Stutterer

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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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.

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

Stutterer (2015)

*** (out of 4)

Benjamin Cleary wrote and directed this tender short, which picked up a Best Short Oscar nomination. A man named Greenwood (Matthew Needham) has been having an online relationship with a woman named Ellie (Chloe Pirrie) but things take a turn for him when she asks to meet him in person. The thing is that Greenwood has a major stuttering problem, which he fears might cost him a chance at a real relationship with the woman.

STUTTERER certainly wasn't the best nominated short that I saw but there's no question that it has a rather tender story as well as a very touching ending that I certainly won't spoil here. I thought director Cleary did a very good job at building out the story and I thought it was extremely well-made. I liked the laid back nature of the picture and I thought the story was rather clever in the way that it eventually played out.

A man who loves words but can't speak them has to finally meet his on-line girlfriend.

That's a set-up for a full length rom-com, yet it takes care of business in just 12 minutes (as I wish most modern rom-coms would). It's a fine example of story-telling with maximum economy. This is what the best of Short Films do and "Stutterer" is one of the best, among this year's Oscar nominees at least (I'd put it a close second to "Day One").

Like a haiku or a sonnet, the short film can serve to distill a subject to it's essence. "Stutterer" is a fine example of the form. Bravo!