When Timothy Met Rooster

A short dark comedy written, directed and edited by Adam Boland and starring Dion Kelly, Darragh Boland and Shaun Chambers.

It has been a year since Timothy (Kelly), a young man, left his home and has been wondering around looking for some direction in his life. Then, after narrowly avoiding a car accident, he meets Rooster (Boland), an unusual guy who befriends him and the two of them go on a journey filled with awkward situations.

The plot of this short is an accidental encounter that turns into a friendship and the enjoyment is attributed to the amusing performances by Kelly and Boland and to the humorous screenplay. Throughout the film, the two new friends go for a car ride, have conversations about their lives and a sort-of armed robbery also takes place. While these take place, the characters tell jokes and maintain an easy-going attitude. From a technical point of view, the filmmakers make good use of the handheld camera, with well-executed movements and the light-hearted music adds to the fun.

Generally, the scenes and dialogue do not seem coherent, with conversations changing subject unexpectedly, moods altering quickly and people not particularly bothered that a gun is being pointed at them. Considering that this is a comedy, these features are not to be viewed as faults, but rather as elements that create an odd and comedic story. There are issues regarding the audio however, with certain parts where the sound is distorted. This does not significantly affect the overall viewing experience, however it does indicate lack of skills during those sequences.

Kelly stars again in a another short directed by Boland and this time he plays two characters. His major role is that of a drifter, a guy struggling to find out the meaning of his life. The other is a chilled out guy. Kelly delivers another sympathetic performance, just as he did in Boland's Dion & Anto Go To A Gender Reveal Party. Equally entertaining, Boland portrays a youngster who is a criminal, yet he is friendly.

As the plot revolves around the rapport that grows between Timothy and Rooster, friendship is a main theme here, along with self-reflection and the idea of finding direction in life.

This short is a strange journey that involves a life-changing encounter and some criminal activities. It would probably be best enjoyed if it is not taken seriously and viewed as approximately five minutes of entertainment.