I Ship It

Zoe and Peter have just broken up – not only breaking her heart as he hooks up with a girl called Macy, but also ending their successful "wizard rock" duo, performing songs inspired by Harry Potter fan fiction. Zoe's best friend Charlie has also split up with his partner, Laurel, and is now trying to get over her by getting rid of all the things that remind him of their love – items he keeps in his ex-box (trademark dispute still being resolved). Despite wanting just to mope, Zoe engages Charlie's help to write a song which she can perform at the Wizard Rock Battle of the Bands, where she can show the crowd and Peter that she is totally over him and that he made a mistake.

The title of this short refers to the creation of relationships between fictional characters within the world of fandom and fan fiction, whereby an alternative world is created between, for example, Sherlock and Moriarty. Despite the title, this film is about the ending of two relationships and the events that this brings about; it occurs within the world of fandom, YouTube, social media, vlogs, and many other things that make me feel older just considering them. It is a world that I am not part of and yet it is a world that this film focuses so tightly on. In theory then, I should hate this film because it is very much within itself in this regard, very knowing of the culture and the people, and indeed at times I did think it got very close to just being about these aspects rather than letting these aspects be around the characters and story. Close, but fortunately, not totally, because the film is very well done to create this world but not be all about it – something that is not as easy as it sounds.

It is this that makes it work, because ultimately it is a simple and sweet tale of two friends both recovering from prematurely ended relationships (in their opinions). As such it is quite broad, but this is fine because it does play to a romantic comedy genre, and I found it really charming and sweet. The world in which this is placed seems real and natural; okay not a world I care to be join, but one that despite this, I was very easily drawn into because of how engaging and sweet it was at its core. As well as cuteness, the film is also funny and affectionate towards its people, as well as producing very good music too. Technically the film is put together with a great feel for what the end product is going to play like; the design of the sets, the costumes, the use of incidental music, all of it plays towards the goal. There are a few weaker moments but not many; I think one maybe two of the comedic moments were playing to the target audience a bit too much (those sound effects when "moral support" is raised/lowered, seemed unnecessary for example), but these are minor quibbles since as a whole it plays very well.

The cast of course get it too and Kuang directs them well. Wiles is just the right level of hurt and geeky; enough to be her character but not enough to turn the viewer off from the "rom-com" vibe. Persaud is equally so, and the pair work well together as friends in their shared scenes. Richter is a good cast for the role, while in support Choi got a good laugh from me as her delivery of her character was really well timed and performed. I think this is the third short film I have seen from Kuang now and I have yet to see one that I didn't enjoy. In I Ship It she sets a short romantic comedy in the world of fandom but does so with a great awareness and appreciation for the world in which the film exists; due to this she can tease it, relate to it, and have her characters be true to themselves while also producing a charming little rom-com, with all the soft edges that that genre comes with. I can see why some may not like it, due to the culture or the genre, but it worked for me – even making the 100% right call on which ending to use.