Countdown to Thirteen: Roar (2009)

This wound up being a fairly surprising shot; it went places that I definitely wasn’t expecting.  While Jodie Whittaker’s role is pretty small, the piece stars Russell Tovey (former History Boy, Doctor Who alum, and more lately Kevin on Looking,) and I always enjoy seeing him.

The scene opens on a little shop that handles both dry cleaning and key cutting.  After a brief encounter with a customer, we follow Tommy – a quiet, diligent key cutter – through his lonely day.  We get the impression of a heartbroken young man trying to get through the holidays.  However, not everything is as it seems.

I’m still trying to figure out what I think of this short.  I think it does really well creating its mood, that soft air of loneliness that can hang over the holidays.  Most live-action shorts aren’t overly-occupied with plot, insteading generally opting for 1) weird/symbolic or 2) introspective/emotional, and this short mainly goes for the latter.  As such, there isn’t a lot happening for much of it, but it’s still fairly engaging.  Even as a rather remote character like Tommy, Russell Tovey has a strong screen presence that’s compelling to watch.

As I said, the short takes some unexpected turns near the end.  I won’t spoil it – I’ll just say that it’s the part that leaves me feeling unsure about it.  I would say the surprise is ultimately earned, as I can see how different shots from earlier in the short can suddenly be interpreted differently in hindsight.  But I’m just not sure what I think about it; jury’s still out.

Whittaker plays Eva, the customer at the dry cleaner/key cutters that Tommy encounters at the start of the short.  It’s one of those instances of strangers crossing each other’s paths that occur millions of times every day, the type that we generally experience without thinking twice but which can form a key plot point in a number of stories.  In this case, it’s notable for how little part Tommy takes in the interaction.  While Eva waits in the shop, it’s Tommy’s coworker (played by Tom Burke, who I remember as Syd in State of Play) who takes the reins; as Tommy works, his coworker somewhat pushily flirts with Eva and tries to make inferences about her life based on her dry cleaning and keys.  Eva, meanwhile, is mostly just waiting to get through it.

Accent Watch

She speaks so briefly, but it sounds like RP to me.

Recommend?

In General – I might.  It’s definitely well-made, and Russell Tovey is very effective.  And it’s only 15 minutes long, so it’s not much of a time commitment.

Jodie Whittaker – Naw.  Again, it’s really short, so it’s quick to get through, but Whittaker’s part is so small that there’s not much to see of her.

Warnings

Brief violence and thematic elements.