Amelia and Michael

A British businessman sees his wife off to work, but she removes her wedding band as soon as she's out of the car and he makes arrangements for a rendezvous with another woman once he arrives at his office. Short film from director Daniel Cormack (who also co-produced) and writer Stephen Betts is a smoothly-orchestrated character study which manages to say a lot (mostly in visual terms) within a 10-minute span. The clear, precise cinematography from Merritt Gold, Gareth Davies' editing, and Nick Loe's portentous score are each commendable, and the finale is an interesting bluff that keeps us wondering. Does the man or his wife suspect the other of infidelity...and does it really matter in the scheme of things, in the context of harsh reality? An intriguing piece of work.

In London, the executive Michael (Anthony Head) and his wife Amelia (Natasha Powell) have successful upper class lifestyle, living in a comfortable house, having a fancy car with driver and showing a great respect and affection to each other. However, Amelia has a lover in coma in the hospital, and she frequently visits him and pays the expenses of his treatment. While traveling to Milan in a business trip, Michael has one night stand with an escort girl. Amelia receives a phone call, and when she arrives in the hospital, she realizes that her lover has died. When Michael returns from Milan, their lives return to their hypocrite routine.

"Amelia and Michael" has only 10 minutes running time, but director Daniel Cormack is able to perfectly compile and disclose the masks of the wasted relationships in his short. The tight and sharp screenplay uses ellipsis to unravel the hypocrite and accommodated relationship of a middle-aged couple, but unfortunately it is not possible to develop how their affective lives have become so shallow. I know the actor Anthony Head from Buffy series, and I really liked his performance in a dramatic role. Natasha Powell is unknown for me, but has also a great performance. The stylish cinematography and lighting are impressive for a low-budget short, and I liked the last scene with the reference of the motorcycle passing by Amelia's car indicating that their lives will remain the same. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

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.

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

How much do you know about those you should know most about? How much should you know? Do you need to know everything? Amelia and Michael should know everything about each other as they are a prosperous, successful, professional married couple. Yet each keeps a secret from each other in Daniel Cormack's debut film.

Amelia has a devotion to a critically injured young man and she visits him whilst he is lying in a hospital bed. He is hooked up to a life support machine and is still and silent. Who he is we never find out, a lover or male relative perhaps? Michael's secret is more straightforward he lies about a business trip and uses a call girl. He suffers from guilt, she from grief. In the end they confess to each other and have no more secrets. Except that he was called by a colleague when in the hotel room he uses and she casts an eye over a young man who passes by on a motorbike. Does this mean that they are serial offenders? As the viewer we think we know all about them but at the end we can't be sure.

Cormack manages to put this story across in a short space in an economic style which nevertheless packs in lots of information and detail. The viewer is never left to watch too long on one aspect of the film but it never feels like being rushed, the pace is superb.

In his first film Cormack has managed to tell a story well and use his star actor (Anthony Head) well. The technical standard is very high and at no time does it feel like a low budget film. He is obviously a talent to watch out for in future.