Mr. Bellpond

Although it has its flaws, this is an excellent short film.

I enjoyed many aspects of the film, especially the sets and costumes. Things felt lived-in and real while maintaining their comedic effect. Another great thing was the color palate; at the beginning of the film when Bellpond is happy and married, the colors are full of reds and golds while during the middle of the film when Bellpond is a hermit, the colors are gray and blue. The gold colors return at the end of the film when Bellpond regains hope... subtle, but appreciated. The film also incorporated animation in a charming way, and while it was a bit experimental and out there, it was nonetheless effective and enjoyable. Lastly, the narration and humor were great, and the acting was solid enough. Ultimately, it manages to sidestep most of the problems many short films have, making it all around professional looking and fun.

However, that's where my praise ends, because there are definitely things that could have been improved on. Firstly, the soundtrack was ok and fit the film well until the very end. The last song was out of place and off-putting. Also, the cinematography wasn't anything special, and some of it seemed a bit drawn out. There were a few shots that were incredibly over exposed even for the context. Lastly, the from a narrative standpoint, taking more time to introduce Yuridia more at the beginning of the film would have given the viewer more empathy for Bellpond and more happiness at his hope.

All around, though, it is an excellent short film and is definitely worth a watch especially because it is free on Youtube.