Short Film Review “The Clock” Treading the lines between providence, prerogative, the time we are given, and….the end?
WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW:
First, the Recap:
Countdowns. Plenty of situations involve the term, from space launches, to sporting event periods, to Summer break from school arriving, to any myriad of other events or moments in our existence that mark specific, and usually significant, instances we are striving to reach. With the latter in mind, once there, it should bring about happiness and excitement for what it is we’ve been anticipating. However, what if the countdown in question has been designating a different manner of finality that was equally looked forward to….even if it actually means our OWN end??
It is literally a dark and stormy night for 75-year old Elle Rivers (CCH Pounder), sitting in her sparse living room during a power outage occurring during a tempest outside. When an uninvited “visitor” suddenly comes into the shadowy home via would-be burglar Preston (Jason Keller), the interaction the pair have ushers forth an abstruse conversation about dreams and planned inevitabilities that soon takes an even more radical turn, involving a neighbor Harold (Wallace Shawn) and the deeper truths that are revealed between them.
Next, my Mind:
The sheer, unvarnished revelation of what the medium of short film can accomplish goes on display with a tale that is both stirringly atmospheric and inescapably haunting, compelling and inspired, provocative and original thanks to director/executive producer Cameo Wood, writer Jelena Woehr, producer Connie Jo Sechrist, and associate producer Rachel Caproni that brandishes the entire notion of what time is, how we attempt to truly comprehend it, even control it, while the additional foray into fate and/or destiny reigns underneath it all, with impactful force. Honestly, this IS the magic of the indie film genre when placed into the hands of those whose vision for a story transcends conventional thinking and chooses instead to put both a still-grounded but then fantastical essence into its execution, in no small part to deft writing, a stellar main cast, and intelligent direction. This film is precisely why I laud and support short film, and independent film, for the bastion of fresh artistry it all represents.
From the viewpoint of a 75-year old woman who firmly believes her time has quite literally come on a particular night that will end up being anything but typical, the narrative cascades forth with a fundamentally basic feel and relatively uninvolved manner….which lasts for about that first one minute and fifteen seconds before launching into a far more building, intricate, and slowly illuminating venture that begins to take us as the viewer into that aforementioned intermixing of decidedly affecting human drama and the mildly extraordinary that then creates the basis for existential discussions that deliver the film’s weightier but still accessible and engaging explorations of time’s passage, it’s significance, our interpretation of it, and the virtual stubbornness we display when fully believing we’ve got it all figured out, much less treating it like we are alone in the circumstances being presented. This is a film that you must pay attention to when viewing, to absorb the narrative piece by piece and really LISTEN to what’s being conveyed. Yes, it makes you THINK, people. That is, frankly, a VERY good thing!
Diving further into the film, this critic felt that other thematic elements which come about include how we feel we see the “tools” that fate might use to bring us to our supposed end, the idea of being “settled” with how things are to turn out, the expectations and sense of the perceived “dignity” of it, foundational loneliness and our, again, perceived contentment with it, having no regrets yet potentially harboring some, and the healing nature of an unexpected connection with another that might also reveal more than we would have ever anticipated are showcased here to magnificent effect. The finale is one where a single statement uttered by a character alters everything we’ve seen, and it one hundred percent befits the narrative to a “T”, lending that ultimate emotive punch to the events depicted and leaving us with one more visual that speaks volumes to the film’s intent. As this was another point I hinted at earlier, short film is SUCH a potent formula for dynamic storytelling, and for those that keep wishing to (sadly) dismiss it, I would challenge you to take another look and realize what CAN be accomplished in short order.
Continuing on, the film greatly thrives and ascends through the additional benefit of having two amazing acting luminaries leading the charge. This isn’t declared lightly, or with any exaggeration, as we all know astute casting is a major component involved, perhaps even more so when complimenting a story as well-conceived and directed as this one. The proceedings are brought to vivid life first by Pounder who, with over 300+ credits to her name and counting, unquestionably brings a distinctive magnitude of talent to bear here, but with a pronounced understated demeanor that still gets infused with urgent emotional energy via her role as Elle Rivers. A woman in her older years who’s insistent that a “clock” she’s dreamt of since childhood is coming to its end, and hence HER end with it, Elle sits alone in her power-outage darkened home during a storm on the precise night life is to be over. But, when a mix of instances comes about she did NOT see coming, it ushers in two somewhat unsettled yet revelatory conversations with a would-be thief then one of her neighbors that could transform the evening in ways unimagined. But…for better or worse?
It’s Pounder’s ability to create a character who is stubborn yet so utterly endearing and that you empathize with, a complete tribute to how it doesn’t take being demonstrative to illustrate deep inner turmoil and the possible release of it. A superb acting performance in this critic’s eyes. While he most likely tends to be remembered as the hysterical character of Vizzini in the comedic classic “The Princess Bride”, let’s not remotely undersell the equally adept and skilled acting chops of Shawn, who himself has well over 200+ credits to claim. Here, the comedy is wonderfully replaced with a wholly credible and quietly intense dramatic flair that exudes the affability and realistic concern of a man who desperately wishes to show someone else not only compassion and understanding, but also become a catalyst for a radical shift in their beliefs of what is to come, in this case Elle’s. It’s one of those performances that excels in highlighting the ability of a character actors to perform in a more relatable context, here as a man wishing to extend kindness but also a sympathetic admonishment that screams to be agreed with and supported.
Just simply excellent on Shawn’s part and it was a true pleasure to see him on screen again. Supporting roles arrive from Keller as the thief who breaks into Elle’s residence to steal but ends up confronted with much more than he would have believed, Dara Hargreaves as Rudy, the granddaughter of Harold who is the first to discover a problem might be brewing at Elle’s home and hence advises her grandfather as such, and then via credit only and as background, Candace Coogler. So, in total, “The Clock” is a wondrous example of the strength of short film and independent filmmaking’s prowess, transporting us into a world where we must question the validity of our own pre-conceptions of time, it’s hold over us, the meanings it harbors, our longing for companionship, and that when we truly convince ourselves that somehow our own time is up, might it actually be a reminder instead that while some things may indeed pass, others might just be beginning, a clock reset and renewed.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
