newcomer Noelia Sarmiento), a friendly game of golf turns into a bet that will land Ty the title of “Top Dog”–or otherwise put his raging ego in the “ruff!”.
Next, my Mind:
Straightforward accessibility, clarity, intelligibility, and just honest-to-goodness ole’ fashioned quality FUN and entertainment are all elements that the independent film genre can offer in spades when the intent is to deliver a film whose sole purpose IS to do those things. Needless to say, and especially in a year when positivity has been in short supply more than a few times, this newest 5-minute rom-com effort from writer/director/producer Andrew Broadhurst and assistant director Sarah Nelson pulls up to the tee, drives home the goods, soars over the fairway, and scores a hole-in-one for this critic in presenting a charming, wonderfully unassuming, delightful narrative about one young newlywed couple’s exercise in ego control, playful bickering, challenges being accepted, encountering possible defeat, and sometimes finding out all is not exactly what it might have seemed.
The sheer wonder of it all, and a factor I very much point out with frequency when it comes to the short film arena, is that excellence can be offered in terms of a fully self-contained story that has depth, impact, a moral/message, and genuine sentiment when wrapped so solidly and effectively in a condensed runtime. Then again, is this not the magic of this style of filmmaking when done smartly (as is the case here) and with an evident purpose to showcase that a combination of complete amusement AND a well-written, well-executed tale is more than accomplishable and can even be more audience friendly and appealing than some feature length projects. I personally love the fact this film’s whole objective is to just be a neatly packaged bit of comically engaging distraction that the viewer can simply sit back and relax with while having a smile on their face (I feel anyway) the whole time, leading to a finale that puts a definitive ace on the film’s score card.
To further expand on this, relatability is king with the character and narrative-driven nature of indie cinema, and here one cannot help but have to admit that in SOME form, they’ve encountered the type of scenario being portrayed, and that’s even more why the film comes across as perfectly as it does. I mean, come on MEN, you KNOW you’ve had those instances of TOTAL ego trips when being confronted with any kind of provocation that spurs the self-assurance to take over and insist that there shall be NO defeat, even when we really KNOW we’re profoundly in trouble! With this film, that notion is explored with an absolute level of jocularity that draws you in so easily and then continues to maintain that throughout with an innocent glee that is, in a word, infectious. But as stated above, it’s the truth it displays about our relationships as human beings, whether as friends or marrieds, that gives this narrative its foundational core, emotional strength, and undeniably whimsical optimism.
Tan exudes that utterly apropos amount of controlled, thoroughly believable, yet consummately cheeky and entirely enjoyable charm mixed with purposefully raging self-admiration through his role here as Ty, a newly minted husband who finds himself in the hot (golf cart) seat when a wager gets thrown his way by his wife whose seeking some fresh companionship of the furry persuasion as an additional facet to their life together. Of course believing he’s got this in the bag, Ty soon finds himself at a loss when events slice out of his control and panic over what seems to be a sure missed cut looms large. Will he be willing to admit it, though? It’s one of those performances that’s what I would honestly call quietly brilliant in its simplicity, offering complete entertainment and a winningly personable character to take in. It’s that “everyman” quality which springs forth with superb results.
But, then there is what I would assuredly call a decidedly admirable and splendidly lovable DEBUT performance offered by Sarmiento as Kim, Ty’s new bride who finds there’s more than enough room to put forth a challenge to her hubby despite his overly inflated mindset, ideally to then win her chance to gain the canine reward she seeks, much to Ty’s adamant protestations. Maneuvering Ty into the bet with well calculated, mirthfully manipulative thoughts to spur his competitive energy into a inwardly roiling frenzy, Kim takes full advantage of the circumstances to throw off Ty’s golf game to an extent that causes more than a little bit of chaos in him, breeding carelessness in decision-making while cementing her chances to win the day. Sarmiento is such a picture of adorably cute giddiness and girlish exuberance that you just cannot resist her character, and it marks the beginnings of what we hope will be plenty of further appearances by the actress in future projects.
The film’s director, Drew Broadhurst, makes a quick but integral supporting appearance that puts the story’s ultimate message on display to perfect, jovial impact. So, in total, “Closest To The Pin” is FAR from just par for the course, conveying instead ideally timed hilarity and necessary messages about our human nature so as to give us that HIGHLY needed respite from a chaotic year that was so filled with uncertainly and negativity. Truthfully, as we approach the start of a new twelve months, this critic personally hopes there will be more offerings like this film to keep encouraging us to take what IS important seriously, but otherwise let go, let loose a bit, and allow genuine, cheerful, hopeful attitudes prevail over fear, doubt, oh, and ego.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
