Insert Name Here
Facts
Release date -
Director - Ed Chappell
Cast - Will Hayman, Ollie Iley, Jon Cook, Chris Fry
Screenwriter - Chris Fry
Running Time - 5 minutes
Certificate - 12
One fight and the many different ways it could have gone.
Another short film from director Ed Chappell, written by Academy Award winning screenwriter Chris Fry, Insert Name Here explores the alternate ways in which a situation can unfold. The short starts with Wesley (Will Hayman) running through a set of snap shots to a face off with Lucas (Ollie Iley). Wesley loses, sorely, and sulks off after his beating. He walks through the streets, dwelling on his loss. He re-imagines the fight over and over, and all the different ways it could have gone, one in which the fight gets worse, one in which Wesley runs, and so on. Except for a slightly surreal cross-over between reality and Wesley's imagined world at the end, this is most of the film.
There is a drought of narrative in the short. We know nothing of the characters, their motivations, and the backstory between and behind them. While this may have been a conscious choice, it leaves the film with considerably less emotional weight. The film seems to contrast its structure between very slow monologue as Wesley wanders around doing nothing much in particular and the much more intense fighting between the two. While this does create an effective variation in flow, the contrast really highlights just how much the monologues can drag on.
The camerawork is extremely original, and enforces the abstract and bizarre feel the film is going for. However, the handheld shake can get a little extreme and obscure the actual events of the film. The acting leaves a lot to be desired. There isn't a wealth in characters in the film and the focus on a not particularly well-acted Wesley is only to the film's detriment. The voiceover which holds the film together in terms of narrative works well and is very stylised. It is consciously reminiscent of film noir.
The concept behind the film is strong, although slightly derivative of films such as The Butterfly Effect and Run Lola Run, is still fairly unique in terms of film narratives. Also, such a tight focus around a specific event allows for a more understandable exploration of differing possibilities. However, the film would benefit from limiting itself slightly in its ambition and aiming for something a little more digestible than what it is.
While South Dusk Films is a reasonably experienced production team, with several collaborations previous, Jack Fletcher, on music, is the relative newcomer. However, his work on the titles and music of ... as well as last year's The Unbeliever show that he is by no means the weak link. While conceptually, this is one of the stronger films made by Ed Chappell and Chris Fry, the actual production betrays it as overall a weaker production that may have been anticipated.
Rundown
An imaginative film that runs away with its imagination perhaps too much.
There is a drought of narrative in the short. We know nothing of the characters, their motivations, and the backstory between and behind them. While this may have been a conscious choice, it leaves the film with considerably less emotional weight. The film seems to contrast its structure between very slow monologue as Wesley wanders around doing nothing much in particular and the much more intense fighting between the two. While this does create an effective variation in flow, the contrast really highlights just how much the monologues can drag on.
The camerawork is extremely original, and enforces the abstract and bizarre feel the film is going for. However, the handheld shake can get a little extreme and obscure the actual events of the film. The acting leaves a lot to be desired. There isn't a wealth in characters in the film and the focus on a not particularly well-acted Wesley is only to the film's detriment. The voiceover which holds the film together in terms of narrative works well and is very stylised. It is consciously reminiscent of film noir.
The concept behind the film is strong, although slightly derivative of films such as The Butterfly Effect and Run Lola Run, is still fairly unique in terms of film narratives. Also, such a tight focus around a specific event allows for a more understandable exploration of differing possibilities. However, the film would benefit from limiting itself slightly in its ambition and aiming for something a little more digestible than what it is.
While South Dusk Films is a reasonably experienced production team, with several collaborations previous, Jack Fletcher, on music, is the relative newcomer. However, his work on the titles and music of ... as well as last year's The Unbeliever show that he is by no means the weak link. While conceptually, this is one of the stronger films made by Ed Chappell and Chris Fry, the actual production betrays it as overall a weaker production that may have been anticipated.
Rundown
An imaginative film that runs away with its imagination perhaps too much.
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