Short Film Review

Film Info:
Birthday parties. Fun right? Maybe.

Written By: E.M. Walker
Directed By: E.M. Walker
Genre: Drama
9 Minutes

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BILL'S BIRTHDAY BASH ( 2016 )

  It really is part of life. Growing older, mounting debt and an ever closing circle of friends. It's the sad reality that most of us are doomed to live. At some time during our short lives we are simply meant to accept it, but what happens when you can't? "Bill's Birthday Bash" seems like an innocent title. We all love birthdays, and we all have them. The question is: Do we really want them? Especially as we begin to move up in the years? Depending on the type of person we are, a birthday could bring you closer to that respected vintage calendar date, where we all view ourselves as Sean Connery; it could also bring us closer to depression, if our lives haven't quite turned out the way we wanted. As a shy person, friends may have always been hard to come by. Being young however, usually presents us with ways to meet new people and connect. What happens if you're a shy person... who hasn't managed to gain a lot of new friends? As time marches on, it becomes harder and harder to get, and maintain relationships. This seems to be the theory behind "Bill's Birthday Bash", and I gotta say: It really makes you think.
  On the technical front, "Bill's Birthday Bash" tends to keep things on the simpler side. No real pans or focus pulls, a really neat and tidy approach to making a short film. This actually works quite well and compliments the narrative, without attempting to over power it. Clean, crisp shots edited together in a no frills kind of way. A few editing decisions I, myself may have done differently, such as the time lapse shots of Bill setting up his table. It's all subjective however, just because I may not have done it doesn't make it bad. Now, throw a good dialog track into the mix and you've got a pretty sharp looking flick. I can't stress enough how the no frills approach really helped drive home the story. Some good decisions in post.
  In the end, this is a really dark tale clouded over with some mildly comedic elements. There's no question we all know where this story is headed, right from the start... with a nice use of a desktop clock counting the time. What we don't know however, is the extent of what's in store for poor Bill. Although you may suspect, actually seeing the final scene is still heart wrenching. It's also a good example of irony. While E.M. Walkers short film may not be the most unique of it's kind, it can... and does send a powerful message. What message is that? Why not watch the film and find out. It's a freebie and well worth the time.
-JT

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