Mail Time – A Short Film Review
Mail Time gives a nod to the silent films of years gone by with a very simple and effective story accompanied by a powerful score that will not fail to invoke your imagination and fully engross you for the whole six minutes of running time.
What’s It All About?
Ted is a happy-go-lucky mail-man who tries to bring a smile to those he meets with his magic tricks during his mail-round. Unfortunately his valiant efforts are somewhat unappreciated by his customers. One of his main joys is getting to deliver the mail to 280 Mead St. so he can see the girl who lives there. One day during his round Ted is confronted by a robber who takes his money and leaves him shaken. However, things soon change for Ted when he is inspired by an ‘Illusionist’ on TV and discovers he has magic of his own.
My Opinion
I really liked this short, it is a simple story told very well. From beginning to end, writer and director Sebastian Carrasco manages to capture our imaginations with his story. He has done a solid job with this, introducing the main character, presenting a conflict and finally delivering a satisfying conclusion. The writing is very well done and kept my attention firmly on the screen for the duration of the film.
What makes this short special is the way it is presented. It is very reminiscent of a silent film, with the actors not having any speech and relying solely on their actions and expressions. This is where strong direction comes into play and Sebastian has shown he has that in this short. The quick pace keeps the story moving along at a good pace with the help of an excellent score. Anyone who has seen ‘The Illusionist’ may be familiar with this piece of music. The dramatic soundtrack is a great aid to telling the story and helps to build the emotional feeling you have towards the characters. I feel that Sebastian managed to find an excellent way of crafting a film that helps it stand out from the rest of the pack.
Telling a story in this way with no dialogue was always going to be a risk, so getting a strong cast is essential and Sebastian Carrasco hit a home run when he cast Timothy J. Cox. He seems to relish the role and excels in playing the character as we are treated to some brilliant acting as Cox shows us an excellent inventory of emotions. We live and breathe the character from start to finish.
Notable Cast
There only main star of the short was Timothy J. Cox who did an excellent job of playing Ted the mail-man. The role required no lines to learn, however it was essential that the plot was progressed through the actor’s ability to tell a story without speaking. Timothy manages to hit a home run, making this extremely easy to watch and follow. An excellent performance ensures that we feel for him when he gets the door slammed in his face while performing a magic trick, we smile with him when he gets to deliver mail to the girl at 280 Mead St. and we share his joy when he discovers his powers. Tim’s outstanding performance made me live the character for the whole six minutes I was watching.
The only other cast member of note was The Girl (Julia Anne Pelton) played by Makeela Frederick. Her performance is a minor one, but necessary to allow us to share Ted’s joy at seeing her. She does exactly what is needed of her and does indeed brighten up Ted’s day.
The Verdict
Sebastian Carrasco has given us a clean, polished story and did a great job in delivering his vision to us on-screen. This is a little different to what many people may be used to, with the lack of dialogue, but in my opinion this only helps to make the story more effective. Timothy J. Cox excels in his role and delivers a magical performance. On reflection I think this film may have been even more effective shot in black & white, not only continuing in the silent movie theme but I feel as though it would have made the score have an even bigger impact. That is not a negative by any means and I would highly recommend giving this movie a watch, It is a short film everyone can enjoy.
