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First, the Recap:
Ah, the joys of young love. Or maybe not QUITE so young love? Maybe it’s “Wow! I am getting a little “older” now. And I’m still single. What gives?” love? Or perhaps “People think BECAUSE I am still single at my age there must be something wrong with me, but there’s NOT” love? Whatever the case may be, coming back into any dating scene after a set amount of time involves the wonder, joy, and sheer nervousness and uncertainty of–the first date. And not JUST that, but a blind date to boot! Such is the case for the lovely, earthly Jill (Kelly Collette) and the well-stated, pleasant, but borderline arrogant Sytrox Alpha (Michael Peake), whom discuss their recent rendezvous.
Thanks to pointed questions by the unseen, but ever-present, Interviewer (Matt Gray), this newly matched couple begin to explain their debut adventure together. First divulging more about themselves individually, we quickly find that Jill is quietly desperate to want people to think she is just the normal, down-to-earth single girl, despite a few admissions that MIGHT lead one to question certain aspects of her personality. Meanwhile, Sytrox confidently expounds on his past relationships, his grueling job duties, and the inherent dangers of even BEING with him, all while making it clear–he’s not from around here! As date details are brought out, it becomes a lesson in perceptions, first impressions, the importance of getting to truly know someone first, and the excitement of future possibilities—or the mistakes that could occur!
Next, my Mind:
“The First Date” is a fantastically hilarious, yet innocently whimsical, and a very surprisingly thought-provoking and human short film effort that manages to efficiently execute its primary premise and moral in only a little over seven minutes. THAT alone is a wonder (again!) to this reviewer as more and more short films have been viewed lately from the independent film arena. And this, of course, is to the credit of writer/director/producer David Cornelius. Utilizing a documentary-style interview format to showcase the two main characters works to perfection here, as it allows every little quirk and nuance of each actor’s performance to shine through, giving the film its truly realistic and personally relatable tone and presentation.
It is really NO dare, if one is being honest, to challenge any viewer NOT to fall hopelessly in love with actress and comedienne Kelly Collette and her portrayal of Jill. The wonderfully beautiful smile, the bubbly, adorable persona, the completely giddy elation and excitement in sharing about herself and the date is simple, comic magic. Then, to a different level of jocularity, is the character of Sytrox, played with an absolutely devilish joy by Michael Peake. His calm, straight-forward, deadpan delivery and casual comments about things less than casual are a total riot, and his own boyish charm is completely on display here to excellent use. Yet through all the laughs and exaggerated scenarios, there is found the reality of what it means to relate to other people, and that is a welcome facet to this project.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
