I read about this film on a short film site and was curious about how this would play out. On the face of it the narrative is quite simple – a man wants to recreate a western-themed photograph that he took with his father, but to do so in a dress, not in a male- orientated deputy outfit. This in itself gives the film more content than you would expect, but it is the way it is delivered that adds to the engagement of the film.
The first half is delivered as VHS tapes of the moment (although of course recreated for this film), and a droll narration runs over the top; the narration provides a lot of inflection and tone to the film and this was nicely done. The second half of the film jumps to a much different style, where the whole scene is set in the old west, not just the photograph. There is no narration in this second half, but we learn a lot and, although the film does not push an emotional line, you can take a lot from the restraint of the delivery as it sits next to the importance of the moment.
It is not a perfect short film, and I can understand those that have issues with it, however it is a most interesting piece with creativity, intelligence, and heart.
