Stutterer

Wow forget long blockbuster movies but the new thing should be watching Oscar nominated or winner short films. This one was so good. Bravo.

From thequickflickcritic.blogspot.com/

The task of any Short Film is to seize the viewer's attention in literally a matter of seconds, at once inspiring and sustaining an emotional connection with the story and it's characters. It is a most formidable undertaking indeed. I'm here to declare that Writer/Director Benjamin Cleary's 2015 British production "Stutterer" succeeds in not only meeting, but surpassing, this genuinely daunting mandate.

In an instant I felt the helpless frustration that Greenwood projects as he struggles with all of his might to convert the ever flowing thoughts in his head to bear upon his tongue and lips. But he can't. I found it consistently gripping and, moreover, painful to behold this roundly riveting performance which Matthew Needham (The BBC's "Casualty") gifts to us in the title role of "Stutterer".

A couple of quibbles if you'll allow. I found it a bit difficult to understand how an adult man with at least one apparently caring parent could not have received at least a measure of effective therapy for his severe affliction at some point in his life. And as the movie drew to conclusion I had already anticipated how it was likely going to end, my hunch proving accurate.

Still, these amount to but minor distractions in an otherwise richly satisfying and touching story, one that is ultimately of a lonely soul's search for his kindred sweet spirit.

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Stutterer is a great short film that has everything a short should have. The story has emotional depth, and I really liked the performance by the actor - especially the main character. He did an amazing job portraying the role.

The cinematography is excellent. There's a scene where he's walking to meet the girl, and his thoughts are split - one thought plays on the right side of the headphones, and another on the left side. I noticed this while watching with headphones, and it really added a creative touch to the film. It's great work by the sound team.

The score is also perfect. It's subtle, not over-the-top, and it complements the film really well.

I really appreciated the small, meaningful details the writer included. For example, the main character doesn't just judge people - he actually keeps track of how many people he has judged by just seeing them, because he knows he won't be able to speak to them. It's a small but powerful way to show how his condition affects his view of the world. There are also moments when he judges himself, which were handled in such a real and thoughtful way.

Overall, Stutterer is a really good short. I enjoyed it alor.

Before watching this film, I went in knowing it won the Oscar in the live-action short film category, so I had pretty high hopes. I was surprised to find that the film was very simple.

It's not bad in any way, but Oscar material? Short films that win Oscar's typically cover topical or important issues, or are very moving. While this film is touching, I wouldn't have given it a win. I do believe it deserved its nomination, but there were certainly better shorts that year. The main actor in this is very good. But good acting doesn't necessarily make a good film. I guess I was just left wanting more. The plot summary is literally the film. Good, but not at such a level it warranted an Oscar win.

This film is about a young man who stutters. His stutter is not a minor stutter but debilitating. He often has difficulty even talking out loud to others and has even pretended to be deaf in order to prevent him having to talk out loud. However, he's had an online relationship with a girl for many months and when she tells him that she's coming to London and wants to see him, he's in a panic. What is he to do? She has no idea that he's a stutterer and he's very apprehensive to writer her back at all. What is he to do?

As a father of a deaf daughter, I found it fascinating watching the main character practicing British Sign Language--a system that is surprisingly very little like American Sign Language. It appeared to be done well...which I appreciate. My biggest reason for not being so enthusiastic about this film isn't because the short is poorly made--it's quite good. But I saw another short this year that was very, very similar except that instead of struggling with stuttering, the main character struggled with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder when going out on a blind date.

UPDATE: It really surprised me but this film took the Oscar.