Harold the Amazing Contortionist Pig

When he was born it was immediately obvious that Harold was no ordinary pig. The fact that he was inflatable was one thing but the ambition he had was what made him stand out. After a few years on the farm as an outsider he just left and wound up with a circus, helping out with odd jobs. And then, one night, when the main act fell sick (and fell on top of his act – the fleas) Harold steps up. Fitting his whole body into a jam jar, Harold becomes famous. However with fame comes pressure and nobody stays at the top forever. This documentary looks back at his career, from the perspective of those that knew him best.

Opening with a tense scene with a birthing pig, this film immediately marks out its territory with the birth of an inflatable pig. We then start a mock documentary where everyone talks in all seriousness about this pig and what happened to him once he became famous. It is rarely laugh-out-loud funny but it is imaginative and consistently amusing and benefits from just how straight it plays it. The presentation is very professional and the whole thing feels like a "real" documentary with even the payoff presented in a serious and rather sad air. The cast all deliver it really well- every one convincing and nobody making a joke of it or falling into hamming (sorry) it up.

Overall an imaginative and amusing short film. Not hilarious but consistently difference and gets the spoof documentary tone just right. Well worth seeing but best to be taken by surprise by it than invest a lot of time seeking it out.