Amelia and Michael

Sometimes the problem with a short film that has two separate individuals as writer and director is that the two people involved are at odds with each other artistically . One instinctively feels that neither understands what the other is trying to do which means the short suffers

With AMELIA AND MICHAEL Stephen Betts has written a relatively low concept story about two human beings who have been in a relationship where the love is burning less brightly than it was several years ago . Director Daniel Cormack has resisted any temptation by " livening " the story up by fancy camera moves that often blights many a short by an inexperienced director and shoots the story so that the audience can feel the emotions the eponymous characters are feeling with guilt and forgiveness being the main emotions felt

A story that is short , simple , without a clever plot but one that is essentially human . You may not recognise yourself in the characters but they'll certainly remind you of someone you know

When is an eleven minute film far too long? When it doesn't go anyplace. This short subject about the masked, empty, unhappy, luxurious lives of two rich people has all of its technical issues sorted away properly -- the cinematography is excellent, although there is one mismatched shot towards the end; check the biker next to the limo -- but all we have is a brief exposition of the state of the their lives. She is having an affair. He goes to hotels and has sex with hookers, so they are even there. However, someone she cares about (a brother?) is in a coma and dies, so she wins.

And that is why this film is essentially a bore. It is not a moving picture. There is no plot, no real change and nothing moves except arms and legs. It is an eleven minute portrait of two uninteresting people.

When I am caught up in a movie, I don't notice the camera-work or the mismatched shots. I am not afflicted with a sense of impatience for the film makers to get on with it, nor wonder who sleeps in a hotel robe. This movie is as uninvolving as the the marriage it depicts. If they can't be bothered to care, why should I?

Amelia And Michael tells a story of a married couple who might have been hurting each other in the past with infidelities, but have decided to stay married and lead separate lives. It's all a part of a great accommodation they've reached.

They look to have all the material needs you could possibly ask for in 21st Century London. Yet Natasha Powell seems to be wrapped up in the care of a comatose man and Anthony Head best known to American viewers from Buffy The Vampire Slayer series likes to have his nooners with working girls. As it is very British it's all quite civilized.

It was nicely portrayed, but this is certainly not the kind of film to create any excitement with the viewer. The director's a talented fellow, he should have spiced this one up a bit.

If I'm going to be frank, I found the story of Amelia and Michael just a little bit on the dreary and depressing side for my liking: an affluent married couple's relationship is on the verge of collapse, the wife (Natasha Powell) sneaking off to visit her motorcycle-riding bit of rough on the side, who is in intensive care after an accident, and the husband (Anthony Head) indulging in a spot of hanky-panky with a high class escort girl. Told at an extremely leisurely pace by director Daniel Cormack, this brief insight into a private world of secrecy and lies is very low on the feel-good factor: after eleven minutes, nothing has been resolved, leaving this particular viewer feeling a tad morose.

But although this low-key character study could never be described as cheery, Cormack's keen understanding of his medium still makes this a worthwhile watch, especially for those interested in the technical aspects of film: from careful shot composition and camera placement, to precise editing, to considered use of music and subtle lighting, this is a highly accomplished piece of movie-making in almost every department.

Take the opening shot, for example, which has Cormack's characters sat at either edge of the screen with nothing much happening in the middle; at first I had this down as sloppy framing, but felt a bit of a twit once it became clear that the space between characters was not a clumsy mistake but rather a clever metaphor for how husband and wife have become emotionally detached from each other (the same trick is used as the couple get ready to go to bed). This level of visual acuity can be found throughout Amelia and Michael: the potentially sensational material—the sex and death—is dealt with sensitively using subtle suggestion rather than blatant imagery; Michael's regret is powerfully handled in a tightly edited sequence that sees him unable to sleep in the bed in which his act of infidelity took place; and muted colours reflect the monotony of the situation while a neat cyclical narrative device—the appearance of a motorcyclist—effectively conveys hopelessness.

The married couple Amelia and Michael enjoy an expensive, comfortable, upper-class life-style. They have a new car with their own driver and a large house. On the surface, everything is fine between them. However, she secretly goes to the hospital to spend time with someone in a coma, who may be her lover. And her husband ditches a trip to Milan to spend the night with an escort. This is about the things hidden, particularly between people who appear to have happy relationships with each other. It is also an exercise in suggestion; notice how little is actually directly shown, much less told. Not only does it utilize film being a mainly visual medium, it respects our intelligence and deductive skills. This is 10 minutes long not counting the credits, and 11 with them. It's immensely professionally done, with strong production values as far as the the camera-work, the editing and the sound goes. Very smooth. The pace is great. It keeps your attention well throughout. This is currently available for free, legal viewing online. There is implied sexuality and mature themes in this. I recommend this to fans of expertly done shorts and well-written character drama. 8/10