WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
There’s a rather popular saying among men. It’s been honed over time to very much be a phrase that allows the male species to press onward into foolish and dangerous undertakings, all for the sake of knowing that, assuming they come out the other side alive, they’ll be able to share the sentiment with fellow men should the results of their endeavors prove to elicit the reaction desired. Take the tale of one young man (Jon Tamburini) who faced quite a tragedy in his childhood–being bitten by a turtle. Coping with this soon takes form of a comic strip he draws called “The Turtle Terminator”. With this, he finally overcomes his trauma, but new events then unfold.
As he begins to open up about his turtle escapades with girls, he realizes the advantages of having a “sob story” with the accompanying wound to showcase with it that gains him the attention of many a fair one. Yet, even despite this success, he also realizes that other girls he shares his story and associated aspects with find him off-putting as well. Continuing to experience this up and down rollercoaster ride with women into his adulthood, he finally meets Lydia (Aisling Hunter), with whom he genuinely connects. Yet, even with his story intact and a true love to embrace, it all still ends with him realizing that perhaps sharing his story still isn’t the best thing.
Next, my Mind:
Scottish writer/director C.J. Lazaretti takes on the concept of childhood trauma, the male ego, and the ebb and flow of relationships and melds it all into a decidedly clever and innocently humorous anecdote that is sure to please almost anyone who watches it and can appreciate the themes being explored, especially men who can probably directly relate to it all on some level, whether from childhood or otherwise. Thanks to an equally effective and whimsical voiceover from John Wilde, the viewer is taken through the comedic path one man’s recollections of how one incident at 12 years old forever affected his love life has transpired, for good or ill. Simply shot with basic settings and non-verbal acting per the film’s narration-driven storyline, the three minute timespan flies by and leaves you smiling, chuckling, and satisfied.
Tamburini is actually very solid in a role involving no speaking, but rather relying on body language and actions to bring across the necessary and intended actions and reactions to his character’s plights and reflections as narrated by Wilde. This isn’t always the easiest thing to do, as it truly becomes all about timing, facial expressions, and other factors to elicit said responses, but Tamburini does a fine job. The same applies to Hunter as the other primary character, Lydia, who becomes the one sincere beacon of light relationship-wise for Tamburini’s young man, a woman caught up in just who he is in spite of his childhood wounding, though she doesn’t ultimately stay, even as she also forgets about his story and its results, becoming the catalyst for him to experience the fact even other chosen directions with it all won’t succeed.
A host of supporting characters, and hence actors, are present here, all representing the gaggles of girls/women his story has either impressed or repulsed. Just being frank, it’s quick moments and not really a chance for anyone to, per se, stand out as much as contribute en masse to the greater narrative. So, overall, “The Turtle Terminator” stands as a great example of tackling multiple subjects/themes that are actually quite “heavy” yet packaging it all in a wonderfully executed short film effort that brings laughter to it all rather than weighty musing. Oh, and that popular phrase hinted at earlier, that truly encompasses the majority of the film’s fun and message–chicks dig scars!
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
