Review and critique at least one short film production
‘La Madre Buena’ – The Good Mother is a short film by Sarah Clift, she is a fairly new writer/director from the UK, this was her first short and was shot in 2016 and the film did very well receiving multiple awards and recognitions at over 70 festivals.
The film is a comedy drama that follows a mexican mother on a journey across land and her politics to find her son’s birthday request of a Donald Trump pinata. Even though the main message of the film is put across in a very satirical way it essentially is that Trump is hated, so much so that a young boy wants him as a pinata figure which shows he takes him for a joke but also a pinata you beat up which suggests his hate for Trump even more. At the beginning of the film we see the mother initially shocked but then personally conflicted when her son wants the Trump pinata, the line that stuck was ‘I don’t want that man in my house’ which shows her personal detest for the man so much so she wont allow a fake replication of him in her home.It definitely takes themes of current politics of the time- trump coming into power, building wall on mexican border etc. into play.
Sound was used to set the atmosphere and show progression throughout the film. In the beginning with have some very simple mexican sounding guitar music, this immediately makes us feel like we are in Mexico as we associated that type of music with it, so it immerses the audience in the scene locationally. The diegetic sounds from the TV give let us know some back story, they are sounds of Trump’s voice doing speeches about ‘making America great again’ and building a wall between them and Mexico. As the mother embarks on her journey we have some more Mexican sounding guitar music however it feels more adventurous and curious, as she enters the cave to get the Trump pinata traditional Spanish vocals come in these continue until the end where the boy is smashing the Trump pinata at his party by this point they’ve become very dramatic and paired with the slow motion of pinata trump’s face taking a beating it becomes quite comical.
I really like the cinematography I think it suits the film very well. There isn’t much movement in any of the shots throughout the film but they are very aesthetically composed and naturally lit which makes us feel as though we are there in the conversation for example with the characters. When the Mother is on her trip to the mysterious cave we see use of lots of wide shots this gives a sense of isolation and her really going into the middle of nowhere in search for the Trump pinata. The cave is shot much more handheld in contrast and it’s lit very warm by candles and this creates an uneasy, spiritual and slightly satanic feel. The shots are almost repeated on the journey back however we have this sense of visual comedy, when she enters the frame on her bike you expect it just to be her and then you see this life sized Trump pinata strapped to the back of someone who earlier stated how they didn’t want this man in her home. The last scene is very dramatic of the boy being happy smashing the pinata Trump this is filmed in slow motion to emphasize and allow the audience to take in his emotion.
Editing and pacing really kept you engaged in the film, I felt it was the perfect length for the story. The whole film is a build up to the dramatic pinata slow motion attack at the end. There wasn’t really any fancy editing it was just naturalistic and flowed which is key to making something believable and understandable as a film.
The film is set in Mexico this is reflected at the start in the house through the mise-en-scene showing many traditional paintings and using yellows, greens and blues in clothing and furniture gives a South American feel. The pinata party scene at the end also portrays stereotypical Mexico well with vibrant colours, hanging party ornaments and many people gathered together this again all adds to the immersive experience of the film.
I think the film is very simple but effective, it made me laugh when I watched it and I think it quite nice that a serious issue has been taken and made into a film like this with a comical touch but still portrays a strong message a lot of people agree with. I think it’s aimed at a large demographic of people 16+ who have some basic understanding of current politics in the world. I would recommend to others.
Well done Charlotte, this is a well-written and engaging review. You have demonstrated that you understand how the filmmaker has used techniques to craft the story. I love this film! I agree that it makes you laugh but also has a message. I related to it as a mother… You have achieved section 5 – Review and critique at least one short film production.