I won't lie, I've been looking forward to this so much that it's been veritable torment waiting for the opportunity to watch. I'm a huge fan of 5-Second Films, of which star, co-writer, and co-producer Kelsey Gunn has long been an integral part, and I'm a huge fan of Gunn herself; whether 5SF or other projects, she's consistently illustrated terrific acting abilities and keen wit. With that in mind I might be a tad biased, yet I couldn't be more pleased with just how good 'Little jar' is. No sooner than it begins is this wonderfully charming and fun, and it uniformly shows itself to be smart, clever, balanced, and well made. Strictly speaking it may not be singularly striking in the way that we often hope cinema to be, yet in no time its strength and value very plainly speak for themselves, and in its warmhearted enchantment it swiftly works its way under our skin and leaves a major, lasting impression. This is utterly outstanding, and to be very frank, this is surely one of the best movies to receive wide release (whether just online, in theaters, or both) in 2023, and beyond.
As if it hasn't been true at any other point in her career so far, Gunn's performance is marked with fabulous, spirited energy and wholehearted commitment, nevermind superb range and nuance. Whatever the nature of the projects of which she's been a part, she has demonstrated fine capability in any role, in any genre, and I can only fervently hope that there are more and bigger things coming her way. I say all this because Gunn is a critical anchor for this picture, and not just because she's the principal actor in a very small cast. There are a lot of flavors filling these ninety minutes, from the impossibly cute and magical, to the sincere and emotional; from classic indie quirkiness to honest reflection of real world events and issues; from the psychological, to the silly. At various points these flavors may be latched onto so heavily for a scene that they threaten to overwhelm the rest and bog down the viewing experience - yet Gunn, as an actor, keeps the proceedings grounded. Just as much to the point, Gunn as writer, with creative partner and filmmaker Dominic López, deftly shifts gears at just the right moments so the feature feels light and fresh at all times. Above all, 'Little jar' is characterized by incredible, gratifying earnestness in which is wrapped up all the ridiculousness and all the sobriety, allowing even the most disparate moods to mesh together and create something that manages to be a little bit of everything all at once.
I'm simply overjoyed at just how much obvious skill, care, intelligence, and hard work went into this, in every capacity. The image is impeccably crisp and clean, and the audio; the production values here are truly top-notch. López's cinematography is superficially unsophisticated, yet with a great many close-ups and shots at different ranges, in addition to the splendid shot composition he shows, even this basic element strongly indicates how capable the man is as a filmmaker. That absolutely goes for his editing, too, which is especially essential to shaping the title as constant cuts define the interactions between protagonist Ainsley and newfound friend Ulysses. (I'm not sure the question has ever entered my mind as prominently as it does here of just how many cuts there actually are in a film.) The filming location is marvelous, and the art direction is a blast; the costume design, hair, and makeup are lovely and creative. James Wakefield's music primarily sticks to the background, yet reliably and gently adds welcome ambience to any given scene, at some moments more than others. Meanwhile, the story itself is fantastically shrewd and entertaining, tackling with utmost thoughtfulness and finesse the real-life topic of a global pandemic with focus on a woman who, well, befriends a dead mouse in a jar. In keeping with the many noted flavors the dialogue and scene writing are magnificently varied and sharp, to say nothing of significant, crucial themes that are all so relevant to the real world. And as López's direction bears all these same highly admirable traits, how could I possibly say that the end result is anything other than perfect?
Truthfully, despite already being a fan of Gunn and looking forward to this, a part of me was afraid of the possibility it might not live up to my anticipation, or certain standards. I assumed I would enjoy it, but just how much broad, lasting worth it might claim was up in the air. Having now watch, I just feel foolish that I ever could have doubted Gunn or López, for 'Little jar' is stellar and far exceeds my wildest dreams of how much I would like it. The writing duo so brilliantly swirl together a cornucopia of feelings into a single, cohesive, compelling, profoundly meaningful whole, and even as some of the ideas herein are quite somber and even downbeat, overall it remains inescapably delicate and enchanting, and even inspires real feelings of - dare I say it - hope. For all the many, many, many pictures I've ever watched, I'm hard-pressed in this moment to think of many others that were able to elicit such powerful, heartfelt emotions, and furthermore to do so very softly. I'm hard-pressed to think of many other comedy-dramas that made nearly such an impression, with palpable, thought-provoking impact. I do not jest when I say that this might actually be one of the best movies released in at least the past few years, which makes it all the more impressive since Gunn's greatest visibility outside of this flick has been in an Internet comedy troupe. Well, I repeat that I hope many more good things come Gunn's way, and López's, because this is a phenomenal piece that deserves far, far more viewership, recognition, and appreciation. I cannot overstate what a delight 'Little jar' is, and as far as I'm concerned this genuinely demands viewership, in only the best of ways. My very highest, heartiest, and most enthusiastic recommendation, to one and all!
