Allergic To Cats – A Short Film Review
Allergic To Cats is a short comedy drama that was easy to watch but left me feeling a little confused.
What’s It All About?
Kim is having an affair with Devon while her partner, Larry, is out at work. Devon accidentally leaves his allergy pills at Kim’s place and while Kim is frantically searching for them Larry returns home.
My Opinion
At only five minutes long ‘Allergic To Cats’ was a very easy watch. Director Max Sainvil did a great job at capturing this story which is well-paced and superbly shot. I felt that this short was very well presented and visually pleasing.
I was left a little confused by the story. When the short began I was immediately taken to the two characters we are introduced to – Devon and Kim. Devon came across as a fun guy, a happy-go-lucky type who is up for a good time. Kim seemed to be of a similar fun nature, maybe a little more sensible. I immediately liked the pair. However, we are then introduced to Larry, who I immediately wanted to dislike. Larry came across as a little abrupt and arrogant. By the time the film concluded I felt as though I was supposed to be supporting Larry, who I did feel sorry for given his situation, but I felt the character was unlikable. At the same time I felt as though I was supposed to dislike Kim and Devon who I felt were presented as really likable characters.
I don’t think this is an issue with the actors as they were doing a doing a good job with the material they were given and the performance felt very natural. I think this issue is to do with the transition from paper to screen. Writer Tony Digerolamo has had a great idea with his story and it has a nice arc to it. Maybe if the script was altered slightly to give a definite antagonist and define them by their actions and dialect this would give an easier viewing experience and the audience would be less conflicted. Also I think the actors should be given slightly better direction to their characters to help them understand and define their purpose in the film. It is important for an actor to understand their purpose. I know that this is something hard to do in such a short time frame but if the audience is able to get behind a character they will be more engrossed in the film.
Notable Cast
Tia Link played Kim. I enjoyed Tia in this role. She clearly has feelings for both of the men in the short. We get to see her playful side with Devon and her more serious side with Larry. She got to display a range of emotions and handled it very well. Overall a great performance.
Guyviaud Joseph played Devon. I immediately thought Guyviaud came across as a likable and fun guy. For his short screen time he did a good job.
Dave Bobb played Larry. I thought Dave did a good job in his position. When he first appeared in the short he came across as an arrogant character but by the end of the film I was wanting to feel sorry for him however because the character came across the way he did I struggled to do this. I feel that as an actor he did a good job of changing up his character in such a short space of time
The Verdict
I thought this was a very well-presented short that was well shot, well-lit and professionally edited. My only downfall was the story itself. Although it was by no means a bad one, I feel that a few tweaks and a little more direction could have made this a more enjoyable viewing experience.
