Pitch Black Heist

"Got A Light?"

In this 13 minute short directed by John Maclean, Michael and Liam are two professional thieves who are receiving instructions for their next heist. Their mission is to open a safe from an office that has a light activated alarm system so in order to do so they blindfold themselves so they can learn how to work in the dark. The short basically follows these two men who have just met and are waiting at a local pub for the green light to begin the heist.

This short caught my attention because it starred Michael Fassbender, one of my favorite actors working today. I had heard he was going to star in a Western action thriller alongside Ben Mendelsohn and directed by John Maclean. This film is going to be the director's feature debut but he had made a short back in 2011 which curiously starred Fassbender so I decided to give it a watch. I later learned that Pitch Black Heist won the Bafta for best short in 2012. Michael Fassbender plays Michael and Liam Cunningham is Liam. Both actors share great chemistry together and the scenes of them bonding together at the pub are entertaining. Just watching them talk to one another and share drinks while playing pool was reason enough for me to enjoy the film. But there is also a surprise twist at the end that worked well and made the experience all the more gratifying. The film however was shot in black and white so it took some of the pleasure away, but it still was a solid film with an entertaining script and strong performances.

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I didn't realise that the John Maclean who wrote and directed this short was the same John Maclean from The Beta Band , a band from Scotland who I've only just fallen in love with several years after they'd split up . I thought maybe Maclean might have had made a musical soundtrack the most important aspect of this BAFTA award winning short movie but perhaps it'ss for the best that he didn't

As it stands this is a somewhat austere looking short film shot in black and white featuring Liam Cunningham and up and coming megastar Michael Fassbinder who play a couple of professional safebreakers who have to do a robbery in a room that will ring an alarm if any light is detected

I wasn't too keen on the pay-off because often this is what makes or breaks a short but I've a lot worse short films lacking the technical command the director has here . I would have preferred a reunion of The Beta Band though

I watched this at the CFC Worldwide Shorts in Toronto and it was easily the favourite film there. This film had a wonderful combination of comedy, drama, and brilliant tension. The plot and premise is really great, too.

The acting is fantastic. There's a great rapport between characters. The film uses only three actors, but it's not something you realise. It's really quite a budgeted film but they worked so well with it! The setting is also very tense and the use of B&W was very effective.

Finally, the twist at the end made an already great film even better. It's a great short film that needs to be rewatched several times, just to get the full effect.

Watched this movie in Manchester Film festival last week and among all other short movies, that was one of my favorites.

B&W usage is great, light is perfect. Actors are in great harmony and references to Irish & English culture made me smile.

It looks like this won an award at Bafta 2012 - I'd say it's well deserved !

A good deal of time and money invested in this and outcome is not disappointing.

If you like short films - you should watch it. If you aren't keen on short movies normally, still this one will grab your attention.

A short, black and white drama about a couple of safecrackers assigned their toughest job yet: to crack a safe in a pitch black room. By far the best thing about this production are the two actors present, Liam Cunningham and Michael Fassbender. The two Irish guys have starred together in the past (CENTURION, HUNGER) and they share a natural rapport which comes across nicely, especially in their pub scenes.

Inevitably there's a twist ending, one which I wasn't too keen on to tell you the truth, but otherwise this short film acquits itself well. You wonder how they'll successfully stage a set-piece in total darkness but of course it's all achieved via sound. Maybe not a thing of greatness, but certainly worth a watch for fans of the actors involved.