iREVIEW: Strangers (short)

Starring Zoran Saher, Evan Haigh and Kelsey Bramson. Written and Directed by Kabir Chopra. 

It's my firm belief that a good short film juts as a bigger stride for storyteller than a feature.  After all, the three ominous acts of film making must be compacted within ten odd minutes and presented with as much continuity as a two hour film. If a director can do this, a director can do anything.

Strangers is a short film about a young man, Sam, waiting in a bar for his date from internet when he meets a headcase, Dominic, who we all hope is not someone we think he is!  Now, if a mere cyber conversation at the very onset can define an entire act, you know you have a pretty good storyteller at hand. Of course, it's a presumption and you hope the rest validates it.

Chopra doesn't waste a minute to establish the premise of the film, the sullen atmosphere and the characters.  Within moments, you are yanked right in that little one on one between Sam and Dominic, cringing to the thought "Oh God, don't do this to at least poor Sam!"

Second to the uncanny grip with which Chopra keeps the premise in control,  the performance is the best selling point. We can never be sure if a director actually had all the layers of story in mind and did the kind of character study that's depicted in the film or if it was just a stroke of pretty awesome luck but that's besides the point. From the curiosity ridden background score to Sam's unsure gait and diffident posture, the director   uses every skill in his palette to inject a plume of vulnerability in the air within a matter of seconds. It actually works wonders!

Now, I might be wrong but I think Zoran Saher (Sam) has a Shahrukh Khan tinge to his face and that's all good but his attempts to emulate the Bollywood megastar's performance is not going to help him.  Other than that, I think he pretty much adhered like glue to the character.

Of course, like any other short, Strangers has its fair share of twists and turns but it's the director's clear understanding that a short is not just a truncated feature but rather a distinct mode of storytelling in itself, we come to appreciate a world that he creates for us within ten minutes, which is haunting, perky, funny and frightening at once. A rare and refreshing treat, watch it here.

**** / *****