Live Health – A Short Film Review
Live Health is a very moving look at a therapist trying to help his patients during the pandemic. Timothy and Jamie Cox have given us a very relevent story that everyone can relate to.
What’s It All About?
A day in the life of therapist Dr. Peter Marcus who, due to the pandemic, now conducts sessions with his patients online.
My Opinion
The Pandemic has forced everyone to change. No matter where in the world you are, the way we do things have been forced to adapt to a new way of life. No more so than independent filmmakers. Lockdowns and social distancing have made it impossible to film or perform in the same way. This has meant that filmmakers have had to adapt and evolve to find new ways of filming. This has meant new and innovative ways of filmmaking have been developed as filmmakers attepmt to flex their creative muscles to create new and interesting films.
Timothy J Cox has written a very moving drama. Live Health looks at a therapist adapting to seeing his patients over the internet. I’m surprised that Cox has not done more writing as he certainly seems to have a talent for it. He has given us a very well crafted story that is simple but extremely effective. Presumably taking inspiration from what is happening in the world and giving us something that everyone can relate to on some level means that everyone who watches it can connect with it. The lack of dialogue only adds to the short. Timothy has shown that he knows how to craft a story that can connect with an audience. What I found very interesting was that the actors playing the patients got to improvise their own dialogue. I am not sure if they were given any direction to go in with their stories or if it was entirely up to the actors, but they all gave fantastic performances.
The short was co-directed by Timothy and Jamie Cox and they managed to create a great film. While the camera does not get too adventurous there is no need for it to be, the scenes are very well framed and do a good job of telling the story. Cimenatography and editing also fell onto Jamie, who has really excelled. According to IMDB Jamie seems to be getting behind the camera for the first time, but her lack of experience is nowhere to be seen, the editing is cleverly done, particularly some of the quick edits and fast cuts. The scenes were well lit, which is not easy to do inside a house. Tim and Jamie seem to make an excellent team behind the camera and hopefully it is not the last time.
The acting in this short was also of a very high standard. Timothy J Cox stars as the Doctor and puts in a superb performance. As mentioned earlier the cast got to improvise their dialogue and I think this only helped them to give some very natural and moving stories that really drew the audience in and played with their emotions. Matthew Harris in particular really stood out for me with his story, giving an animated and moving portrayal of Jason. I really felt his struggles.
Matthew Mahler provided original music for the short and it was great. The score is subtle and moving but complements the short so well.
Notable Performances
Timothy J Cox as Dr. Peter Marcus. Cox is a terrific physical actor, there is no denying that. This has to be one of his stand out performances. Although he has very little dialogue, it is his physical performance that tells the story. The way he carries himself, his expressions as he listens to his patients or as he ponders over the guilt that he is not able to help them. You can physically see him carrying the weight of his job around with him. He manages to display the weight of emotions weighing him down. This is such a moving performance that really effects the audience.
The Verdict
Live Health is a fantastic short film. Finding new ways of creating short has been exciting to watch and this short is another example of that. Timothy and Jamie Cox have done an amazing job with this. An excellent story and some solid filmmaking mixed together with some outstanding performances, highlighted by Tim’s own performance is the perfect recipe. A relevant and relatable story that has the power to move any audience.
Such a nice review