Plastic Bitch

Plastic Bitch is the sort of short film that you wish was a feature. The direction, cinematography, writing and acting are all done so naturally as to appear effortless. This is what I like to see when I watch the work of young directors. Though clocking in at a mere thirteen minutes, this little gem packs quite a punch and hints at big things to come from writer/director Jeff Moneo.

The film tells the story of Harley and the trouble he is having adjusting to life with a step sister and mother. There's a nice natural forward momentum to the story telling, revealing bits of crucial plot in a more subtle manner rather than the outright silliness we often find in short films. Moneo seemed to take his time with this, allowing it to unfold at a pleasant pace, despite the obvious time constraints involved in making a thirteen minute film. By the time the credits were rolling, I for one was nicely tucked into the story and wished that it could have gone on for much longer. As far as I'm concerned, if you can create believable and likable settings, story mood and characters within thirteen minutes then you are moving in the right direction as a film maker.

Screened most recently at The Worldwide Short Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, I don't feel that I am going too far out on a limb here to say with confidence that Plastic Bitch will be making appearances at many a film festival. I do recommend making the effort to catch it if it should screen at one near you.