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First, the Recap:
Isn’t it a total treat when the unexpected, the unwanted, the absolutely disastrous situation occurs when you’ve got these epic plans in place to enrich your future and perhaps even do some good for the community around you? Everything comes together until suddenly, you’re facing an obstacle that appears insurmountable? It’s a total soul-crusher, especially when the obstacle is—someone’s severed mitt?? Real estate mogul Ms. Whitman (Meryl Griffiths) and contractor/builder Trevor (Neil James) have a wonderful plot of land to prepare in order to see luxury dwellings arise. Or so they think.
Upon surveying the acreage and discussing pricing options, Ms. Whitman stumbles upon the aforementioned paw lying on the open terrain. Baffled by what it could possibly be doing in the middle of their property, the ensuing discourse becomes a battle of both logical and flat out silly options as to what the fate of the palm and digits will be. Meanwhile, there appears a man (Radley Mason) seeking out such an object, much to the hesitations of Whitman and Trevor, whose initial choices of what to do leads to the discovery of another man, (Joseph Emms), in need of serious assistance.
What follows will define the final outcome for them all and determine a new path of planning for our intrepid, though somewhat dense, contractor and frustrated mogul.
Next, my Mind:
Written and directed by indie filmmaker Daniel Harding, who gave us the wonderfully original and smartly satiric short film “Killer Bird” (reviewed here) last year, this newest effort is equally entertaining and impressive alone for the fact it was created utilizing a crew of three, a cast of four, one day of shooting, and three months in post-production for the seven plus minute final product. Smooth cinematography, solid editing, Jack Blume’s apropos soundtrack, and comedic plot all work together to allow the viewer to grasp the narrative and hang on for a jovial ride through exactly how not to wave off an icky, less than handy circumstance.
The lead actors are perfectly cast in that they truly are completely opposite character types when it comes down to it. Griffiths’ Ms. Whitman is played as a hardened businesswoman with a definite and resolute plan in place and, ultimately, dollar signs and grandeur in her eyes. Logical in thought and wary of anything that would cause issue with this opportunity, the demeanor and delivery Griffiths provides for her is great. James’ Trevor, on the other hand, while possibly adept and nimble-figured for this contract job he’s vying for, is actually a rather clueless, somewhat bumbling chap whose ideas about how to rectify the issue are less than within reach. Simply put, playing off each other, Griffiths and James are fantastic.
Add in slyly clever supporting appearances by Mason and Emms, whose roles add that other layer to the greater picture being presented to excellent effect, and “The Missing Hand” solidifies itself as one strong handful of indie film fun. As for further allusions to the ole meathooks in this review–anyone want to lend a hand?
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
