This Modern Man is Beat is in many respects a fantastic short film. Though many of the characters are understandably somewhat one-note given its short length, both its central protagonist Habib and his wife receive a significant amount of development, and the dismal and desperate mental state of the former throughout comes across very well in the writing and acting.
The sets are also of sterling quality, with strong contrasts of light and dark dividing the past and the present. The film's foreshadowing is top-notch, as small, intermittently introduced details combine to form a grander picture, subtle enough to clue one in without giving away its true premise until the end.
That said, for all its high points the film does have its share of foibles, as the cold open in the pawn shop leaves little time to establish the gravity of Habib selling his guitar, and Habib himself is a little too eager to spill his whole life's story at the drop of a hat. The film is also prone to shots that occasionally come off as awkward and even slightly comical, which can undercuts the tension somewhat.
The film's cold open combined with its short length are generally what hurt the film the most though, as the extremely dramatic, dolorous music, the slow pace of dialogue and perhaps overly impassioned delivery of the main actor can appear almost to be self-parody at moments given the emotional attachment they expect the viewer to have for a character they've known only fifteen or so minutes.
Overall, the film is very competent and moving but occasionally considers itself more emotional than it is, and undermines itself in the process.
