WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
WATCH THE FILM HERE
First, the Recap:
“ARGH!! It has really been one of THOSE days!!” Do we honestly have to recollect precisely how MANY times we’ve uttered this phrase or something similar (with added–colorful verbal flourishes–perhaps) in our lifetimes?? For it would seem no matter how WELL things are going, there’s always SOMETHING that ends up coming along eventually that just makes a particular time difficult. How much MORE aggravating is it when it isn’t just ONE thing–but a storm?? For “everyman” Murphy (Jalen Snowden), it is THAT day, which emphasizes not only the mundane nature of his current existence, the ramifications of past choices, and an apparent stubbornness that KEEPS him IN an endless cycle of it all, but also the path of a man in desperate need of not ONLY a BETTER day, but an improved outlook on which a real future can finally come about.
Next, my Mind:
Clarity of purpose, an uncomplicated execution, and that oft mentioned “it’s a SO-true” mentality, reality, and accessibility all tend to come into play when we speak of the indie film realms and the lower budget stylistic, character, and narrative-centric approaches filmmakers take when we’re talking grass roots efforts. This is precisely what we are entreated to here through a 15-minute short film project that comes courtesy of writer/director/cinematographer/editor Jalen Snowden (who also stars in the film to boot!) which paints a bluntly straightforward portrait of one person’s very BAD day and both the consequences yet also opportunities that such an experience can result in when one takes the time to accept and recognize a larger picture involved. Is the film rough around the edges production-wise in several respects, yes. Does this therefore translate to it being a “poor film”? Absolutely not. Yes, that’s right folks, it’s that time again– get PAST the surface!
Here, the narrative which see one man having a literal foray into that ever maligned and NOT at ALL longed-for “anything that CAN go wrong DOES” kind of day and the subsequent acknowledgements, agitations, and realizations he comes to that could either alter his life forever or only cause him to sink further into an already-existing funk, is conveyed in about the most simple possible ways, from both storytelling and visual scopes, and certainly doesn’t in itself offer “deep” explorations of its foundational theme. BUT, was that NECESSARY for a straightforward excursion such as this? This critic would argue “Not at all.” This is a basic adventure in everyday life and what trials and travails can arise that throw our world into a tizzy, from being late to work, to being severely underappreciated even when we feel we’ve attempted to put our best efforts forth, to believing things just cannot possibly get ANY worse–or show hope of improving.
It’s personal chaos, perceived and actual pressure, seemingly uncontrollable stress, and having it ALL bottled up within us to the point that FINALLY tends to come about–explosive decompression when it has become too overwhelming to contain anymore. Yet, is this not how it then unfolds that, IF we’re open to it, that liberation suddenly manifests into a catalyst of what we FEAR the most but hence YEARN for and NEED the most as well–CHANGE. Once that willingness to embrace that is discovered–who knows what can happen, ideally for our betterment. The film honestly manages to take all of this and wrap it up into its tale in such a manner that by the film’s finale, you admit how you CAN relate to this character and his plight, which then also gives the ending a far more tangible credibility that this critic felt lifts it beyond just a pat or clichéd conclusion.
The black and white imagery suits this narrative quite adeptly in that you could equate it with showcasing the bleak state of affairs we witness at first, that aforementioned tedious monotony the events elicit as one man’s day goes so overtly awry. I was thankful that what could have been nothing BUT a “downer” of a story DOES get a well-meaning, well-deserved happier atmosphere to ultimately reside in. As also hinted at above, I felt there were some production flaws that came through, mainly a small mix of audio and editing instances that seemed a little choppy or just a hair out of balance with what you were seeing on screen, but these were still minor for me and not per se any distraction from the overall viewing experience. What I continue to support is EFFORT, because the time and energy that goes into just MAKING a film, even if only a 15-minute one, is FAR more than I feel people are aware of. And, of course, all of this is OPINION.
Snowden is perfectly fine here in his lead role as Murphy, a man striving to not watch this specific day and all the crap that is going totally wrong completely ruin his perspective on who he is, even when it is the wake-up call (funny enough, in both figurative and literal forms!) he’s needed for far too long. Even as things spiral out of control, Murphy does his level best to handle it. But, when the last straw comes, it takes him over the edge–but into a place of self-RE-assessment which might just spur him on to become the man he ACTUALLY wishes he could be. While I cannot say in itself Snowden’s performance is necessarily beyond just being apropos and decently given for the character he plays, I still have an unequivocal sense he is one hundred percent putting what he can into it. THIS is what tells me he’s both an actor and director who’s searching for what ANY filmmaker and artist should be looking to accomplish–getting BETTER.
It takes guts to even PUT yourself out there in this way for the world to judge, and this alone is also admirable. I truly consider this same viewpoint for the primary supporting players here, which include Lesley Payne as Les, Murphy’s (we get the impression) long-suffering boss who isn’t without compassion, but who doesn’t put up with consistent INconsistency from her employees, and Gabrielle Barrera as Charlie, Murphy’s on again/off again girlfriend who we might think is a huge part of his issues yet could be the legitimate voice of reason that he requires. Additional appearances are made by Cameron Snowden and Logan Snowden as Murphy’s co-workers at the local pizzeria he’s at who seem to have some fun at his expense when they try to guess HOW he’s going to react to varied situations.
So, in total, “A Bad, Bad Day” frankly may not be the most original, favorite, or thoroughly well-executed kid on the indie short film block, but make no mistake that it still represents the COMMITMENT and DRIVE that resides within this community of filmmakers who choose to dauntlessly offer their creations which do so frequently take aim at (and inevitably hit!) the grander mark they do–REAL LIFE. And let’s face it, if WE stop paying attention to or dare to ignore this fact, regardless of how often we believe we’ve “seen it all before”, then we’re in danger of losing what we should NEVER grow tired of–our humanity. How film so acutely manages to make us THINK about it more like we should I hope then allows us to arrive at an outcome we should likewise desire–one to our own plus others’ benefit and betterment.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading.
