Bad Poetry, Cheap Beer (2017) User Reviews

Authenticity.

[Howlin Wolf · 9/10 · 22 September 2017]

This is my favourite kind of movie - a poignant indie drama.

The movie spoke to me, about the happiest times being when someone can open up, relax and be their true selves. 'Authenticity' as a thread was a theme that ran through the whole movie, and that's how the film itself felt... Authentic. It made me not want the story to end there, and to be able to know more about these people and their lives - which is pretty much all you can ask for, from a short film!

A striking debut, and a calling card that promises further memorable work, in the future.

Even Matt Damon -in his Matt Damon voice- wouldn't resist this short...

[tawanyhlgr · 9/10 · 3 February 2018]

I definitely recommend it! This is the director's first short and it just gets you excited about what he'll come up with next.

In this nicely paced short film, two guys meet in the most mundane of ways; the night will burrow into their instincts and desires. There will be humor, there will be heartbreak.

If I were to describe it in a phrase, it'd be "urban lyricism". The short is deep-seated in our daily reality but at the same time, denotes a discreet, ethereal cadence; the realms of ordinary and exaltation collide.

The language of the dialogue is simple, coming across as spontaneous but very cool. Very fitting. The lines come out well from the actors' mouth, making them not just adequate dialogue on paper but functional in action, too.

The acting and interactions/chemistry between the two actors is my favorite part. They kept me captivated. Their facialexpressions and body language/movements are such enhancements to the simplest of things. Chuckles and eyebrows are not to be underestimated!

I like the title. It's suggestive, a bit quirky and got me curious before watching. Poetry, with its reputation of gatekeeper of mysteries, and alcohol known as the nectar of truth. Put them together and it really captures what this short has to offer! The beauty, the cold reality, the boring waiting moments of day-to-day etc.

I'd recommend the reader of this review to watch it more than once. Then you can pay closer attention to how enriching to the overall film the exchanges between the two actors (with the dialogue and visual communication) are. And just how charming!

Real life breaks the spell but the aching beauty remains.