Highlights from Hollyshorts Film Festival
by Danny Mendes, TheCinebuff.com
I Bet You’re Wondering How I Got Here
Ryan Polly’s I Bet You’re Wondering How I got Here is a stylishly funny take on the crime-action genre. Set after a successful bank heist, the four bank robbers meet up with the organizer of the heist only to find out that none of them are who they say they are.
Predominantly set in an abandoned warehouse, I Bet You’re Wondering How I Got Here makes the most of its location.This is also a period piece filled with awesome costume design and vintage-looking cinematography. The biggest strength of the short film is it’s witty dialogue and banter between all of the characters. There isn’t much in terms of character development, but each character has a distinct personality that works like gangbusters. Overall, Ryan Polly’s I Bet You’re Wondering How I Got Here is full of personality and lighthearted fun!
My Brudda
Ntando Brown’s My Brudda is an intensely personal character drama about a man struggling to to make ends meet. Junior Afdlabi Saldkun plays Jamal, a charismatic salesman who’s trying to get his life back on track. What My Brudda does really well is show us the talent that Jamal has in making sales. He’s charismatic and charming, which makes it easy to cheer for his successes, though they are few and far between.
Junior Afdlabi Saldkun injects this character with so much vulnerability and compassion, he propels us through this emotional character drama. Even when the end credits hit, you yearn to see Jamal make it out of his predicament.
Originally published at https://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on August 18, 2023.
