The BIGGEST Short Film of All Time? This film is a truly beautiful piece of art and a testament to the notion of independent film making. This film proves that there is an upper echelon of short film and, moreover, displays British film making at it's best.
The story centres around 'Hart', played by the wonderful Andrew Scott. He is a former artist mourning the loss of his wife(played by the gorgeous Olivia Grant)as it follows his grieving. A silent film with a haunting score, it pulls the audience into Hart's psyche. From a synoptic sense, this is the fundamental story. However, visually and musically it is delivered in awe striking fashion.
Every frame of the film is a work of genius. The director, Edward L. Dark spent the best part of 3 years hand-picking the perfect team and putting things into place, and it shows. Bringing James Clarke's original story to life 15 years after it's conception with a meticulous attention to detail.
I really cannot explain the visual style of this film as my only experience of anything like it is itself. It really has to be experienced to for the majesty and scale scale to be understood. This is the chief victory of the film as there really is nothing like it out there. It's simply magic.
Some viewers may only be interested in the story-telling process of a film but but the notoriously difficult 'Vista Vision' camera on which it was was shot puts Cotards onto an unheard of plane of short film in a technical sense.
The Vista Vision is unique because it shoots 35mm horizontally and for all it's beauty offers a host of technical difficulties. It joins only a handful of films shot on this format but is in good company with the likes of 'Forest Gump', 'Back to the Future' and 'Inception' (but to name a few) utilising the Vista Vision in portions of their film for it's high resolution and special effects purposes. The list of features shot entirely on the Vista Vision is even smaller!
This film is certain to be extremely well received by all the major film festivals. It deserves to be. Aestheticaly stunning. Narratively beautiful and exceptionally delivered by a stellar crew.
It should be known by all short film makers as 'the big one'.
