Incognita – A Short Film Review
Incognita is well written short that keeps things simple focusing on the basics and getting them right. One or two technical issues and a few sub-par performances stop this from being a great short.
What’s It All About?
Ben Park, a young adjunct teacher, is expecting his first child with his loving wife. He gets taken by surprise when a student at his new school, Trevor, reveals something to him that changes his life forever.
My Opinion
What I liked about this short was the story. Written by Brielle Carroll and Asha Rosemond the film deals with a lot of human emotions. The story is driven by the interactions between the characters. The relationship between Trevor and Ben. It didn’t try to do too much or over-complicate things which can happen so often in short films. Carroll and Rosemond keep it simple focusing on the key moments in the development of the relationship between Ben and Trevor. Asha Rosemond directs with confidence and gives us a polished short.
While the camera doesn’t try to be too adventurous it doesn’t need to be. There was enough going on visually to make this interesting, some solid shot choices do a great job of telling the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the panning shot of the lecture theatre. I have a feeling that it was created by walking along one of the rows at the back of the theatre with a steady hand! Some good inventive filmmaking.
The soundtrack was a nice touch to the film, a little dramatic but it fit with the film quite well. I thought there were moments where it enhanced the scene it was placed in which is always a good thing.
The performances were a mixed bag. I was impressed by Phil Kramer who put in a very natural and believable turn as Trevor and veteran actor Timothy J. Cox gave a stand out performance. Sean Kneese seemed to at home with some of the more light-hearted moments but struggled to handle the more emotionally heavy scenes. Nedra Shamberger seemed to struggle to get to grips with her character.
The picture quality suffered at times to what can only be described as interference. Lines running down the screen. Now I have to take this as an equipment fault as this is a student film and it is most likely school cameras that were used so it is unfair to judge on this too harshly as it does not affect the story.
There were one or two sound issues. One that stuck out was when Banks took the call from his wife. When the audio switched between Ben and his wife speaking, I am guessing they recorded the audio and cut it in between the time Ben was talking. I didn’t think this was very well done and the cuts were slightly off-putting. I think a little smoother editing was needed for this. Even just recording Shamberger’s lines and cutting them in without all the static would have been more pleasing to the ear. It just didn’t come across that well.
Notable Performances
Timothy J. Cox played Professor Phillips. Cox has built a reputation as a consistent and reliable hand with a chameleon-like ability to transform into whatever character you need. Timothy’s performance was excellent. His dialogue comes across so natural. His performance really stands out above the rest.
Phil Kramer played Trevor. I was really impressed by Kramer’s performance. He handled the emotional turmoil with ease and his acting seemed very natural. His facial expressions and mannerisms in particular came across very organic. He did a great job playing the awkward teenager struggling with the obstacles in front of him.
Sean Kneese played Ben Parks. I felt that Kneese came across as having a natural confidence which played well into his character as a lecturer. He seemed calm and reserved while talking to his class. I thought Kneese struggled a little with some of the more emotional scenes. I didn’t really get his reactions to the news of the baby and to having a teenage son. In these moments Kneese seemed more reserved and not really responding to the news. However he came across well in the gentler scenes such as reintroducing himself to Trevor.
Nedra Shamberger played Veronica. I thought Shamberger gave a mixed performance. She seemed little over-the-top and erratic in her acting and mannerisms. I thought she gave a little too much in her performance, which in turn made the character a little bit of a parody of itself.
The Verdict
I thought this was a good effort. While one or two technical issues were noticeable it didn’t hinder the film too much. A well thought out and developed story was the foundation of a solid short. I expect the team who put this together have learned a lot from the experience which is always a good thing.
