directed by:
Daniel McGuire written by: Daniel McGuire genre: Horror, Comedy |
Let me just start by writing that I noticed some kind of frame rate issue when watching this. I'm hoping it was not the film itself, rather some online technical glitch. Perhaps my connection was slow at the time of viewing, or maybe the servers were busy where the movie was hosted. I've tried to un-see this problem for the sake of this write-up, but if it wasn't a technical problem, and the issue is within the rendering of the film itself... try and get it fixed. Please please please.
Aside from that? The quick version of this review is that "Aim High" is an interesting, creepy little production. That's the quick take-away for what follows but essentially, "Aim High" is a glimpse into the minds of three people. A couple - err... ex-couple, and an unrelated man with some severe mental issues. I suppose that technically, all three of this films characters have issues, but for Brody, his issues revolve around his ex-girlfriend. He wants her back and unfortunately for him, she has other ideas. Drastically different ones. As the two awkwardly confront one and other, one thing is clear. One way or the other - Brody isn't going to get what he wants. The fun with this short film? Either of the two will, but the third - unrelated party, eventually achieves exactly what he's aiming for. Pun intended... ...back to writing what was so interesting about this film. The easy way to write it? The tense, eerie feeling it evoked in me. It's really hard to accurately describe the actual feeling, but I still find it strange it was present at all. This isn't a horror movie. Nor is it a thriller - or anything else I can really describe. It also wasn't a comedy. Not really - and yet... it also was. The comedy comes from the situation itself, and the characters thoughts on what was taking place. The horror aspects come from the actual content, and blood effects of the film. But it's not scary by any means... and not truly comedic by any standard definition. "Aim High" rests somewhere in it's own little genre - and yet that still doesn't explain the exact feeling I had when I watched. For this random cramming of emotion, this film easily deserves a spot far grander than an average rating. And yet there are issues, and even though I tried, I couldn't fully ignore that stuttering frame rate effect. It's clear this film was put together on a tight budget. It's also clear that it was produced with a love for movie making. Strange and fast edits, dutch angles, and a generally fast paced piecing really keep this movie quick and to the point. The general style, as far as I'm concerned, also really helps with that creepy feeling I was writing about above. Aside from recommending people to watch for themselves, so they can see/feel what I mean? I don't know what else to write. It's really that strange.
But what about the general concept of this movie? Pretty cool actually. It's all fairly straight forward all the way until the end when... it isn't. Also worth noting is the way "Aim High" demonstrates the inner minds of the characters. That was pretty cool as well. I can't deny that, and also can't deny the great job the cast did with the written script. At the same time I'm praising the production mechanics of this film, I also want to point out something I really didn't enjoy. It was the constant close up shots. Maybe close up isn't quite the term... more like medium shots? Whatever the case, something about the constant switch back and forth of the characters, all handled quite closely, made it seem as if they were not in the same room. As if half the movie was re-shot, and both cast members couldn't be present at the same time. Small potatoes for some, but noticed by me. At the end of the day? "Aim High" was a solid, creepy, and at times amusing short film. No question about that. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but it definitely catered to my tastes. A solid movie - and a solid three and a half stars. |
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