The viewer should go completely unprepared into Egg On Your Face and then allow it to entertain, amuse and surprise them in its own skilled and sincere manner. However, for the sake of appreciating the film, it is impossible to not defy the aforementioned proposition and bring in the first defining word - mockumentary. And yet, just when one begins to chalk it away as a product of laughs, impactful but empty, there is a beautifully profound message that makes you sit up in your seat and acknowledge the unexpected moment that just hit you before you could realise where it came from.
 

The narrative takes you into the life of Blaisse Durant, realised most notably by Quentin Bruno's zealous performance, who has spent years perfecting the art of cooking eggs. From their history to social and cultural location to their origin, Durant has employed it all to prepare his business proposal, supplemented by the hours he has spent at Barnes & Noble, pouring over the books of Malcolm Gladwell. After such a foolproof strategy, there is perhaps little that can go wrong, right? That is the expectation the tone and the atmosphere of the film conjured so far would attempt to convince the viewer of. 

What follows next is a strange unfolding of events in quick succession, unpredictable for the audience, but never disloyal to the core intentions and consistency of the narrative. The film develops most smoothly, supplemented by camerawork and edit that exhibit verve and great energy and, in turn, compel the viewer to participate wholeheartedly in the story. However, the true triumph of the film lies in the manner in which it manages to locate an interesting message, heartwarming for some viewers, while a comment on society itself for others, even at the centre of all the chaos and absurdity it has presented forth all along.

Egg on Your Face | Short Film of the Day

What happens when a man only has 1500 words left to live? Does he rage against the arbitrary nature of life where words have come to reign supreme when it comes to human communication? Or does he accept silence as his fate and goes on with life with his head down? The film is a humorous yet heart-breaking exploration of the same dilemma as Stanley struggles to stay alive as well as his keep marriage afloat. In its own nuanced and comedic manner, the narrative further engages with the importance (or the lack of it) of silence in a relationship. As Stanley strives to extend his life, a very tough enemy remains to be conquered - the absolute human need to articulate - be it sadness, pain, anger, denial or love. Amidst all this rigmarole of emotions, expectations and duties, where will the protagonist finally find himself?

1500 Words | Short Film of the Day

The film packs a complete punch of humour, absurdity and the complete immersion of the viewer within its narrative. It bemuses you, and deliberately so, as it takes you into a day in Miles' life who wakes up to find a stain on his otherwise perfectly clean bedsheet. Amidst the lovely flamingos in the shade of the most aesthetically pleasing pink, rests a spot of a dirty brown-red. Thus begins Miles' bewilderment in unpacking the cause and reasons behind it. For the viewer who frequently engages with creative content, the instinct is to look for metaphors, symbolism and hidden meanings within this seemingly complex narrative. However this pursuit of meaning, this fixation with making sense of a regular story unfolding before you is no different from Miles' fixation with the stain. It is then in this manner that the protagonist and the viewer not only reach a space of overlap, but perhaps also doom themselves to the same fate of uncertainty, in a world where absurdity reigns free, even in the face of all our desperate attempts to look for order, patterns or sense in the functionings of a possibly arbitrary universe.

Stain | Short Film of the Day

The title of the show sets the premise - the misadventures of a bunch of adults trying to find their way in the world. From dating to religious inclinations to sexual fetishes to health problems, the show encompasses it all and more. For instance, the first episode is a hilarious and expert handling of a man’s mid-life crisis. However, it does not simply put its writing and script in the age-old category of humor and moves on. Instead it portrays what it means for a high school teacher to be unable to accept where he finds himself located at this particular stage of his life. Attempting to invoke and pique the interest of his students in Victor Frankenstein’s monster, perhaps a character who echoes his own isolation and inability to fit in, he instead finds himself trying to imitate them in a bid to perhaps add some colour to his life. From being in a band to buying the same clothing as his students, from looking to date younger women to turning up for the date distinctly dressed in a manner that can potentially turn out to be disastrous - he tries it all and fails at it most miserably. The narrative succeeds at generating humor at the expense of the character, while also garnering sympathy for him. In the process, it becomes a well-rounded portrayal of a man’s struggle to come to terms with what he perceives as a dull, mediocre life. Similarly, the other situations the series explores with its varied characters are sometimes relatable, sometimes plain absurd, using the freedom allowed to the genre of comedy, but never not entertaining and engaging. As different characters negotiate their location in society, there are overlaps and crisscrossing of paths. Essentially, what Fully Formed Adults does is provide brief and succinct capsules of amusement and laughter. The length is just right to stoke the viewer's curiosity, involve them in the narrative, eventually concluding with a satisfying tying of ends. The singularity of the concerns of each character is not unfamiliar, but delineated in a way that gives a fresh spin to the story. Its progression involves moving from one aspect of contemporary lifestyles to another, and includes a lighthearted commentary by its characters on social media, smartphones, Judaism, atheism, Woody Allen, the internet's fixation with other people's pets, to name a few. If you happen to stumble across the series, sit back and enjoy this bizarre ride of eccentricities that never has a dull moment.

