WATCH THE FILM HERE (bottom of the page)
First, the Recap:
Dysfunction. It comes in many forms and can spread like wildfire in the right situations. Whether it is amongst friends or family, the effects of it can be more than off-putting. For a group of five people–Amanda (Kirsty Meares), Harry (Timothy J. Cox), Richard (Jeff Moffitt), David (Ben Prayz), and Sophie (Alex Vincent)–the social and internal turmoil in life has taken its toll.
So when they all choose to get together for dinner and conversation, it becomes a testament to new relationships, old wounds, unsatisfied marriages, wandering eyes, and kitchen confessions between Harry and his now ex-wife, Amanda. Meanwhile, Amanda’s current husband, Richard, turns his attention to David’s free-spirited new girlfriend Sophie, while David himself seems oblivious to it all. Secrets come out, and as they converse further, how will it ultimately determine all their futures?
Next, my Mind:
There is simply no getting past the fact that writer/director Antonio Padovan’s short film is an exercise in cynicism and dark comedy when it comes to showcasing the unstable nature of relationships among such varied characters. Primarily presented from the point of view of Harry, it does dramatically illustrate how damaging it can be when people put on a front of positivity when in fact the real sentiment is so much more pessimistic and disillusioned.
Cox, in playing Harry, executes well here and brings both his character’s own passive/aggressive stance on the group’s attitudes and actions while also addressing us directly as the viewer with skeptical notions about how things will, or possibly will, unfold. Meares’ Amanda is delivered as a truly emotionally tangled woman who attempts to put on a brave face, but then finally cracks. Prayz’s well-played David is a true cad overall, full of arrogance and self-focus.
Moffitt’s completely distracted Richard trying to slowly but surely prey upon Vincent’s effervescent, innocent Sophie creates a truly unlikable character without question, seeing him have no qualms about the thought of being unfaithful to Amanda. Overall, this 12+ minute ode to the bitter pill of disenchanted and jaundiced thinking wasn’t really in this reviewer’s preferred wheelhouse thematically. However, it seems scarier to think that these unfavorable and detrimental scenarios might reflect more of reality in this modern world than we care to admit.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
