The Amazing Trousers

I was lucky enough to see this Short film, starring Kris Marshall, screened at the TCM CLASSIC SHORTS 2007 awards and was, quite frankly, gob smacked that it was not one of the winning trio.

In terms of the story, anyone who likes their humour darkish and with a touch the absurd, will be licking their lips at this irreverent morality tale. It takes a Faustian based story you have heard in numerous forms before and elegantly and humorously toys with your expectations. Its spooky Gothic period setting and the fact that it revolves around a magical item of clothing, for me evoked the atmosphere of Gogal's short stories like 'The Overcoat'.

In terms of the actual film-making, I felt that director William Clark, did a superb job. The look of the film is incredibly moody and rich, building atmosphere without detracting from the comedy. There is also a beautifully executed montage sequence reflecting the main character's ascent to fame and romantic success, which beautifully captures the feel and aesthetic of the Edwardian setting. All the performances of the cast were spot on and I thought it was great to see Kris Marshall in this kind of role, which demonstrated how versatile a comedy actor he can be.

The film just had a great overall pace to it, involved a great twist at the end and was something which I would recommend to anyone to have a look at if you get the chance.