LEWIS

PAULINE LEWIS
PROF. LEWIS
ENC 1102 – SHORT FILMS 1
FEBUARY 06, 2020
SHORT FILM ANALYSIS 1
Film Title: THE CRUSH
Year / Genre: 2010 DRAMA
Nationality: IRELAND
Director: MICHAEL CREAGH
Featuring: OLGA WEHRLY, ORAN CREAGH, RORY KEENAN
“The Crush” is a short Irish romantic comedy that opens to a scene where the words “reveal”, “pretend”, and

“love” can be heard as the camera cuts to five different angles of a classroom and young children in uniform. It is within

this very scene the plot and structure of the film is exposed to audience. It is revealed that Ardal, the main character

expresses his feelings to his teacher Miss Purdy as he gives her a red ring making it obvious to the audience that she is

his crush. Throughout the film the conflict becomes evident at unexpected meeting between Ardal and Pierce, Miss

Purdy fiancé. Pierce’s interaction and behavior with Miss Purdy gives off the “asshole” attitude in which Ardal and the

audience can recognize that Pierce is “pretending” to be happy with Miss Purdy and that he doesn’t deserve her.

The editing of the film builds up on conflict as the audience witness Ardal challenges Miss Purdy’s fiancé to a

shoot-out. The suspense rises as Ardal continues to threaten Pierce at gunpoint to renounce his engagement to Miss

Purdy. The scene builds a strong grip over Peirce and the audience at the thought of watching a kid kill a man in the

name of love. Scared to death at gunpoint and finally the man lets out his truth by shouting he never wanted to be

married to Ms. Purdy and the scene lets out dreaded sound of a gunshot. Ardal shoots the man and within this scene the

audience is left to believe that the man is dead until it is revealed by a small orange pellet, that it turns out to be a toy

gun. Finally, the plot is executed as Miss Purdy and the audience realizes that her fiancé is just a coward and he does not

really love her. She throws the engagement ring on him and leaves with Ardal, this ending leaves the viewers with the

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impression of just how far one is willing to go to prove real love. Word Count:

338

SHORT FILM ANALYSIS 2

Film Title: THE PHONE CALL

Year / Genre: 2013 DRAMA
Nationality: UNITED KINGDOM
Director: MAT KIRKBY
Featuring: EDWARD HOGG, JIM BROADBENT, SALLY HAWKINS

“The Phone Call” film starts off with strong literary element theme based on the seriousness of depression and

suicide. From start to finish, the imagery and lighting play key roles in portraying to the audience a life-changing story.

The lead character Heather, an average and normal woman, works at a Crisis helpline call center where the audience is

given a glimpse to the silent flirtation between her and a co-worker named Daniel. To the audience surprise, what at

first looked like a romance film instantly turned into a grim storyline based on a phone call from a distressed man, whom

is later identified as Stanley. The dialogue of this phone call grips the audience with the tone of helplessness and

loneliness as it is later explained that Stan is a widow in mourning of his late wife, Joan and has made the final decision

to end his sorrows in suicide by overdose.

The film’s lighting is bright and clear despite the dark and sinister conflict that is taking place. Many scenes give

off the imagery of an emotional “race against death” as the film constantly shows various clocks and time signify the last

moments of Stan’s life as Heather tries to console him. The following frame shows Heather’s notepad where she writes

the quote “already done” forcing the audience depths of different outcomes as to what Stans statement meant - “It’s

too late now. It’s already done”. The audience shares the emotional grip of sadness, mourning and desperation between

both Heather and Stan as the frame focuses on the top of Stans fireplace of ornaments of angels which delivers the

theme of death, heaven and peace via the bright lighting (the bright light at the end). Stan, who is John, has died and is

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comforted by his wife, Joan. What seems like an end what only the beginning that narrative’s messages were that

Stanley had given Heather the courage to live her life. Word Count: 342

SHORT FILM ANALYSIS 3

Film Title: COFFEE TO GO (CAFÉ PARA LLEVAR)

Year / Genre: 2015 DRAMA
Nationality: SPAIN
Director: PATRICIA FONT
Featuring: ALEXANDRA JIMENEZ, DANIEL GRAO
A screen opens to an aerial view on the city of Barcelona, in Spain and sets the mood for a gloomy

morning. The audience gets a birds eye view of the cold city in crisp cinematic lighting of patches of sunlight break

through clouds and cascading shadows over the city buildings and the public. The following frames are accompanied

with a light tempo song where the words can be heard “I don’t know why I got this feeling … that your still here” which

sets the tone for a romantic atmosphere. The audience is immediately exposed to a conversation from our lead

character, Alicia who is perhaps talking to her wedding planner as she makes the final decision that she wants white

flowers for a classical theme wedding for her “Big Day”. By an encounter of chance, Alicia heads into a coffee shop

where she is confronted by what seem to be a familiar face by the name of Javi. The scene leads to the two sitting down

at the table and briefly catch up on things and exchange pleasantries. It is within the following frames the audience is

engaged into both conversation and facial expressions between Alicia and Javi, giving the sense that this was more then

just some friendship.

The conversation continues turning from what seemed lighthearted to only reveal the “gray areas” of emotions

between the duo. It is with the dialogue of the statements being made, that the unveiling of what went wrong in the

relationship because evident. As much of what is said and left unsaid, the cinematography allows for the audience to

sympathize with Alicia. The common conflict that forces the questions of why not before and now? what made you

change your mind? After the harsh reality of moving on settles in between the couple after being exposed to Javi’s

pregnant wife, Alicia is left torn and so is the audience. Emotional and heartbroken, the expressions of hurt and pain still
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cut deep. At the end, both Javi and Alicia have a tearful embrace to signify a strained closure and yet still presents an

undying love for one another. Word Count: 375

SHORT FILM ANALYSIS 4

Film Title: WALE

Year / Genre: 2018 DRAMA
Nationality: UNITED KINGDOM
Director: BARNABY BLACKBURN
Featuring: CLARE PERKINS, JAMIE SIVES, RAPHEL FAMOTIBE, ROGER JEAN NSENGIYUMVA, SURA DOHNKE

The opening scene of “Wale” begins with loud wailings that make up a song that could pass for the cries of the

suffering, perfectly fit as various frames of different images flashes. The montage of the night life of urban city streets

makes it clear to the audience that the setting is placed in the heart of a ghetto or rough dog eat dog city. Frames that

focus the reality of a hard knock life is where the protagonist “Wale” can be seen presented as a child trying to escape

his world of poverty. The film continues and the audience gets a glimpse of Wale background learning that he has had

his share of trouble in the pass and is determined to turn his life around, when confronted with who seems to be a

fellow troublemaker, Wale keeps his determination to change. The key elements of would be the soundtrack and

imagery of this film. As the frames change the music holds a chilling theme, what the audience would build suspense

and paranoia.

Wale promotes himself to the public on his skill to fix cars, where he comes across a man with a cold demeanor

name O’Brian, a man he believes to be his first client, though in actuality he’s the expectation of trouble being just

around the corner. In the scene where the sounds of a train wreck can be heard upon the freighting discovery of a

women in the trunk of the car badly stabbed and blood everywhere. The suspense was executed with the help of the

music makes for a pivotal point the crime scene. Tie that with  the sinister performance of O’Brian and this piece has a

perfect setup and marriage of good and evil. Throughout the film there is mostly low-key lighting this is used for the

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effect that it creates. The shadows that low key lighting creates fits into the conventions of horror films as it creates

tension due to its mysterious and dark atmosphere. Word Count: 332

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