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★★★★
Directed by #MichaelGoldermann
Written by #MichaelGoldermann
Starring #TiffanySkyeDodson, #BlakeMcNamara
Directed by Michael Goldermann, Holding On is a short film about a man, Billy (Blake McNamara) and a lady (Tiffany Skye Dodson) who revisit their childhood memories while under the influence of illegal substances.
The film starts off by showing fresh flowers in a vase, which the audience will soon realise are significant towards the end as the way they look link to the characters. Throughout the film we do not gain an understanding of their relationship such as who they are to each other, however, the audience can assume that maybe they are not in a romantic relationship as we see a lady calling the man’s phone and both characters reactions to it can make the audience believe that the man is in a relationship with another woman. When revisiting their childhood, the audience learn that both characters have known each other ever since they were little and they had both experienced trauma within their families, due to the fact, that they mentioned they used to run away and dreamed of having another lifestyle.
Performance wise, both actors accurately portrayed characters who are still shaken by their past. In the short film we first see the characters in a bedroom half clothed surrounded by alcohol and drugs. Watching the girl, she looks a bit shaken, indecisive and scared almost as if she is afraid to let the man down. The man on the other hand looks shaken. The audience can see that he is still affected by his past.
The camera captures a few significant shots. The first shot is when drugs and alcohol are placed on the table and around the room, the audience will understand that both characters are unstable. The second shot is just after both characters take the drugs, the camera captures a blurry view of them jumping back onto the bed, the blur is to represent their vision.
The setting changes to a swing set, we first see Billy sitting on a swing starring ahead, with a moving swing next to him as if someone was just swinging on it. Looking at Billy’s facial expression the audience would wonder what he is thinking and what had happened to him in the past. In the back ground we hear voices coming from children, even though we do not see any children it can be considered that Billy is thinking about a specific moment from his childhood. We then see the lady on the swing next to Billy holding his hand, this again can question their relationship, perhaps they are best friends. Both characters are wearing all black, which would affect the audience as it would make them question why they look like that, perhaps they had just been to a funeral which could link back to the fresh flowers from the beginning.
The script is well scripted, the audience can learn that both characters have been through similar trauma’s during their childhood which has affected them as adults. The audience does not actually learn what has happened to them except the fact there’s a chance it has something to do with their families. This gets the audience thinking and coming up with a conclusion for themselves. The script was written to not give away too much information but enough to give the audience a hint and understanding.
Overall the plot is realistic apart from look of the flowers at the end, do flowers really change that quickly? This short film is absolutely worth the watch. It is clear to see that the director takes in consideration on how his film will affect his audience.
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