Amelia and Michael

Short films can be tricky. On one hand, shorts are the perfect format for a director to show off a certain set of skills as a way of getting noticed. On the other hand, it's very easy for shorts to seem pretentious and too artsy for their own good with a director trying too hard to impress. Amelia and Michael avoids such problems by having a simple style, one that compliments the quiet and soft-spoken characters. Director Daniel Cormack does a nice job of keeping a steady pace and never allowing the film or its title characters (expertly played by Anthony Head and Natasha Powell) to go into over-the-top territory. The decision to keep the music as minimal as possible in order to have the focus to stay on the emotions is the best part of the film. Without the typical sappy music playing in the background, Cormack allows the story to seem more honest and realistic than what one might expect from a such a dramatic piece. Perhaps there could have been an ending with a bit more of a kick behind it, but for all of its short length, Amelia and Michael is a captivating watch. 9/10