Tragedy and loss are a normal part of that thing we call life. Nothing can make you do more, to get the most out of life, than death - to remind us how fragile or limited life can be. Sometimes however, lives are cut short. Illness, accidents and just dumb luck often factor into the lives of those taken before their time. Nothing however, is sadder than suicide both in terms of the person depressed enough to take their own life, and the people they leave behind. Especially relationship related suicides. The remaining partner is left to shoulder the burden and ask those inevitable questions. Should they have seen it coming? Should they have treated their partner differently? Was it their fault completely? These are the questions one hopes they will never have to ask, because thoughts such as these can haunt a person forever. This ladies and gents is where "Velvet Hour" comes in. Our lead, Ben, loses his girlfriend to suicide, after what appears to be multiple fights between the couple. Since this is a very short film, we never get the details, only the broad-strokes. These arguments appear to have been serious enough for Risa, his girlfriend, to kill herself. Or maybe, Ben's girlfriend was unstable to start with. Either way, the damage has been done and Ben's mind is left shattered in her wake. "Velvet Hour" showcases his attempt to alter the way he thinks, by planting some slightly better memories in place of all the bad ones. This is where the science fiction aspects come in, and in all honesty... it's "visually" quite cool to watch. "Velvet Hour" is an experimental film. The story is conveyed with unusual imagery and a flare for the dreamy. I'm not going to lie... it's a film feeling quite random at times. I'm not even completely sure I understood the general narrative I wrote about above. Never mind the more advanced concepts of the movie. I suppose being experimental, it's all up to the viewers interpretation of events. More about the "feeling" created, and the visuals - and let me tell you reader... visually, "Velvet Hour" is impressive. The look Shireen Vasseghi, who wrote and directed, has created is stunning at times. This film really "shows" well. Oliver Hall, as Ben, manages to deliver an excellent performance during this dreamy adventure. His casting was a wise choice when you stop to consider how little dialog he actually has. A lot was acted out visually and he was perfect. His girlfriend Risa, portrayed by Naho, comes across as an emotional soul. It's no big stretch to assume her mental balance goes from one extreme to another. No middle ground. It's just a shame we couldn't have had a little more screen time of the two of them. But... as they say... this is a short film. "Velvet Hour" managed to stick with me for a time, after the credits rolled. Although slightly hard to follow completely, there was enough to get the basic idea of the story. Once you factor in the "interesting" nature of the onscreen action, this title really does have the potential to evoke some emotions. Even if you're not quite sure why. Experimental film can be tough. As a creator, you want something cool. Something dreamy and different. Yet it's a fine line between creation and confusion for the average viewer. Luckily, this film isn't that long. So even if you don't get the story perfectly, the dramatic base-line of the production "still" makes it worth your time. Something new. Something different... something good.
