Apricot

Ben Briand was an unknown director to me before I watched this short film. The moment I finished watching this artwork he quickly became my favorite director of all time, causing the audience to be dropped into a scene and cause them to have less of a passive experience whilst watching the film.

Apricot is most certainly (in my opinion) the best film he has made, if not the best short film I have ever seen. I have watched almost all of Future shorts (a company which holds a large collection of short films) videos and have always found that this piece sticks out to me.

Cinematography which immerses the viewer to an extent of bringing up deep memories, a soundtrack (by Basil Hogios) which makes you feel warm inside and a story line that is simply beautiful. I give Apricot 100% of my support to this incredible film.

This short film sees a normal date with some small talk. The man is asking the woman about memories, first boyfriends, this type of thing and the woman is answering but getting nothing back in return. When it becomes apparent that he is not giving her anything in return but is asking quite a lot, she gets up to leave.

This is the second short film I watched from Ben Briand and I followed him because of how taken I was by the visuals and atmosphere within his previous film. No surprise then to find that I enjoyed this one just as much and pretty much for the same reasons – but with the same problems too. The problem is that the whole story is not really there if you're looking for it; something mysterious is happening here but we never really get at it. This is not unusual for a short film but I can understand why it will be a limiting factor for some; I know it was for me.

Fortunately it is what the film does well that carries it. The whole thing is really well shot, from the velvet tones of the date through to the warmth and slightly fuzzy shooting of the memories. The music adds a soft and thoughtful air but most importantly the acting is really good. Leslie is intriguing as the man who appears to have limited ability to remember anything, but it is Gordon that is worth watching. Her reactions and thoughts and emotions are very clear on her face but she makes them convincing and not too obvious at the same time. Although I loved the look of most of the film, it was her performance that tended to hold me the most.

So story-wise there is not enough here to really satisfy, but the simple idea and the delivery is well worth having a look at.

APRICOT is a short narrative that strikes the notes of nostalgia and serendipity right on the head. The modern day Aussie story dives right into a conversation between a man and a woman in a café. It is apparent early on that this is a first encounter between the twenty-somethings. The playful banter is turned into pointed personal questioning which leads the young lady to reminisce about her childhood first love. The action cuts between the present and the woman's wistful memories. The narrative takes a turn that leads one to believe that this may not be a first encounter at all.

This lyrical little film will please most audiences. Ben Briand shows restraint and does not try to do too much with this one as the writer and director. The cinematography is beautiful, especially for the flashback sequences. The main performances, Lauren Gordon and Ewen Leslie, feel natural and the score complements the story and visuals like a glove. It is obvious that the Briand knew exactly what he wanted, and he executes all the way around. This short is definitely worth watching and Ben Briand is perhaps someone to watch as well.