Look Who's Talking
This should not be confused with the film with the same title starring Kirstie Alley and John Travolta but rather a Utah based indie short film from Ryan McDonald. In all honesty, the title of the film makes little sense but titles should be the least of worries for the filmmakers and instead should’ve focused on making something worth watching.
This black comedy attempts to tell a story of an infant who, for reasons unknown, can make people do what he wants. The baby through some magical and unexplained gift of telekinesis, makes who we assume is his father make a fool of himself for his own enjoyment. Then, GASP, this 8 month old child makes his father(?) kill his mother.
Short films don’t need to really explain much and can be weird for the sake of being weird, but there is nothing in this five minute tale that has any sort of appeal. Story aside, the acting was mediocre and made worse by absolutely horrific camera work and subpar editing. As far as camera goes, it would be nice if the subject wasn’t hanging out of frame throughout most of the duration, and the color correction didn’t match up from one take to the other. The final film is borderline unwatchable unless you’re looking for a film that instructs newbie filmmakers what not to do.
You can watch the film here:
Grade: Acting: C The no dialogue in the film doesn’t save a viewer from watching lackluster performances. Direction: D The material and the films production crew appeared to have walked all over the director, if there was one. Script: C- It was clear that there was somewhat of a story and it could have worked if the cast and crew were capable of conveying it. Cinematography: F Rule of thirds, please. Films have guidelines for a reason. Editing: D+ Editing is passable, but just barely. Sound Design: C Meh. Makeup: D Yes, there was blood effects in the movie and wasn’t consistent at all. A script supervisor would go a long way. Score: NA No credit was given to a composer therefore I am assuming it was royalty free stock music. Final Grade: D It is really hard to take this film or any of it’s production crew seriously. It’s downright difficult to sit through.