Last Rendezvous Short Film Review

★★★★

Directed by: #HughLiu

Starring: #InannaCusi and #DavidCJones

Short Film Review by: Alexandra James

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The Last Rendezvouz, written and directed by Hugh Liu, is a short film shot over a span of just 48 hours. It is a character based short that is all improvised and allows space for the actors to study and interpret the characters in their own way, as well as express their personal vision of how they believe the character should be represented. Last Rendezvous focuses on a father and daughter relationship, but at its most critical. The audience quickly learn that the father has not been a part of his daughter's life for a long time, however, it seems as though this is a good thing, as his presence is a bad influence and far from responsible. Nevertheless, his neglect still weighs heavily on his daughter and although immature, their relationship when together was strong and fun at times and it’s the abandonment that forces the child to become an adult far too soon and ultimately take on those parental duties for their siblings.

The film begins at a remote location, at the end of a pier. A place that is very close to both father and daughter, it was a frequent meeting spot for the two and even little gifts were left by her father there from time to time. As she walks onto the pier, she is startled to see her father standing there, however, they discuss some of their past rebellious escapades and take a trip down memory lane. Unfortunately, this little trip does not last long, as these memories are also tarnished with feelings of loneliness and the absence of her father who should have been there for the important years of her life.

It's interesting that this short is all improvisation, with just a few pointers on what props to interact with and some descriptions of the characters goals in life and past experiences, this makes for a truly authentic piece. I did enjoy watching the characters unfold the more they started to interact with one another, there were some teething issues as with many improvised scenes, sometimes there might be a hint of uncertainty as the actors think of what to say next or debate how they think the character should respond to certain aspects, so there were times when the audience felt unsure of themselves.

Nevertheless, it gave the film a realness and it highlights that awkwardness between father and daughter, as they both have been apart for a long time and are unsure how to behave with one another. This is a very natural and realistic interaction, and I loved that the actors took time to really invest in their characters background and make the scenes engaging by bringing in that past trauma and relive some of the memories they experienced together. A very moving and original film that shows how improvisation can really set a picture a part and allows scope to explore the characters minds.