dbowkerD

Available to rent for a dollar, I went in with very little expectations, but whatever they were, they were exceed many times over!

The cinematography, locations, sets and music are all visually arresting from start to finish. For a "short" the production quality is absolutely top-notch, feeling like a big-budget movie rather than a small indie piece under 20 minutes. Laura Birn is the main character, and she ably carries the weight of the concept on her faces and through her eyes. Her character we gradually gather is the symbolic stand-in for "all" women of a certain young age (20-30). She immediately meets a woman several decades older who then becomes the stand-in for all "older" women.

The two become reluctant allies in a somewhat somewhat vague quest to "smash the patriarchy" though what they really want is to be seen for who the "are" not just for what men assume or want them to be. Each scene becomes a surrealistic exploration of this basic premise, from suddenly stepping into WWII to then walking into a rainy street straight out of Blade Runner. Though the messaging isn't all that groundbreaking, the visual and emotional path the short takes is amazing!

A short story that jumps right in and seems to meander a bit it, but then pulls the curtain away to reveal something darker than expected. Great camera work, dialog that works, and a good sense of timing between characters.

Realistic and grounded, the lead actress (Betsey Brown) is especially good, and I hope one of her many other shorts eventually get her noticed for something larger. She's got a naturalness to her acting and physicality that is perfect for a role that is meant to "seem" like it's minor.

What works more than anything is the fact that the main character is both charming on the one hand, but can be just as clueless and desperate on the other. Not so different than most people when you think of it.

At the heart of this subtle sci-fi short is the question so many of us ask ourselves (even if only in the dark corners of the mind), which is: Do I belong here. "Here" could mean work, among friends, in your family, with a lover, in your community, or maybe even the "here" of anywhere. Do I deserve to be here as a living, thinking, entity? So many people in one's life can undermine our simple birthright of existence, whether parents, teachers or others, and but rarely would you so suddenly face such an existential crisis as Lara does in this compact but very effective story.

What especially reinforces the central theme of "Am I human?" is the way that throughout the film she is almost never allowed to be alone. Coincidence by virtue of a busy office? Or is everyone else in the the "truth" but her? Both the editing and cinematography do a great job of leaning into a growing claustrophobia as the story unfolds, all of reinforced by a kind of corporate HR vibe that is fairly dehumanizing in itself.