Length: 09:14
Logline: A young boy goes against current conventions and his parents wishes, insisting on living in a tent outdoors in preparation for something major.
That something major turns out to be something rather dull I'm afraid but this is still a good stylised and nicely written short. Most parents would be more than happy not to have their teenage son loitering about the house all the time. Not here. Glen Bartlett takes the lead as Griff the outcast who is determined to do things his own way. Casting did well to get likely lad James Bolam to play his crafty grandfather and thanks to good performances by most of the cast, the dialogue shines out as a particular highlight to the film. Moments of subtle poignancy are mixed with gentle humour but comedy is more on the quaint and quirky side rather than for full on laughs.
The film quality has a dreamlike 70's feel which exemplifies that nostalgic sunny summer tone. With lots of cinematic shots, the DoP has done a good job in crafting something which will look really good on the big screen. Edit, lighting and shot composition all add up to high production values which pays off well. What doesn't work so much was the ending to the story where Griff reveals all his preparation and planning was just to go on a holiday with his old granddad. Hardly secret of the century and a bit of a let down to the film. Not sure about the musical interlude with Griff conducting fresh air on the beach either. The slow, dreamy speed that the story meanders along too works well buy this part doesn't seem to serve much purpose and hinders the pace.
Overall, this looks good on screen and is a well constructed and shot work but doesn't quite fulfil story-wise.
Best Bit: Definitely the dialogue.
Worst Bit: The plot reveal at the end is quite weak and doesn't do the rest of the film justice.
Final thought: Is the tea cosy hat really necessary for camping?
Read a condensed review of this film on Twitter here.
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