Directed by: Andrew Huggins Written by: Andrew Huggins Genre: Drama Connect:
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Soul Bones
Andrew Huggins has written and directed a curious title. In all the right ways this film is quite good. Good pacing. Potentially great characters and for a micro budget film, some really good production work. All the pieces are here except for one. I don't fully understand what I just watched?
I do somewhat understand the characters. I understand that Baker Alred (Zach Ball) is a man of few words. Perhaps even somewhat racist, but maybe just weary of all people. I get Harrison's (Lucien Rattray) character. A child living with his mother and her boyfriend, who is an abusive person. I even understand the boy's need to reach out to Baker. A boy in a bad home situation looking for some kind of support. A strong male to look up to in his life. The plot pieces are all here except one. The point. Stories are supposed to follow a path. An introduction to the characters. A problem and finally a solution. Soul Bones contains the first 2 elements but skips the 3'rd one. Or maybe skip isn't the word. Instead it introduces the characters, presents a problem, and then goes back into the 2'nd act. Harder for me to comprehend is that it doesn't wrap up what has already happened in any way. Did Harrison's step father of sorts come back? Did he even leave? Aside from ending with a quiet Baker sitting with a questioning Harrison, what was accomplished? And what was with that final scene? Is this a Doomsday Preppers kind of situation? Biblical? I don't really know, and that ticked me off a little bit. Other than this title not giving a clear direction where it's heading, it also doesn't explain how all these characters are connected. There are literally 0 answers and a whole lot of questions. But all is not lost, as my rating suggests. The value of the production is seemingly much higher than I'm sure it was. Containing some great performances, good lensing and a fitting score, Andrew's short film had no difficulty keeping me watching. It's a crying shame that I don't really know what the film was really about. Was it the first chapter of a larger production? Is this title meant to 'get' larger? I don't know. But what I do know as this. As a short film it leaves you hanging. That's not all bad, if whoever is watching 'knows' this is a small part of a larger story. But even if it is, something should have been wrapped up. Let's say a sequel isn't made. A series isn't started. That leaves a short film that essentially goes nowhere. I did enjoy my time here all the way until I realized there was no more. This title has talent in front of and behind the lens. I'm hoping more is to come and if so, I will revise my review accordingly. But as an individual title there is so much missing here. Thanks for reading. |
