independent film reviews

Launderette is a short film that takes place in a laundromat — a place that can feel stale and depressing, yet always seems to capture a strange charm when viewed through a lens. UK director Bertie Telezynski’s short film, with cinematography by Alex Nevill, is a personal look at the lives of those who visit the laundromat. By asking laundromat patrons personal questions that skip past inane “small talk” and delve directly into the innermost thoughts of strangers, Launderette manages to capture opinions about beautiful things and memorable childhoods. Many of these questions are fraught with discomfort due to their personal nature, and it’s remarkable that the strangers generally complied with answering. One can’t help but respect the filmmakers for partaking in what must have been an unpredictable and uncomfortable situation.

In the end, my only problem is with the short’s post-production. It may have been purposely dreary, but overall, it feels too unprocessed. Not that overprocessing is a must for every film, but in the low-light conditions in which this short was shot, the colors feel muddled. Nonetheless, if human reactions and social interactions are up your alley, this short will interest you.

You can watch the whole short below.

Laundrette from Alex Nevill on Vimeo.

Skhizein (Jérémy Clapin,2008) from Bertie on Vimeo.

Just wanted to share with you this really amazing animated short about a man who is struck by a meteorite and then forced to live “91 centimeters away from himself.” Before I watched it, I had no idea what that tagline could possibly mean, but now it makes sense, and it’s one of the best animated pieces of work I’ve seen in a while… because of both the animation and the concept.

The DVD also just came out in October 2009, so head on over to http://www.muiye.com/skhizein/SKHIZEIN.html to see how you can attain a copy!

Walnut is a surprisingly beautiful and ridiculously touching tale about how a family deals with having to put down their dog. Minimalistic in nature and with few words of real dialogue, Walnut is a study on the polarized reactions of human beings when it comes to dealing with tragedy. “Coming of Age” films aren’t usually my bag of chips, but in small doses, such as in Walnut, they can actually be kind of sweet.

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Director:
Amy Gebhardt

One of the best shorts I’ve ever seen, Rewind is a complete mind fuck that is confusing at first and genius upon completion. Set wholly in a dingy room, the entire short is played backwards, with no dialogue between the characters. The only words are the description of a narrator, who is not describing the scene, but the events leading up to the scene.

Yet, somehow, the entire short meets together at a common point and makes perfect sense. Rewind is absolutely captivating in its nonlinear storytelling, and the way the visuals sync up with the narration is brilliant in its inventiveness.

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Director:
Atul Taishete