Directed by: Colin Thomas Jennings Written by: Colin Thomas Jennings Genre: Drama, Comedy |
Li'l Chit Chat
Fletch (Colin Thomas Jennings) is your typical single guy, although maybe a little cleaner than most of the single guys I know. Or maybe that's not quite right, because Fletch isn't really single at all. He has his little companion with the wagging tail, Li'l Dude. His small dog is a cutesy-pootsy heart warmer with a closed up eye. Nothing new by the looks of it, an old injury but one that Fletch seems to be asked about a lot.
A few times during the short length of this title, Fletch is asked what happened to his little doggy and each time another story emerges. This is played off as a flirting kind of tactic and makes total sense... it also doesn't seem to work very well because Fletch seems to bumble the delivery more often than not. He seems to be a slightly awkward guy and Fletch, as his companion really does make sense as I'm sure many pet owners would agree. Li'l Dude is not just a pet, he's a friend. A best friend. Dogs are like babies because when you have one, everyone wants to talk. It's a cliche but a true to life one and I have no doubt it's just what is needed when a person has problems socially, even if only a few. But, as this title demonstrates, there's more to it than that. A dog isn't just a way to meet new people. It's someone to talk with, someone who will never reveal your secrets and never judge. This is shown on screen right at the start, with Fletch acting silly and dancing around - much to the amusement of Li'l Dude - or at least it looks that way. And in case you've noticed that I referred to Li'l Dude as a someone, and not a dog, that's because to most people, a pet is a someone. Not just a dog or cat... or mouse if that's your thing. A pet becomes part of life, part of the family. Li'l Chit Chat is a light, breezy film that finds its comedy through the way Fletch and his dog communicate with each other. It's simple on the outside, more complex the more you think about it kind of title that doesn't forget to keep things easy and straight forward. If you really begin to overthink things this is a title that could get very complex, very fast... but that's not the point here. The point is to demonstrate how important animals can be in a persons life, how treasured they are. Li'l Chit Chat succeeds and in my opinion, is a great short film. 3.5 stars and thank you for reading. |
