Steve

I was very intrigued about this film once I happened to watch its trailer because the trailer didn't give away anything at all about the film. It only showed Colin Firth sitting on a bed, fidgety. It was a good trailer indeed, it did its job of arousing my curiosity. The film works similarly. There is a feeling of anticipation and the unknown right from the point when Steve (Colin Firth) makes his first appearance in the home of a married couple (Keira Knightley and Tom Mison). It's obvious from Steve's rather early and desperate attempts at making friendly conversation ("Do you like picnics?" or "What are your top 5 favourite films?") that he is a lonely man. It's interesting to watch how Steve's lack of company and frustration play out together. The acting is very good, both Keira Knightley as well as Colin Firth. At times it feels as though Knightley is singing out her dialogues, I find that distracting. Steve has a (mildly) thrilling undertone, I enjoyed it.

The question here is -- Who is Steve? It is ultimately left to the viewer to decide. Is he just a lonely, pushy, but harmless man? Is he a loner with more going on than meets the eye? Is he a symbol of the increasing isolation our plugged in culture creates? Rupert Friend has written a puzzle of a short film, and has wisely chosen probably the best actor of his (our?) generation, Colin Firth, to portray the strange man in the yellow sweater whose intrusions on the lives of the other two characters grows increasingly alarming. There are gradual revelations of character here from all three involved. All is not what it seems at the beginning. Watching the subtle changes in the appearance of Steve are part of the texture the director (Friend) has created and give some insight, possibly, to what is going on. It is worth seeking out this film, just for the riveting performance of Mr. Firth.

Interesting and thought-provoking film, and I really enjoyed watching it. I think I will come back to it more than once.