Film reviews
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Little Deaths (Film)
Rating: M
Running Time: 120
Country: Australia
Director: Genevieve Bailey , Toby Angwin, Christopher Benz, Melanie Brunt, Ben Chessell, Sian Davies, Fin Edquist, Jarrah Gurrie, Geoff Hitchins, Giula Sandler, James Teh
Cast: Peter Barron, Abe Forsythe, Magda Szubanski, Adam Zwar
Distributor: The Difference Engine
Release Date: November 04, 2010 Melbourne
Film Worth: $11.00
FILMINK rates movies out of $20 - the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worthWhile some shorts fare better than others, this ambitious exploration of relationships seamlessly shifts between serious and comedic moments.
Taking the notion that everyone has a story to tell and running with it, the Australian feature Little Deaths is a compilation of eleven loosely intertwined short films which explore love, lust and loss. Linking them is the overarching story of a lonely young toolbooth operator (Abe Forsythe) who spends his time imagining the relationships shared by the passing passengers, and in the process, a sweet love story of his own develops.
Written by Giula Sandler (whose scriptwriting credits include a number of television series including McLeod's Daughters), the short films were directed by a clutch of up-and-coming local filmmakers and understandably Little Deaths has an eclectic feel. As they are all directors who have honed their own shorts before - and are experienced with the possibilities and constraints of the medium - each segment is well crafted and imprinted with a distinctive visual style. While each of the shorts is set in Melbourne, they do not rely on their locale for significance and furthermore dispense with any obligatory Australian mannerisms. Commendably Little Deaths seems to be aiming for a more universal emotional resonance.
Little Deaths seamlessly shifts between the darker and more comedic moments, albeit some shorts fare better than others. One of the funnier shorts involves a young couple - played by Mirrah Foulkes (Dying Breed) and David Michod, the latter now between known as the writer/director behind Animal Kingdom - attempting to make their own home sex video. Another highlight comes at the halfway mark and involves a woman who can't sleep until she cathartically shreds her mattress which she shared with an old lover.
Nuanced, thoughtful and offbeat, Little Deaths is the epitome of a film where the whole proves greater than the sum of its parts. When the film reaches its end and some of the lesser stories begin to fade, what's more important is the lingering feeling left behind - a perfect mixture of melancholy and optimism.
