Gin & Dry

Imagine spending Christmas eve in a care home with a bunch of old, bored and alcohol-craving folks who devise a plan to steal booze and indulge in the joys of being wasted . Gin and Dry is a perfect example of a bittersweet story, which carries itself light-heartedly, while an underlying message waits patiently to unfold. What I thought was fascinating about Gin and Dry was the fusion of comedy and drama, which is intrinsic to the story. Very few films depict old people as protagonists. What makes Gin and Dry genuine is the way it portrays the residents of a care home - almost like children. This not only helps the audience relate to the characters but also subverts any preconceptions the viewer might have. Albie, the protagonist, seems like the grandfather everyone would like to have. He is a gentle, stoic and wise guy, who seems to posses high moral values and always takes responsibility for his actions. We see him in the beginning of the film as he pours some gin for him and his wife Dee. Their dialogue is nostalgic as they both remember their shared memories from the past. Albie stands out from the other, more child-like characters and consequently becomes the driving force of the story. The production design in this film is incredible. While the film does not represent a care home realistically (the ones I've seen are much grittier); the various props such as Christmas lights, little ornaments and bottles of alcohol transform an otherwise dull environment into a colourful and interesting world. It seems like the shots were cleverly constructed beforehand, since each frame is visually pleasing with interesting elements in the background. In my opinion, Gin and Dry offers an interesting take on care homes and the ways their residents behave. What initially seems like an adventurous journey of mischief eventually turns into a reminder that sparks of life are present even in the dustiest and most forgotten places.

The story of an alcohol heist in a retirement home seems like a good combination of genres, but this short film is more focused on mortality, cherishing life and relationships than the actual 'heist'. The film looks great, Capture manage to make a dreary retirement home very visually pleasing. A very shallow focus is used, so the background Christmas lights flare up to create great looking, crisp visuals.

For a 15 minute film its ending does pack a powerful emotional punch, which is only achieved through the effective build up of the main character Albie. To feel such emotion for characters you've only known for a few minutes is quite an achievement. There is also a great continuous ending shot.

The sense of 'action' needed to be stronger during the actual heist and it could have been given more time, however this is really only one element of the story. As a whole it all fits together as a perfectly short, beautifully told story.

'Gin and Dry' captures today's loutish generation who'll do anything for a drop of alcohol. Intimidation, violence, hostage taking, nothing is too much for these individuals and their lust for a strong drink. Sometimes they're even willing to put their lives and Zimmer frames on the line for it.

In reality 'Gin and Dry' makes use of elderly actors for the cast and a care home as the setting, to tell a very honest story. As with any good film the audience are made to think and one of the pleasures of such a short piece is that it doesn't feel at all didactic. The brevity means that we are provoked and then just as quickly left alone to debate and ponder the issues we feel are most important.

As the central character Albie makes clear, these characters aren't going to be around for too much longer and although many films may deal with life and death, the setting of 'Gin and Dry' provides death with an immediacy that heightens the effect of the story. Alongside debating the roles of alcohol, mortality, love and everything in between, you question why older people are so rarely given the lead roles.

Capture avoid using the typical higher angle shots that often depict older characters as small and fragile. The particularly shallow focus used also adds a hint of the cinematic and the Christmas lights provide warmth to contrast with the honesty of the content. As the camera slowly focuses in on the record Albie has chosen, undulating as it plays, we are led into the wonderfully inspired final shot of the film. The style of the ending perfectly completes a film that is quite simply, a good story told well.

Gin & Dry evoked powerful thought and emotion, feeling like a real feat within fifteen minutes. Themes of ageing, the fragility that comes as a result, the often difficult transition between self reliance and dependence, are all touched on with sensitivity and a twist of comedy. What could have easily been portrayed as a dreary setting in an old people's home was shot beautifully, clever use of contrast and colours, an intricate play of camera focus and perfectly fitting music.

I thought the central character of Albie was brilliantly cast; you warm to him from the first scene. As the plot unfolds he holds key importance in the 'heist', his speech-like dialogue to the head carer resonates to the audience and the relationship he has with his long term partner definitely unfolds with grace. The close up head shots of both Albie and his wife make you very much focus on expression, and the emotive words that the characters are speaking.

The heist sequence did seem some-part rushed, but I felt it was a good energetic peak mid- film, that again brought the comedic value of the situation to a head.

Overall I thought this was a lovely and powerful short, that poses the question of whether anyone can really decide what is 'right' or 'wrong' at the later stage of one's life, the pain brought and reality of getting old, whilst being aesthetically pleasing to the eye and using comedy cleverly to convey the story.

Whilst the general happenings of a few geriatric's in an old peoples home may sound a little mundane, 'Gin and dry' manages to break this convention using a lot of humour, a little more emotion and a jaw dropping twist.

Upon viewing the trailer for this movie, it appeared to be solely about some old people wanting some booze -- So they go ahead to plan/steal it, Oceans 11 style, which made it somewhat unattractive but may be worth a few laughs, but it's much more than that. Whilst the opening few minutes are pretty funny, the movie isn't really about the heist, it's about the character Ablie, our protagonist.

We learn so much about this character in such a short space of time it's really quite fascinating.

If there were to be any negatives about this production, it would be about the rest of the cast. They're all quirky and can be quite funny, but overall none of them really stand out. However, I believe this actually benefits the film, as it makes Ablies character shine even more which is just brilliant.

All in all a great short, one recommended to all.

9/10