Short film review: 'Wednesday' - Rob Sorrenti

'Wednesday'

Written and directed by; Rob Sorrenti

• Produced by Oscar-nominated film director Stephen Daldry and supported by Working Title Films

• Screened at 50 Film Festivals around the world

• Won several awards and has signed by Shorts International - the world’s largest short film distributor

•  The success of 'Wednesday' earned Sorrenti a nomination for Channel 4's Young Talent Award for best director.

This short film is about a young man and woman who were born on the same day, at the same time, at the same hospital, and end up crossing paths again unknowingly at the same place.

For me, without even watching the film I was instantly drawn to idea of it. I begun to think about all the possibilities that could happen within it so I went ahead watching with a positive outlook and it did not disappoint me one bit.  I found this film such a delight to watch, it was light hearted yet carried quite serious themes but the way in which it was written, you almost forget the reason they end up crossing paths again. I found myself really rooting for the characters to realise that they where born on the same day, at the same hospital but then later realised that it didn't even matter too much. I really appreciate the fact that the writer did not focus on that part too much, instead he added other ways and reasons for the character's to interact with each other and it was lovely to watch. 

One of the things that I instantly noticed about the film was the colour palette that was used throughout. A light, breezy pallete filled with heightened yellows and greens further enhanced the lightness of the film's motifs. 

Its important for a director/ editor to pick of on the subtle colour corrections like this because it makes all the difference. A film like this would have an adverse effect on the audience if it were to have high contrasted shots with deep blacks and quite cold temperatures. So this is definitely something that I will take into account whilst editing. Especially as I'm trying to show the contrast between two lifestyles. One being a bright, spacious setting whilst the other is in a more cramped up, untidy setting. I would like to experiment with having the appropriate colour correction to set the right mood for those shots.

Another point to make about this great film is that, just like mine, there are shifts in time throughout. showing little glimpses of their personalities and lifestyles at the time without actually letting the audience know when it is. Sorrenti allows you to focus on the dialogue as these changes occur, there isn't a label such as "10 years later" or "before" and I really like that, It just creates a much nicer flow to the film and you put the pieces together yourself, which then allows you to become further immersed into the film without realising it. To further keep a consistent flow throughout the film, there is 1 non diegetic soundrack that runs in and out when there is something "emotional" happening or when the character is alone and doing something. It really sets the tone for the film and lets you engage with the characters more. 

There was a specific sequence of shots that I really liked; 

This was used in order to show the change of time. It also allows you to make the connection between the two characters without being told verbally and I think subtle touches like this really kept the flow of the film consistent. It made me think about all the simple yet creative ways I could also show the "then and now" between my characters.

I really enjoyed watching this short film, it was moving for me because within the 23 minutes I had grown attached to certain characters and their situations and found myself wanting to know more. That for me means this is a good film and I really recommend it.