Foreign English

Foreign English is a story about an old man who can't understand what women say. The actor who plays the lead is so excellent that I would have watched a feature on the same theme with just him in different situations of incomprehension. The first scene was the weakest to me with acting and dialog that didn't keep the same great standard as the rest of the film but then we continue on the old mans journey through his troubled day of alienation and I'm engulfed by his world where he frantically tries to decode completely normal sentences – just articulated by the other sex. I'm not a big fan of twists at the end of shorts cause it usually feels contrived to me but director Armand Diab pulls it off with this one.

Foreign English is a fun film with a unique theme weaved cleverly throughout.

Fred Sauers, in the lead role as a curmudgeon with communication difficulties, is a joy to watch, and his charisma as an actor is able to transcend what some may find to be performances/accents by the supporting cast that are not on par with his.

Besides Mr. Sauers performance, the film's other most praiseworthy element would have to be the strong convictions of the filmmaker, which are so evidently portrayed through the narrative.

The film was well received at the Zero Film Festival, where I was able to watch it and be a part of the Q&A after it screened.