Fully Formed Adults

The film opens on a note that is fraught with tension - a man is sitting by himself at a restaurant, impatiently waiting for someone. The first impression is of darkness and shadows, a palette of deep colors that is intended to conceal the secrets that simmer underneath the surface. The entry of the second character deliberately makes the viewer locate the film as a crime fiction - one marked by a violent undertaking that has just seen its completion. After the premise has been set, the unexpected appearance of humour subverts the intensity located within the narrative so far, and allows it to now take another form the viewer did not see coming or prepare themselves for. What begins as a parody of crime fiction soon develops a whole new characteristic it had been preparing itself for all along. This, in turn, enables the film to not only succeed, owing to convincing performances, effortless chemistry of its two actors and crisp writing, but to also offer an interesting treatment and understanding of the word 'crazy', giving it a lighthearted (but well-meaning) and unpredictable twist.

Crazy | Short Film of the Day

In a world where despair often seems to reign free and things appear bleak and despondent, stories about kindness and hope gain a renewed significance. The short film is an endearing and heartwarming example of one such story. An old woman, one day, hears her neighbor talking about a sum of money and how Krishna, a Hindu god worshipped by several Indians, has sent it to her in reply to a letter. Our protagonist thus gets determined to send out a letter of her own, also requesting the god for a small amount of money, to the utmost shock of her neighbor's son who she has roped in to write and post it. The film has an intimate tone throughout, along with a portrayal of the deep devotion towards divinity and the childlike wonder that people often develop in old age. There is further an efficient utilisation of limited resources to tell a simple, but compelling story with a sweet message at its core. Additionally, Dear Lord Krishna, evidently a sincere and dedicated attempt at storytelling, leaves the door open for more projects of the kind by the young filmmaker, Jhanvi Gadhvi.

Dear Lord Krishna | Short Film of the Day

The world has battled the coronavirus pandemic desperately and long enough to make the phrase 'the new normal' more than just a simple, oft-repeated set of words. The short film takes the same thought a step further to imagine a reality after about a year since March 2020 to bring to life a perfectly average, mundane occurrence, but in a post-Covid world. Now, this is a time marked by detailed health measures and palm-sized devices that update the user on-the-go about their body temperature. These little touches and elements allow the story to be complete with humour, and a sense of absurdity which now simply seems part of contemporary social norms. A man and a woman meet at a bar. However, since the world is already afflicted with enough complications, especially marring the dynamics and equations of dating, they waste no time in getting to the point. And yet, irrespective of one's desire for companionship, safety and health remain paramount. Thus ensues a detailed exchange of information as being safe on a date acquires a whole new meaning in a society that is only just coming out of a pandemic. The film remains entertaining and engaging throughout, enhanced with energy and verve that is also translated in the chemistry of its only two actors, and the intimacy it strives for with a generous use of handheld shots.

The New Normal | Short Film Nominee

In a sterile world of colorless pipes with a deeply questionable origin, much to to the identity of the corporation that owns them, Mush operates as the be-all and end-all of people's dietary supplies. Within the corporation exist strict hierarchies of power, also determining which color of Mush is made available to its employees for their lacklustre meals. The story truly begins when a level one employee, Marcus is promoted to level seven under the leadership of a seemingly underage manager. While navigating the power structures of his new position, he stumbles across another strange, previously unencountered object in his own backyard - a tomato. Unsure of what the item truly is, describing it as a flower of sorts hanging from the plant, clearly having only been familiar with mush as a meal, his world gets a welcome surprise of tasting a fruit for the first time, and yet, the structures he moves and functions within might not be as welcoming of it. The narrative of the film invokes all of these underpinnings by satirising the closely regulated workplace hierarchies, the inner functionings of a big corporation, young upstarts given crucial professional positions and of course, the complete control of a truth narrative by a handful custodians of power.

Mush | Short Film Nominee

The introspection of a cat during isolation as a result of the coronavirus pandemic forms the focal point on which the narrative pivots. The mini-series weaves the story that rests at the heart of the battle against the global outbreak of the Covid-19 virus. Interestingly, it is from the point of view of a cat who is adorable in his laziness, and deeply endearing in his philosophical and existential ruminations. Following an introduction to the said house cat, Catvid-19 becomes a documentation of Mike's experiences and lived reality - capturing the most opportune moments of the kitty's life.
 
From lounging and napping to attempting to dig his way to freedom (well, until he feels sleepy enough for his next nap), from fighting potential foes from behind the glass window to losing his mind fantasizing about the life that once was - the plot offers an adept interaction with the internal workings of the cat's mind. The humour that is evoked at his expense is precisely what the viewer is here for, and Catvid-19 serves it to them most generously.
 
Now, Mike is an especially intense kitty. The fluffball's antics and appearance are in direct contrast with his heavy musings, helping to enhance the humour further, deliberately so, along with being smartly handled.
 
However, once the pandemic isolation ends and the kitty can go out in the world again, there is another interesting dynamic waiting for him as well as the viewer. Whether or not he likes the return to normalcy, where he can once again run into his peers is Mike's problem to solve. He steps out to find that now there are self-righteous ‘Covid babies’, born as a result of their parents isolating at home, to be dealt with.
 
There are also the consequences of an isolation that lasted a little too long, consequences that have changed friends and acquaintances that are waiting to confront our protagonist. And yet, amidst all of this, the series maintains its endearing tone throughout, despite the underlying circumstance of a pandemic that one might momentarily forget while watching Mike. As for those who have come along with him on his adventures, this peek into his life is sufficient to ease them of burdens of an existence that still faces an uncertain future.

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