Lost for Words (1997)

 

Not sure how I managed it, but I seem to have forgotten to post my review from yesterday.  Dreadfully sorry, and I'm sure you've been impatiently awaiting a bit of good old self-flagellation; however, I'm afraid the best I can do is to post it now.  It may put some of my remarks about Salvage into better perspective.

 

Sincerest groveling apologies and all that.  And so... review!

 

Another TV short today.  Much easier to understand than Solid Geometry, despite the fact that most of the character interactions in this one are between people who don’t speak the same language.  I’m not sure if that’s a slam on my mathematics education or a knock on overly-arty short films, but it’s probably an indictment of something.

 

In Lost for Words, we meet a traumatized, unnamed traveler in a bar (in Spain, I’m guessing?  Sounds like most of the characters are speaking Spanish.)  As the Doctor would say, he’s “had some cowboys in here,” and we see what happened to him through an extended flashback.  Our traveler, an Englishman abroad, speaks little Spanish and doesn’t have much of an idea where he’s going.  These two factors contribute to, but are not ultimately the cause of, what has to be the absolute worst-case hitchhiking scenario of all time.

 

PC plays the traveler (or “traveller,” as per the credits – oh, those Brits.)  He strikes me as mildly adventurous but out of his depth, his good intentions quite handily paving his road to hell.  He’s also fairly empathetic, which gets him into trouble and winds up involving him in situations far beyond the typical hitchhiker/driver expectations.

 

It’s an effective performance.  I have no problem buying PC as a feckless tourist getting in over his head.  He also does a great job showing the traveler’s shell-shocked state at the beginning of the story.  Almost from the first shot of him, it’s clear that he’s been broken somehow, and he makes you want to find out what happened.

 

This will come up a little more specifically in the warnings, but just a heads up – what happened is terrible.  It seems that at least 90% of short films are either completely insane or intensely depressing, and this one takes the latter tack.

 

Accent Watch

 

It’s a little tough – the traveler doesn’t say much, and a good chunk of his few lines are in broken Spanish.  I think it’s RP.

 

Recommend?

 

In General – Eh… I don’t think so.  I’m not really into depression for depression’s sake.  If I’m going to watch something sad, I’d rather it have more to say.

 

PC-wise – Possibly.  PC puts a lot into the character, despite not having much runtime or dialogue.

 

Warnings

 

Dark thematic elements and a disturbing scene of violence.