Spider

Jack(Edgerton, charming, who also directs) and Jill(Foulkes, cute) are driving, well, she is, to be more precise, and he's in the front passenger seat. She's annoyed with him – he always takes things too far. A bit of a practical joker, that one. They stop for gas, and he buys her some apology gifts… and something else.

This uses its 8 minute running time(not counting the end credits, with, it's 9) well. Everything is established, set up. We're shown with a few shots and seconds everything we need to know about these two, as individuals, together, and each decision and event builds, until we reach the hilarious major punchlines. If you want outrageous, pitch black humor, Aussie productions are definitely the way to go. Production values are solid. Nothing feels like it's on a budget. This is a sweet rom-com about a couple who can get on each other's nerves… but who do really love each other. And then that is interrupted by a sudden burst of comedy, which is all the more effective by its surrounding short.

There is some brutal, disturbing content in this. I recommend it to anyone who loves this kind of thing. 8/10

Like most movie-goers, I've seen Joel Edgerton in many movies but not so with Nash Edgerton, his brother. So, it's refreshing to see Nash again, even in such a short story.

And what a story! Young man and young woman (Jack and Jill - what a giggle), having had a tiff of some sort, are driving around Sydney suburbs. Jack's trying to make amends; Jill's ignoring him. He turns on the music; she kills it. She's driving, he's trying to regain her interest - and perhaps trust - again. The traffic is quick and thick. She's keeping her eyes on the road. Small talk from him gets nowhere....

Got the picture?

Suddenly, Jill rolls the car into a gas station. She's out quickly and starts pumping. Jack gets out, enters the nearby shop, up to the counter and starts picking out goodies for his girl, the usual stuff: flowers, card, chocolate - and one item you don't quite get a good look at, except it's black.

Jack's back in the car first. He places flowers all over the seat and dashboard, hangs up the card on the rear-view, places some yummy chocs near the steering wheel, and puts something up behind the sun-visor. Jill gets in, throws flowers out the window, gets the car going, joins the traffic. She ignores him and the chocolates; and drives. He puts another chocolate on the dashboard. And another. She snatches one up. He holds one in his fingers, extends it. Now, a ghost of a smile which turns to a grin, as she tries to get it from his fingers. She laughs aloud; he joins in.

And then ... Jill somehow brushes against the sun-visor, the black thing - we see a large rubber fake spider - falls onto her lap, she screams, barely misses a head-on collision with another car, screeches to a stop, scrambles out as Jack's desperately trying to soothe her fears, she backs away and....

Then Jack learns the price we all can pay when self-inflicted, unintended consequences fall into place. The dramatic irony is exquisite and concurrently comedic. I'm sure, were he alive today, Honoré de Balzac would approve. Regardless of what you think, I recommend you see this little beauty to find out what really happens.

I never accord a ten out of ten for anything, although I was tempted; but this is definitely nine. And I recommend it for all (except young kiddies, of course).

5th October, 2018

In my continued attempt to avoid spoilers, I am hoping that I can do fair justice in my review of this good little short. If you have not seen it please do. For me it does not merely sit in the comedy genre but does have a gore element without the blood and guts. A plot driven film that hinges on two story twists - one too obvious while the other unexpected and funny - there is not a real story to this short. It would be fairer to say this is a sketch of shorts that pulls off a well executed plot. The performances are neither here or there and you are left to marvel at how they achieved the visual effects and applaud the filmmakers for that and of course the brilliant editing.

I came across the film 'Spider' last week accidentally while I was surfing on http://www.vice.com and I can only recommend it to anybody out there. It's clever and funny. Okay, I wouldn't classify it as a comedy, rather a drama, but definitely nobody would deny that there are some components of black humour in it - which I must confess I generally don't really like in movies (at least in those with the normal length) - but in short-films, the situation is completely different. Regarding the fact that short-films rarely last longer than 15 minutes (this one even is <10min) it is no easy task for the producers to create a plot lines that stick in people's minds even when the movie itself has long ended -- I guess, that's why many short-film makers decide to set their focus more on things like methaphorical/artistical language or sounds than on captivating stories.'Spider', in contrary, has taken this task & successfully coped with it. The story focuses on a (remarkable authentic;) young couple, going through a (merely small) relationship crisis during a car ride. When the boy finally decides to implement his (stupid?) plans to reconcile with his spouse, things inevitably start to take its course.... Including some (black-, but nevertheless) humorous scenes, the movie also offers an intelligence plot twist (which I think is obligatory for a good movie) & two young and talented actors - but the best is still the stunning last scene, which forces you to still gaze at your screen in shocking amazement even though the movie's already over and the closing credits are rushing (which are, besides, accompanied by a very nice soundtrack). Altogether, 'Spider' is definitely worth watching. You think, you see the climax already coming from far away? -->Maybe you got to learn, that every now and then, destiny might be more than a nasty bitch:)

"It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye." -Mum

After watching Spider as well as another short film titled Lucky, it seems that Nash Edgerton has a slightly warped mind that relishes the bizarre unexpected plot twist. Even though the final twist in Spider is rather macabre, I also found it kind of humorous - sort of a "that's horrid but it does serve you right" reaction.

The production of Spider is very real-life and natural feeling, gritty rather than slick. The actress who plays Jill, Mirrah Foulkes, is especially good. Her reactions to Jack's 'sweeet' attempts at making up and to his dreadfully misguided joke, are most believable.

Watching Spider is like reading an imaginative short story, I hope to be able to view more offbeat and good stories by Mr. Edgerton.