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★★★
Directed by: Nicholas Goodwin
Written by: #NicholasGoodwin
Starring: #ChristinaGoursky, #TimothyJCox, #JamesJelkin, and #TheaMccartan
Short Film Review by: #RachelPullen
Short film Beauty Queen, from filmmaker Nicholas Goodwin, tells the tale of a young woman on the verge of adulthood. She has just been accepted into an excellent college, independence looms, she is academically validated, shit’s going well for her and yet she feels something is missing. She does not feel...pretty.
We can’t lie, all women want to feel validated by their appearance, no matter how much you try to rise above it (ladies you know it’s true), and why shouldn’t you? Modern society throws unattainable beauty standards out into mass media every day, we are bombarded with overly edited images of beautiful women. Even in day to day life people edit and filter their photos before putting them on to social media, we are all sucked into the vortex of lies, maybe eat the lipstick and get pretty on the inside.
Beauty Queen’s leading lady decided to fall deep into that smelly bleak vortex, shuffling around in the dark like a mole as she tries to feel good about herself; trips to modelling agencies, shoots with seedy man-bun wearing photographers do nothing but make her feel more and more alone and worthless.
But who should come to the rescue? Who in the eyes of society can make a young woman feel good about herself...R. Kelly? NO, it’s daddy, that’s who, ergh yeah this bit cringed me out but I have to remind myself that some people actually have healthy relationships with their families and can feel good about themselves and have sincere conversations with their fathers without someone being beaten with an oven mitt. This plays out on the screen before us, in a dimly lit room, with just the fireplace for lighting and sound, making for an atmospheric and warming scene, creating just enough sentiment to feel a connection. Daddy makes everything better without it being too creepy, ...again I have poor family relationships, it’s all borderline creepy to me.
Director Nicholas Goodwin is kinda the boss of setting up some awesome shots, this short film looks all smooth, like the chocolate on a Kinder Egg, the colours are inviting and warm, aesthetically this a well shot and edited piece of #filmmaking.
Each actor brings a lot to the role, each displaying talent that surpasses a lot of short indie flicks I have seen. Casting was well thought out in regards to the leading actress’ looks; she is pretty in an everyday way, not model material but not ugly, and that’s the point, she can’t see it for herself because the comparison of yourself to women in the media will lead you astray, this choice made for a much more realistic, and I’m sure for many, relatable feel throughout.
I also have a crush on the dad, I liked his tucked in checked shirt and high waisted pants...a sexy combo on any middle aged man in my mind.
Beauty Queen as a #shortfilm provides an interesting approach to the subject of modern beauty and society’s perception of it, an enjoyable and heartwarming watch, and although a little cliché at times [not all photographers want to get you naked in a dark and dingy back room studio] it still packs a punch in regards to getting its point across.
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