Short film description:
Francis is a troubled teenager who manipulates his family in odd, uncomfortable ways.
Sound:
The use of dialogue in this film helps immensely with the story. The main character's inflection changes as he repeats what he's going to say. Hearing these phrases before the viewer sees what they relate to create foreshadowing of future events. When speaking to him, both parents make sure to be very cautious of how they talk to him, showing the power dynamic and just how much control the main character has over the parents. When Frances is talking to and about the dad, he is very condescending and believes himself to be better than him, relating especially when it is revealed that the dad is Frances's soon-to-be stepdad. As soon as Frances doesn't get his way, he starts getting angry and begins yelling very quickly, changing the subject to make things go his way. Otherwise, Francis barely shows any emotion in his voice, unless trying to convince others around him of how he feels. He is very persuasive and manipulative when speaking.
Mis-en-Scene:
The first half of the movie has dark, harsh lighting. Throughout the dinner, lighting is used to show Frances's own opinion of the family, with the mom in the brightest lighting and the dad in the darkest lighting. Francis moves from the dark into the light when speaking about the orange juice, bringing himself to the center of attention. The conversation that leads up to the climax is set in the dawn lighting, with a blue cast on the characters. Frances is almost calculated in his movements in the final minutes of the film, not doing any unnecessary movement.
Editing:
The editing is minimal, with most of the shots being on the longer side. Any cuts that are there, are eye-line matches in rhythm with the change in dialogue. This is something I've seen in almost all of the drama short films, as they mainly focus on the dialogue to help explain things in the story.
In terms of my own opinion, I really loved how quickly the story played out. While only being ten minutes long, the story never felt rushed or like I needed more information. The run time felt perfect and gave me an idea of how to create tempo in my own short film to make sure it flows smoothly in the five minutes we have. My least favorite part was the mom's reactions. She seemed so defeated after Francis killed her boyfriend, and the whole time her hands seemed tied. I understand why she was like that, and I know I would probably be the same if my child was half as bad as Francis, but it still bothered me a bit that the mother couldn't have done more to prevent this from happening.
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