About I Reject the Invitation from God Short Film:
Understanding the core that the director wanted to convey:
Life of an old man, the loneliness, his love towards his grandchildren, and the helpless day-to-day life.
Introduction:
Before watching the I Reject the Invitation from God short film, with the title we can predict that something is about death/heaven/hell/suicide. With that mindset, if you start watching this film, you’ll surely get justice for your thoughts. There is no mistake or a critic in the screenplay as it was very well structured and the dialogues made justice to the script. Few suspense parts are there and revealing it is very well revealed too.
Appreciation and Critic:
The very first shot/frame of I Reject the Invitation from God short film where someone (protagonist) sitting and the frame is from behind, showing his back shoulder made me lose interest in continuing the film. Because the shot is about 2 seconds and it explained nothing. After then, the way the title card represented was very unique and attractive. Protagonist lying in bed, alarm sound waking him up. He didn’t shut down the alarm. He rejected to cut his ringing alarm. At first, it was conveyed in a way that he missed a call from someone (regarding the ringtone/alarm tone). But later we can match the scenes where he was discussing with the auto driver that every morning he’ll wake up @ 6.45 while setting up the alarm.
I really want to appreciate the idea of giving sound effects for each and every element handled. Even it is a small thing, for example the protagonist throwing the garbage outside and the fallen garbage cup sound, when he open and keeps the lid of the box with backdoor keys. That sounds make the film very close and projected it like real-time experiencing.
After that, when you realize what making this film to admire is that the visuals and some frames lifted the emotions of the protagonist. For example, there comes a scene where the protagonist was traveling in an auto, and the frame fixed to show his emotion and the natural thing he did as we all do (the rope thing). The focus, the frame, and the bokeh effect lifted that particular scene and the background music.
When we speak about artists, their consciousness of the camera and the way to act while there is a take, made the film to project us live visuals. Even during the auto-talk scenes, the presence of reality in that frame is very pure. The protagonist asked the auto driver to wait for some time for making a call. The frame remains still. Here, the focus is fully on the protagonist, but the presence of reality is with the auto driver that he is not just simply sitting, but adjusting the mirror, looking back and forward, searching for something, then after some time he left by saying. That is what reality presence and that particular scene to be encouraged. Even the auto at first it was not starting, he switching off and on, again he started. That is where the presence of reality plays a major role. So we can completely enjoy the live visuals.
Another important thing to notice in this film is that it had a slight taste of director Mysskin-kind movie making. No unnecessary shots/frames and asking us to think while watching. Though it is not a film that can be watched in a group, it is a film that will make us realize the loneliness of a person. In the scene where the protagonist is untying the sambhar packet and after 2nd shot, he was eating idly with sugar beside the candlelight. That is how loneliness made a person. This accent is a kind of Mysskin film where there will be no need for explaining or so much detail. Here we have to notice one thing, the current cut scene. Actually, I feel, the director can even more clearly explain the scenario that the current is cut. It went like two shots without transition between them and while he went to drink water the scene presence was dark with no lights which made me pause and do my bending work then I continued.
I also wanted to throw a question to the director, how can a person who doesn’t know to set an alarm and make a WhatsApp video call on his phone is watching an environment related program on TV which is in English. And it was a bit lengthy too, to get noticed and registering.
The most important thing I realized while watching the whole film, that most of the shots were too explanatory and took so much time for shifting to the next shot. It felt a little monotonous and also the chance of losing the interest in continuing the film further.
One more important thing that I felt missing is, when a boy comes to pick his ball, the whole scene felt empty and it is clearly visible that the particular scene is for explaining the emotion for a boy – considering as his grandson – and left the boy’s part. I felt like the director could be shown us, just a single one-second shot about other children who were playing with the boy, with shots like they are waiting at the gate or standing out. It was empty from the boy’s side.
Dubbing was very good and very neat. Everything has justified the emotions except the Viscom students’ documentary scenes. It felt too real and felt the artist can even more clearly focus on their dialogues.
Coming to dialogues, it was very well written and lively. Especially where the protagonist asking the shop owner that the toy which he was holding (spiderman toy) has no button. It is quite admiring the old person’s younger age where there will be key for all toys and it will run/jump or do something. Recent generations having only action figures. It was conveyed very minutely. That is one interesting part.
Conclusion:
I am personally interested to continue this film while watching and all admired the way of music and the acting skill – camera conscious of every artist. This film can be considered as one of the good core content films. Though it is good, few aspects stopping me to suggest watching if someone asks me “machan bore adikudhu, oru nalla film onnu solluda”. If the film had the elements to make the viewer to be engaged, it would have been there been my wish list. If you ask me to give marks, I would like to give it 6.5 out of 10.
This Short film review Credit goes to Thozhamaiyan and follows him on Instagram.
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