As a hardened critic, I was skeptical of this movie's ability to win me over. My doubts were put to rest after watching the movie's subtle but powerful social commentary.
I love how the movie breaks down characters until they're at their most vulnerable. For example: Despite the tough-guy demeanor that surrounds Jared's character, his vulnerability in the scene where he cuts his hand beautifully expresses his need for a father figure to guide his and Zsu Zsu's formative years, even if he'd never admit it.
I respect the movie's minimalist approach in its soundtrack. Specifically, its lack of one. The awkwardness between Wes and his family after being away in the war is amplified by the lack of a proper score. There's nothing to distract the viewer from peering into the struggle for fundamentally changed people to reconnect.
Additionally, there were a few editing discrepancies. At one point, Zsu Zsu's audio is cut out when moving to the next shot. Soon after, the same thing happens in an awkward scene transition when Jared moves in to spy on Wes' and Maren's argument.
And as much ad I'd like to overlook it, the scene where Wes helps clean up Jared's wound makes little sense in the narrative. After hitting him out of anger, Maren yells at Wes to leave. However, she allows him to stay after seeing the wound that Wes inflicted on his own son. It seems like the writer wrote the story with an ending already in mind, and attempted to string along the plot to its conclusion without keeping in mind the integrity of the overall story. Regardless, these are small but noticeable blemishes in an otherwise fantastic short movie.
I do wish Zsu Zsu had more screen time. The other actors were great, but Rose Goodman's portrayal of the character really stole the spotlight.
I love how the movie breaks down characters until they're at their most vulnerable. For example: Despite the tough-guy demeanor that surrounds Jared's character, his vulnerability in the scene where he cuts his hand beautifully expresses his need for a father figure to guide his and Zsu Zsu's formative years, even if he'd never admit it.
I respect the movie's minimalist approach in its soundtrack. Specifically, its lack of one. The awkwardness between Wes and his family after being away in the war is amplified by the lack of a proper score. There's nothing to distract the viewer from peering into the struggle for fundamentally changed people to reconnect.
Additionally, there were a few editing discrepancies. At one point, Zsu Zsu's audio is cut out when moving to the next shot. Soon after, the same thing happens in an awkward scene transition when Jared moves in to spy on Wes' and Maren's argument.
And as much ad I'd like to overlook it, the scene where Wes helps clean up Jared's wound makes little sense in the narrative. After hitting him out of anger, Maren yells at Wes to leave. However, she allows him to stay after seeing the wound that Wes inflicted on his own son. It seems like the writer wrote the story with an ending already in mind, and attempted to string along the plot to its conclusion without keeping in mind the integrity of the overall story. Regardless, these are small but noticeable blemishes in an otherwise fantastic short movie.
I do wish Zsu Zsu had more screen time. The other actors were great, but Rose Goodman's portrayal of the character really stole the spotlight.