Review of a Short Film

Paper Hearts Review

By Shima Begum

Director: Rob Brown

Genre: Drama

Location: South East

A distorted relationship between a father and son has left dents in their relationship. An absent father failing to bond with his son. And a son struggling to embrace his father, as he is nothing more than a stranger. The scene starts off with the beauty of sound. A pitch black screen with the hustle and bustle of London and distinctive breathing almost as if a chase was in order. We see a young boy trying to flee from an older mid-thirties man. We immediately assume the worst. With the help of a bystander we found out that the man was in fact his dad. The narrative of the film, using the enigma code was well choreographed and managed. As it kept the audiences alert and open to many questions.

The use of dialogue from the boy showed his humiliation towards his father. The opening scene explicitly shows his negativity towards his father. His use of body language and facial expressions are all evident. The father’s expressions emote clearly that his own son felt ashamed and disappointed in him. The use of non-diegetic sound helped elevate the scene even further. The use of slow, sad music illustrated the cracks they have in their relationship. As the scene progresses we find out why the boy was running away. The atmosphere seems calmer and a gradual bond is starting to develop amongst the two. During this scene we hear the father speak for the first time and judging by his accent (Liverpudlian) we know that there is a distant relationship particularly in location as they are from two different parts of the UK.

When you think their relationship is on a mend a confrontation occurs when the boy becomes irritable. During this scene you see the young boy trail behind the father. You do not see them walking together. This technique helped show the mass remoteness between them. The idea that there is nothing common between them despite having the strongest relationship, by name.  The father tries to console the young boy and offer to buy a bag that he had lost. The father feels helpless as he seems short of cash, little did he know that was the least of his problems as the young boy discovers a horrible truth about his dad. The use of a reaction shot explains the boy’s confusion and despair. Despite learning an ugly truth he becomes more understanding of his father and his situation that he is more accepting of him and quotes ‘You will always be my dad.’   

The good use of narrative and effective camera shots and editing techniques such as the reaction shot allowed viewers to take an interest towards the film but also keep them glued to the screen.