I don't have much to say here. Most of the stuff requires one to work so hard to see what is going on that at some point my mind just slipped away. It is a somewhat interesting concept, but the delivery is so full of VHS jumbles and cracks that by the time the point was made, I had other things to do.
2 Reviews
Driven by editing, sound, and effective use of VHS to make a familiar plot impacting and engaging (SPOILERS)
bob the moo14 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I watch a lot of short films, and it is really easy to spot a bad one – almost to the point where one has to be careful of making assumptions – so when a film starts with poor sound, poor cinematography, or just generally way fewer resources and talent than was needed to deliver the film, then you do tend to be able to call that from the first few scenes. I am reminded not to do this though, by the film Timelike – a film which was shot on VHS (no, really) and combines two of the most overly used narratives you could imagine (the "found footage" and the "closed time loop"). From the very start it looks so basic, and the plot seems so generic that really I thought the blog I trust for selecting good shorts must have lost their mind.
The plot is very simple. A home movie from 1993 captures a couple at home, when they are disturbed by a knock at the door. A woman is there with a written message for Madeline; claiming that the future version of Madeline gave her this note to come back and deliver to the younger version of herself. We never really understand what is on the note, but the implication is that it is something that helps the creation of time-travel, which is then sent back to, well, create the possibility of time-travel. This paradox is shown by this time-loop continuing across the VHS tape we are watching. As a narrative it is familiar but, ironically for a film delivered on VHS, it is the technical aspects that really makes the film work.
Although resources are limited in the making, the film convincingly delivers a world where everything is gradually going to hell. Aurally the film increases the sound levels from outside the house, with impact noises and a general sense of a mounting assault on the viewer. This is matched by the home getting darker, the camera-work getting less stable, the performances getting more frazzled, and even the VHS recording appearing to get worse in terms of quality. All this time, we see the same scene play out over and over, with the feeling of not only is this a closed time loop, but also that time is tearing itself to pieces. It works really well, and the sense of assault on the viewer is tangible, drawing you in. The VHS effect is really well captured, and the editing is excellent, helping to also lift the tempo and add to the feeling of things closing in.
The end result is a really strong and surprising piece of work, which not only overcomes its low resources, but actually utilizes them as strengths. There may be a lot generic in the concept, but the delivery makes it work, producing a short that defies expectation across the board.
The plot is very simple. A home movie from 1993 captures a couple at home, when they are disturbed by a knock at the door. A woman is there with a written message for Madeline; claiming that the future version of Madeline gave her this note to come back and deliver to the younger version of herself. We never really understand what is on the note, but the implication is that it is something that helps the creation of time-travel, which is then sent back to, well, create the possibility of time-travel. This paradox is shown by this time-loop continuing across the VHS tape we are watching. As a narrative it is familiar but, ironically for a film delivered on VHS, it is the technical aspects that really makes the film work.
Although resources are limited in the making, the film convincingly delivers a world where everything is gradually going to hell. Aurally the film increases the sound levels from outside the house, with impact noises and a general sense of a mounting assault on the viewer. This is matched by the home getting darker, the camera-work getting less stable, the performances getting more frazzled, and even the VHS recording appearing to get worse in terms of quality. All this time, we see the same scene play out over and over, with the feeling of not only is this a closed time loop, but also that time is tearing itself to pieces. It works really well, and the sense of assault on the viewer is tangible, drawing you in. The VHS effect is really well captured, and the editing is excellent, helping to also lift the tempo and add to the feeling of things closing in.
The end result is a really strong and surprising piece of work, which not only overcomes its low resources, but actually utilizes them as strengths. There may be a lot generic in the concept, but the delivery makes it work, producing a short that defies expectation across the board.
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