Review: Shortcuts Canada Programme 3

Every year I try to fit in a batch of short films, just for a change of pace. Most of these are done by film students at various Canadian universities and produced on shoestring budgets, ranging from $0 (shot on a cell phone) to $30,000 CAD. The chances of you ever seeing any of these is remote, but for the record, here's what I thought of them:



Pat's First Kiss: Shot on a cell phone by Pat Mills, this was an autobipgraphical account of a gay man's journey to Europe, where he received his first kiss from a creepy man in a creepy hostel, fearing for his own life. Humorous, this film looked more like animation, due to fact that it was shot on a cell phone and run through heaving post-production. My imdb rating: 6/10.


Forty Men for the Yukon: Directed by Tony Massil, this documentary gives us a glimpse into the lives of a couple leftovers from the gold rush in Canada's Yukon territory. These two men are hilariously genuine. One still prospects today, while the other is a retired bar owner. They live in squallor, but don't seem to know any different. "I went to the unemployment office and said 'I want a job where I don't have to work around no damned women.' And off to the Yukon went one of the men. My imdb rating: 8/10.


Bedroom: A married couple lies in bed. A very calm conversation ensues. Over the next 16 minutes, we find out that he had an affair because he has some, shall we say, non-traditional desires and a fear to express them. Overall, not a horrible idea or execution, yet, as they were bored with each other, I was bored with them, only I didn’t want things to continue. My imdb rating: 5/10.

Midi: This French canadian short takes place on the deck of a small apartment. I was a little confused, but as much as I can tell the man wasn't a native French speaker, as he was listening to French lessons on a tape palyer while making fishing lures. His wife bugs him about leaving tomorrow. Eventually, we learn what she means exactly, and though he is unable to express his true feelings, he hears them over the self-help tape. My imdb rating: 6/10.

Passage: This French Canadian short was made sans dialogue. Two men and two women are driving in a car and seem to be having a great time. The front seat passenger empties four pills from a baggie into his hand -- ecstasy, I presume -- and hands one each to the other three, who all proceed to take them. They arrive at a cheap motel, and begin a sexual trip that one is not prepared for. Though obviously a student piece, this black-and-white production was shot quite well, and the main character expressed a great range of emotion without uttering a word. My imdb rating: 7/10.

Sunday: This short takes to the home of a young couple who are obviously on the outs. The man, obviously in the doghouse, accidentally falls asleep with a lit cigarette and briefly lights jeans on fire. As their relationship degrades, he finds that his internal pain begins to externalize itself in a very similar fashion -- spontaneous combustion. This was probably the best of the bunch -- convincing special effects and great build of suspense. My imdb rating: 8/10.

Green Door: This short begins with a man getting elecrocuted in comedic fashion, which sets off a chain of events that is occasionally amusing and rarely anything else. A comedy of misunderstanding, miscommunication and desire fell a little flat. My imdb rating: 5/10.