Please Punish Me – A Short Film Review
Please Punish me is a light-hearted comedy hiding a moral message. The title of this short may be off-putting to some but don’t be fooled by it’s adult tones as the story is quite the opposite. We have a very satisfying ten minutes of entertainment that is played out for us by a very strong cast.
What’s It All About?
Scottie is a businessman who is overly blessed in life, he manages to fall on his feet at every turn. Unhappy at this injustice to others, he goes to the ‘Punish Me Palace’ to be punished for his ‘Good-luck curse’.
My Opinion
I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this short.
The opening titles is a fantastic little animation that really sets the tone to this short film. The title screens only last a few seconds but they are really fun and professionally done. This is followed by a great scene where Scottie tries to give a homeless girl some money, only for her to be taken away by the cops. Although this scene does not have any impact to the overall story I thought it was a fantastic way to introduce us to the main character and set the tone.
Chris Esper, the director, has offered us an excellent introduction to the characters. I feel as though Chris has given us a solid film. Each shot is perfectly framed, the actors all have a clear focus and the characters have a purpose. The short itself is perfectly paced, nothing is rushed and it is played out naturally. Chris sets the cast in a clear direction which has paid off as they are on superb form and focused on their role. Overall the short is very polished and done to a high standard which always reflects well on-screen.
Another scene I want to pick up on was the ‘Boardroom’ scene. This really stood out for me as I loved the characters munching away on their cigars, laughing and grumbling in the way that most people in boardrooms do. The head of the company was completely over-enthusiastic and optimistic, yet totally true to real life, I found this particular scene great to watch. The cast all seemed to be enjoying it and so did the audience watching.
The film is based on a story by Tony Paulino which has then been turned into a screenplay by Rich Camp. Both deserve credit for crafting out an excellent story. The script is witty and the characters are larger-than-life yet totally relatable. Scottie is in a position most people would dream of, yet we see that things are not all that they seem and that success can’t give you happiness.
I liked how the visuals changed with the setting. In the office we are given very neutral colors. It is all very light and reflective. Once we enter the ‘Punish Me Palace’ things all turn very dark, the lighting is dark, the walls are dark, everyone is wearing dark clothing, this is a brilliant reflection of the dark nature of the ‘Punish Me Palace’. The settings, set design, costumes, all add to the feeling of the film.
There was one issue I had with this film, it was a continuity error that really stuck with me. I am not sure why I picked up on this but it seemed to stare at me. Scottie is hiding down some emergency stairs chatting to his colleague smoking a ‘joint’. When the boss comes down the stairs, the colleague places the ‘joint’ inside his mouth to hide it, but moments later he is talking, I was not sure if he had swallowed it, spat it out? I didn’t know what the outcome was, it just seem to miraculously vanish. I don’t think this did take anything away from the film as it is of a great quality, but sometimes these continuity errors slip through the net, either on set or on the editing table.
The best part of the film for me was the conclusion. We are presented with an superb ending, that gives a feel-good factor, completes a message, ties up the characters and the story, but most of all completes the film. This brings the short to a natural end and you feel totally satisfied. This movie radiates quality from every corner and the ending ties all that together.
Notable Performances
David Sackal played Scottie. David was a great choice for the role. He definitely came across as the ‘average Joe’ who had luck on his side. His laid-back approach seemed very natural and came across really well on-screen. He had a really confident nature about the way he talked and his mannerisms which made the character very believable.
Joanna Donofrio played Michelle. Joanna certainly seemed to be too nice to be a dominatrix, she was much more of a nurse type, which fit the role well and allowed us to understand why she was so reluctant to give out a good ass-whipping! I thought she was a brilliant character and Joanna gave us a much more vulnerable performance that really brought a different side of the character and it worked very well as it allowed us to easily sympathize with her.
Mark Carter played Crueger, the receptionist at ‘Punish Me Palace’. What a scene stealing performance by Mark. He was totally over-the-top and creepy which worked extremely well. His character had some brilliant lines that he delivered superbly. Add to that his evil laugh and he was a stand out performer for the small amount of screen-time he was given.
Bradley Rhodes played Steinberg, the head of the company Scottie worked for. His over-enthusiastic character really help to establish why Scottie was getting fast-tracked to the top. He was full of energy and slightly zany that helped give a comical side to the character. I really enjoyed Bradley’s performance, particularly his speech to the board and his conversations with Scottie.
I also wanted to mention all of the cigar-munching board members, although they said nothing they were excellent. These were Bill Lee, Fred Ganczar, Angel Connell and David R. Reid.
The Verdict
This is a simple and light-hearted story completed and produced to a very high standard with a very meaningful message hidden beneath it. The short is well-paced and the comedy is perfectly timed to ensure your not with out a smile on your face for long. The ‘almost playful’ atmosphere that it creates is a credit to director Chris Esper who has done an excellent job with the story created by Tony Paulino and also Rich Camp who wrote the screenplay. Please Punish Me is well worth ten minutes of your time.
