Film review magazine

1. Malcolm
I had mixed feelings when Jake Beare, Charlie
Robertson and Ben Bullock collaborated for this
project as it is believed that they have personal
relationships. However, my mixed feeling were
obliterated when I watched this film.
“Malcolm” about
a teenage prodigy
struggling with mental
issues and a closing
contract with a film company as they believe he
can write scripts just as he wrote his first book.
I must admit a very tricky concept for young
students, however I was going into the film not
believing that Jake Beare (actor and writer)
CERTIFICATE 15
RELEASED May 15
PLOT A young writer struggling
to deal with the pending deadline
of his first publishing contract
RUNNING TIME tbc
DIRECTOR Charlie Robertson
could play a believable writer. But I was pleas-
antly surprised with his performance as it was
extremely believable and I truly felt sorry for
his character, which I am assuming is what the
director Charlie Robertson was hoping.
In regards to Charlie Robertson I have no
doubt he has the passion and the skill to go
onto any project and improve it. Thats exactly
what he did for Malcolm, you can sense even
this early on an auteur style blooming. His ex-
perimental yet artistic eye compliments the film
in such a way that he possesses skills compare
to a young Abbas Kiarostami. I am highly confi-
dent we haven’t seen the last of him.
Onto the cinematographer and supporting
actor Ben Bullock. It is a well known fact that
Ben is a photography fanatic and this is visible
in his work in Malcolm. I feel that Ben and
Charlie’s collaboration in the cinematography
was a really important move as Robertson’s
auteur style really works well with Bullock’s
knowledge and eye for a successful shot. Ben
Bullock’s acting is also impressive as he plays
the imaginary friend of Malcolm. To an extent
he plays an antagonist but you end up still
liking him.
Lastly, Jake Beare, I feel his screenwriting
skills will only get better and it is believed his
next goal is to direct. You can already tell his
imagination will serve him well in this industry.
His passion for film is visible in his narrative
and his love for a good character.
Obviously these
three are still very
young so there is
no limit to what
they can achieve but it is believed that they
all are heading in different paths. In terms of
Malcolm in general I feel that the Narrative is
slightly unrealistic as it gives us an illusion that
an eighteen year old boy can achieve a
contract with a film company but this is simply
not the case.
However, with this unnoticeable hole the
story possesses a lot of character and steps
inside the mind of a troubled teenager. The
Malcolm team show promise and it is liable
that they will be very active in the industry in
the future, whether they delve into different
styles is unknown, but we look forward to see-
ing more of the trio in their future projects.
“A SIMPLE NARRATIVE IS ACCOMPANIED BY A
DARK, YET INFECTIOUS MOOD ”
Malcolm (2015) is a charming short film that rep-
resents the mental perils of a teenager and the ex-
pectations of a high achieving one. Theres no doubt
it is a successful story. The concept of Malcolm
was impressive for artists of their age but I truly feel
that there is some holes that let the film down. Jake
Beare, Charlie Robertson and Ben Bullock have
the skill and passion to go far. I believe that the
filmmakers went to great lenghths to entertain and
intrigue the audience. However they have a lot to
learn and I look forward into seeing them flourish
into successul artists in the future as it is already
believed that they are working on another film.
REVIEWS
January 2015 | StudentScope | 88
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VERDICT:
THE STORY OF A YOUNG WRITER
BECOMING HIS OWN WORST ENEMY
Live twitter feed
#Malcolmshortfilm
@HelenWH84 Helen Whitehead
Nice little film from a group of college
students, would recommend a watch!
#Malcolmshortfilm
@PaulTu78 Paul Turner
Decent short.. pretty emotive stuff!!
#Malcolmshortfilm
@MoHarmsey Mo H
Enjoyed this - give it a watch!
#Malcolmshortfilm
Malcolm begins
to accept his
sorrows..
Ss Ss