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★★★★
Directed by: #DaniShay and #KeatonWooden
Starring: #CleoKim, Dani Shay, #CameronArmstrong, #KatherineCondit and #JaredWinkler
Short Film Review by: #RachelPullen
Who likes sad guitar songs, smart phones and some good old fashioned polyamorous relationships? All of us? Good, well, all aboard the new short from directors Dani Shay and Keaton Wooden called Shooting Star.
Now the opening to this film states that it should be viewed on a smart phone which I chose not to do because I refuse to play by society’s rules, and I refuse to understand how to use a smartphone because of the government monitoring my personal business which is essentially googling cakes I can’t eat and porn. But let me tell you it’s fine, it won’t affect your viewing pleasure, so if you’re like me and wish to rebel let me tell you now, you’re gonna be ok.
This little instruction has a point though, this short is constructed through the use of phones, be it from home screens, text screens, video chats and live feeds, which must create an immersive factor when viewed on the correct device [I can’t use the phone, stop judging me, flip phones for life bro] like your phone’s been hijacked by this collection of people and their three way relationship.
Our leading lady is a married woman, but she also is in love with a doll faced musician. With her husband struggling with jealousy, she tries to end her other romance in order to work on their connection.
But of course things are never that easy, she still feels those goddamn feelings of love...ergh, and her ex musical lover creates beautiful acoustic numbers about their time together, tugging at her heart strings. I mean come on, that’s a pretty boss move to try and win someone back, as a musician I only write songs about how much I don’t trust the government...not winning any lady love points there.
Shooting Star is fast paced, phone call after text after live feed, it’s bombarding your screen, you feel the leading lady being pulled in many directions, an obvious strain on anyone when being involved in multi-way relationships, video calls where texts from her other lover ping up on the screen create anxiety in me. I’ve been there, and that strained look on her face is a relatable one for any person who has juggled more than one lover.
And that represents the quality of the acting that is on our screen, they are working with deep emotions, love, jealousy, longing, but each actor steps up to the challenge, and for a budget film that is a refreshing and positive factor. These are emotions that could of been played up far too much, that hammy style could have seeped through like a leaking shower gel bottle in your luggage, but no, it’s composed allowing for relationships to be built between the viewer and storyteller.
This is an interesting approach to an interesting topic, the furrowed brows and shaking heads that come with telling people how you choose to live your life, and part of this is down to a lack of understanding, and so in a time of #LGBT awareness is it not time to discuss polyamourous lifestyles? Dani Shay and Keaton Wooden do and they have done so in a respectful and accurate manner, something that is important when looking at a subject that so many just cannot wrap their heads around. This short is certainly a tool I shall use to help people get a better understanding of my views.
Much clapping, much love, much acoustic guitars.
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