One Step Away

Whilst less than half an hour long, this short brings the characters to life quickly. You're thrown into a single mum's life with her high school son and their struggle to get by, his teenage angst and distain of authority. He's in the wrong crowd and in trouble.

Reeves' performance is naive yet compelling. His otherworldly looks bely his aggressive character but his gentleness is there... waiting to shine through. He's believable even at such a young age. The chemistry with his mother is uncomfortable, and his large physical presence dominates some scenes. I thought he'd be aggressive with her at one point.

The film is very 80's and amateurish with starkly cut scenes, but poignant never the less. It is like an after school special (as they're called in the US) against the destructiveness of street crime on families.

I actually enjoyed watching it, it had tension and warmth and for such an obviously low budget production it had quite a punch. The acting was a little staccato, and the mum didn't seem to have much nuance or range, against Reeves' more fluid delivery, but even he was a bit line. line. line in some scenes.

Some of the production was like a college project-type film, but it's well done for what it is, and is entertaining and with a strong message.