Film: Tony (Philippine)

Tony, a boy that had very minimal dialogue but was the link to the conflict between his mother and father which he's been secretly and sexually involved with Aunt Iris. When Aunt Iris came back, he looks more intimidated by her but when she and his father, decided to have 'fun' with her in the kitchen with the doors open (Why?). He gets more agitated and drew even detailed drawing consisting between his father and the aunt. The montages showed the son drawing of sexual behavior between those two until the father snatched away the paper away; telling him not to tell the mother. He was really intimidated by his father even from me, I felt a slight intimidation. As soon as the mother came back which was greeted by both of them as friends only. 

Eventually, Grace (mother) founds a piece of drawing of hugging and sexually kissing in the sons room then showed the crumpled artwork of two faces whispering to each other which  linked to her husband and her sister (Pretty Cliche). So she decided to talked it out the to the quiet son. Definitely, he couldn't say much but the face expression gave an idea to the mother that he couldn't stand watching this and keeping things as quiet possible. With few drawings of both their sexual behavior, which already sparked an idea for the mother to solve it. Of course, it needs a way to end which happens at the dinner table, knowing that father done it before with Iris which it could be few times even before she went to Singapore. In the end, she told him to leave and he agrees (quite fast eh?) without any divorce paper. Overall, the mother and the son live happily ever after in that great looking house. And yeah, that really how it ends.


Most of the time, you can see he's quite timid but mainly focus on his artwork. Using only black and white, there are meaning behind it not only just for art purpose but in color psychology, black means power and control, hanging on to information and things rather than giving out to others which the son is facing while white can cause feelings of isolation and emptiness but also pristine, making you feel as though you can't make a move for fear of upsetting it or creating a mess which causing the conflict between the father and the mother. 



I really like some of shots of the interior of the house because it looks like a picture from a photography gallery I been to especially the top angle shot of the overall attic which is the son's room. I felt there's a contrast between two walls where on the left side is full of drawings of people while the other side where the table is but it's organized and clean from the drawings on the wall. Somehow I believe he's really messed up but then again, he has to keep it quiet and organized (in a way of keeping clean by being secrecy) to avoid certain abuse from father? I don't know... I think it's just me.

I like the boys expression as if he's constipated and intimidated by the whole situation he's facing through. Even during his idling moment, there's a sense of tension whenever a character comes to him. He's pretty a disturbed child until he smiles at the end, reassuring everything is over. I also do like the father intimidation towards the son; it was soft yet it sounds like a knife pierced through the boys heart and mind. On the other hand, nothing much about the acting style of the mother and aunt Iris, it's just normal.

Lastly, the editing style is nothing much but to say but the color style of it seems yellowish to get a sense of warm, family drama throughout the film. Nothing much I could say but I would give this short film a 2 out of 5 stars as it has a simple plot and art direction.

Kudos to the cast and crew of this short film; DirektA Production 2014.