For Our Man
I’m not entirely sure that I liked that this short. At times it was kind of funny in an eccentric way, at times it was weird, and at time it was confusing. It was about the creative writing process - how difficult it is to create a story line, how to deal with the question of why the plot goes this way. The camera shots did a good job of representing what the man was talking about and giving us insight to his thoughts. For example, when he talks about what is daughter is up to now, he is uncertain, so the shot of her in the hospital is blurry.
I also think maybe this film is about life. The writer was struggling to make a story line that would avoid merely “sensationalist means,” but instead weave together the things he experienced in life in order to make sense of it all and our purpose. The old man also kept inserting himself in the story - so I think this was a way for him to make sense of his life and make some meaning of it. At one point he looks at his reflection and states that he sees an old man, so I think this is his way of reflecting on his life and giving it meaning.
I liked the old man. He was rather eccentric, and had some odd habits, like “hmm”ing to himself a lot, and ringing the bell when he wrote something. I got the feeling that he was a monk or something, because he was wearing a brown robe with the rope around the waist, and he was writing with a quill and ink, like in the old timey days. Yet he clearly lived in a world that was at least somewhat modern, because he had these memories and when he’s talking at points we can hear stuff in the background, like sirens.
Overall I liked this short, but it wasn’t my favorite.
