I watch a great many short films, and the vast majority of them fail to impress and often leaves this reviewer wishing he had never viewed them to begin with. Thankfully Mick Foley's The Portwine Stain does not fall into this (ather full) category, instead it manages to become a rather shining example of what a low budget short can be.
This is not to say it does not have its problems - it does, but none that spoils the film to a degree that turns away the viewer. It could be said that these "problems" are nothing of the sort and are just examples of my own rather picky standards. There is a lag towards the films middle, a victim perhaps of The Portwine Stains rather languid pacing and perhaps something that could be fixed with a little more brutality in its editing. It could also be said that the films ending a is a little too obvious and lacks the resonance it might have had under slightly more driven direction.
These criticisms are minor ones however, and from a more objective viewpoint it has to be said that the film flows well and the characters are well drawn and extremely likable. The films humour is always subtle and it never feels forced, perhaps it is these strengths that shows the films slight weaknesses in contrast rather than those weaknesses having any strength in themselves.
It also has to be mentioned that this film was shot on actual film, super 8 and super 16 I believe, and this is no easy endeavor for a modern film maker. It is not fair to judge such a film maker against those of us who use a purely digital format and as someone who has used both I tip my hat to him.
My main regret concerning The Portwine Stain is that we have seen nothing more from Mick Foley in the three years between this films release and the writing of this review. If you get a chance I urge you to see this short film, it may not be the best you ever see, but it will certainly be one that will leave you with fond memories.
This is not to say it does not have its problems - it does, but none that spoils the film to a degree that turns away the viewer. It could be said that these "problems" are nothing of the sort and are just examples of my own rather picky standards. There is a lag towards the films middle, a victim perhaps of The Portwine Stains rather languid pacing and perhaps something that could be fixed with a little more brutality in its editing. It could also be said that the films ending a is a little too obvious and lacks the resonance it might have had under slightly more driven direction.
These criticisms are minor ones however, and from a more objective viewpoint it has to be said that the film flows well and the characters are well drawn and extremely likable. The films humour is always subtle and it never feels forced, perhaps it is these strengths that shows the films slight weaknesses in contrast rather than those weaknesses having any strength in themselves.
It also has to be mentioned that this film was shot on actual film, super 8 and super 16 I believe, and this is no easy endeavor for a modern film maker. It is not fair to judge such a film maker against those of us who use a purely digital format and as someone who has used both I tip my hat to him.
My main regret concerning The Portwine Stain is that we have seen nothing more from Mick Foley in the three years between this films release and the writing of this review. If you get a chance I urge you to see this short film, it may not be the best you ever see, but it will certainly be one that will leave you with fond memories.