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First, the Recap:
If, as they say, “variety is the spice of life”, then apparently the opposite must also be true–monotony is the crusher of spirit and drive. When encountering the tediousness, repetitiveness, dreariness, and uniformity of an unchanging or unfulfilling endeavor, it only stands to reason one must indeed step up and conjure a way to make it less wearisome. For mailman Ted (Timothy J. Cox), daily regimen of wearing a happy face and conveying his letters and packages to their intended sendees is satisfying and engaging, at least when coming upon one particular address whose occupant (Makeela Frederick) seems to appreciate his efforts. Of course, in the attempts to captivate others along the way, Ted tries magic tricks.
Noticing that this isn’t quite the essence of enjoyment for said others as it is for him, one day only gets more bogged down when an unexpected run-in at the local park with a man of nefarious repute robs Ted of his money and perhaps a little of his humble dignity as well. Taken aback, time spent at home engrossed in a film related to the arts of illusion and prestidigitation impress upon him deeply, even to the point of overt, almost trace-like euphoria. The following day brings about a startling discovery in itself, and Ted’s joy of mail carrying takes on a whole new satisfaction, especially when once again confronted with the same ill-intentioned lout, who this time around becomes the victim himself!
Next, my Mind:
Presenting a straightforward, uncomplicated, accessible piece of indie short film fun, writer/director/producer/editor Sebastian Carrasco’s 6-minute narrative about finding new joy and increased job satisfaction captures and entertains the viewer from the start, thanks to it’s amiable, playful tone while showcasing an “everyman” lead character we can relate to. Solid cinematography whisks us through Ted’s initially happy, then mildly troubled, then rapturously invigorated life with humor, quaint drama, and a sense of ambition that illustrates basic principals of finding new hope when the world tries to strike your positivity down and keep you in a state of disappointment. Instead, the path to better things shines brightly here, albeit in fantasy form, but still maintains the ultimately light-hearted atmosphere the film strives to broadcast throughout.
This reviewer has mentioned and/or stated it countless times, but the trend must continue in awarding praise to the ever enjoyable character acting mastery provided by Timothy J. Cox, whose role as Ted is so perfectly suited for his excellent, emotive expressions and actions here, especially as the film has no spoken dialogue, but is accompanied solely by a classical music-style orchestral score while we take in Ted’s journey visually. Cox just carries a confidence and swagger in any role he does, with no exception found in this effort, and hence an indicator you will be amused and charmed by his performance. Frederick makes a quick two-scene cameo as Ted’s favorite mail route stop, and she’s actually a key to emphasizing what this reviewer feels is the film’s greater premise in showing how we need to be more often in our interactions with other human beings.
Overall, “Mail Time” offers a pleasing, 6-minute relief from the daily grind and provides a welcome distraction from such a chaotic society around us. Even as this film shows some of that chaos in brief, it also epitomizes our need as people to seek out ways to just make every situation we confront an experience worth learning from and becoming better because of.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
