Furst-drapht

A really simple film that'll be a really fun experience to those drawn in by the idea. Best way to describe this is pure and simple fun condensed into one simple activity. There are plenty of underwater shots that feel very clean in terms of their presentation, providing an unexpectedly effective sense of atmosphere to it from the tinted lighting of the film reel. The soundtrack also does a great job at giving a bouncy energy to help strongly communicate the excitement of the boy. While this isn't really my thing, I was glad to have watched it and recommend it to anyone looking for simple fun tales. Also for some reason the intro to this film uses a perspective similar to and sampling that's straight from the movie Jaws. Doesn't impact my thoughts in any way, just thought it was weird but interesting to mention.

This is a very ambitious idea for a short film, presenting a message about chipping away at someone until they're next to nothing wrapped up a mystery styled narrative. It could leave many opportunities for character progression or tying things into the central story. But the way that plot points are set up creates a feeling of things occuring simply due to the plot demanding it more than anything else. The structure of the picture also is very truncated in nature, where every moment feels like it only serves one purpose before moving onto the next moment. Gives off the impression that they're more just scenes to communicate ideas but not really telling much of a story. The story beats themselves feel as though they delve into both extreme sides of the spectrum. The first being that the only way they showcase moments involving the boy Cliff are flashbacks that make you feel bad for him. But with both a lack of development behind those sad moments and Cliff a character, it comes across like the overcompensating to get you to connect with him. Also doesn't help that characters like Cliffs step father feels like he's just an terrible person for the sake of being one, constantly calling Cliff stupid and consistently putting his selfish needs above everyone else. The second storytelling extreme comes from the main character delving into the themes of the film, by just straight up telling us the themes in a manor that feels very unnatural and scripted. I'm absolutely on board with events building towards a break down of the main ideas the writers are trying to get across. But it's important how that information gets delivered and that if feels like it's coming from the character rather than the writer. Despite my criticisms, there's still plenty of things to respect about the film. The cinematography and overall directing feels very professionally done. The back and forth perspective does an solid job at building tension during the opening scene. And the ending serving as a subtle awakening moment for our main character was presented in a very quiet but impactful manor.

The two main characters are written and performed incredibly well in a way where they find the complexity in something that seems so simple on its surface. Frog is always such a positive force trying to make sure everyone is having a good time, while occasionally dipping into moments of mischief to show how that aspect can be taken a little bit too far. While Toad is much more of a perfectionist, wanting to make sure everything is just right to be fully enjoyable to him. He tends to complain for most of his dialogue, but it's still written in a way where it's either very identifiable or comes from a place of caring for Frog. Both characters are vast in terms of how they represent types of people, but bring plenty of charm and innocence to make them incredibly likeable. This can also be seen in their performances, with Will Ryan having so much energy and genuine happiness in his performance as Frog, and Hal Smith giving us plenty of grogginess but the occasional burst of excitement and sincere kindness as toad. The music does so much to compliment the rural location of the forest, with a band that carefully uses selective instruments to help the scale feel quaint and small yet appropriate. The way it transforms throughout the picture also acts as a great extension of the mood of the characters or the excitement of each situation. The set designers also did a great job at placing objects in a way that feels very naturally scattered, while conforming to fit the frame well. There's way too much goodness to talk about, so I might go back and add more after a rewatch.