Simon makes his way through London taking various touristy shots and selfies on his phone as he goes. Although he seems to be enjoying his day, the fact that his photographs are all empty of other people appears to be weighing on him; something that plays a factor when sees a girl also alone and also taking photographs.
I have seen a few films from this trio of director and 2 actors, and mostly they were very short comedies where by contrast there is more of a heart to this one. And therein appears to be the problem because I reaches too hard for it and draws it from too little. The film has a certain amount of subtlety in the performance from Burbage and I did get the sense of someone feeling the lack of another person to experience the things he is photographing by his lonesome. This aspect is well done and not pushed so much as allowed to come out. The problem is that the second half of the film counters this with the possible interaction with a woman he has seen a few times. At this point the film strikes up with the freely available Pachelbel piece and forces the viewer to feel emotionally involved and moved.
For me it didn't work and I would have really liked a much more delicate touch in the music and in the more general delivery. Running to the train and other aspects felt like it was overdoing it considering it was heading to the point that it could easily have done with much less – and given the actors more of a challenge as well, since the physical things in the final scenes could have been delivered internally to the two characters and brought out onto screen that way. Maybe it is personal taste and I'm sure as those first chords of Pachelbel strike up and eyes meet, perhaps other viewers will be in floods of tears but for me it seemed too keen for me to get where it wanted me to be and rushed it and hurt it as a result.
I have seen a few films from this trio of director and 2 actors, and mostly they were very short comedies where by contrast there is more of a heart to this one. And therein appears to be the problem because I reaches too hard for it and draws it from too little. The film has a certain amount of subtlety in the performance from Burbage and I did get the sense of someone feeling the lack of another person to experience the things he is photographing by his lonesome. This aspect is well done and not pushed so much as allowed to come out. The problem is that the second half of the film counters this with the possible interaction with a woman he has seen a few times. At this point the film strikes up with the freely available Pachelbel piece and forces the viewer to feel emotionally involved and moved.
For me it didn't work and I would have really liked a much more delicate touch in the music and in the more general delivery. Running to the train and other aspects felt like it was overdoing it considering it was heading to the point that it could easily have done with much less – and given the actors more of a challenge as well, since the physical things in the final scenes could have been delivered internally to the two characters and brought out onto screen that way. Maybe it is personal taste and I'm sure as those first chords of Pachelbel strike up and eyes meet, perhaps other viewers will be in floods of tears but for me it seemed too keen for me to get where it wanted me to be and rushed it and hurt it as a result.