** SOME SPOILERS **
I was fortunate enough to see this film recently, as I have worked with one of the key people involved, and watching it with an unbiased opinion, it was one of the more interesting short films I have ever seen - and I have seen my share.
The premise, is just like the title, a new Fare for a cab driver, however this is no ordinary Fare - and no I won't give too much away. All I will say is that the small girl - played amazingly by a then eight-year-old ?? Robin Anne Phipps - conveys things that most child actors are not able to convey, save for maybe Dakota Fanning. And it's apparent from the very first frame, that there is some mystery surrounding this little girl and her young sleepy brother. We are almost sharing the perspective with the cab driver in a way - trying to figure out just who these two kids are?
That part I won't reveal, as that is the crux of the mystery itself, but I will say that the two things that truly make this film, 'special,' are the acting of Phipps juxtaposed with both the well-written script by Neil Every - which I happen to know took an award during its Festival run - and his masterful direction. As a filmmaker myself, I do appreciate interesting shots and choices, and Every gives us just that. Even the opening - quick flashes of a train arriving, which is carrying the two lead children - and opening-title sequence gets us ready for the ride of our life.
And Phipps provides us with a real, 'CHILDREN OF THE CORN,' moment right before we arrive at our destination, and there is suddenly something both creepy and surreal about her, though I will leave that moment up to the viewer to discover.
I also will NOT reveal anything else regarding the end of the film, as not to spoil someone else's journey. I will, however, say listen to the end title credits for some amazing bits of dialog from both Phipps and Thomas Miller, playing the aforementioned brother, that certainly add to the storyline. Bravo to Every for choosing to run these snippets of dialog in the closing titles - they DO add much to the story. And Bravo to Phipps and the small cast of this interesting award-winning short.
If anyone has a chance, I highly recommend it. If nothing else, it will certainly take you on a strange ride and an amazing cinematic journey.
