A simple take on man vs man vs nature. Two friends, seemingly not getting along, who must rely on each other in a crisis on a remote hillside.
When I typed that last sentence, I felt excited about seeing that story. However, this wasn't the story on saw in 'Hillside.' I felt that concept in there somewhere, but it was buried beneath a bunch of other stuff that didn't work.
The relationship between the two characters is unfocused and superficial. I never really understand who they are to each other. I know in a short film there is only so much time to establish these things, but that is the challenge of the day. I wish the filmmaker had challenged himself to find a way to clearly demonstrate who these characters were and who they were to each other. Instead I get two character arguing, but I don't know or care about them or their conflict (a conflict that turns the entire story at the midpoint when one character has to help the other).
The crisis was poorly executed and again, I felt the filmmaker did not challenge himself in finding a way to make the crisis more interesting and compelling.
The camerawork is elementary in that we are never drawn into the story or characters through the visuals. The camera never really explains or elevates the situation or circumstances or where we are in the plot. It just kind of records, but sort of does it poorly. It never reinforces the relationship between the two men. It doesn't really do much.
Again, an interesting concept with a clunky and unfocused execution.
When I typed that last sentence, I felt excited about seeing that story. However, this wasn't the story on saw in 'Hillside.' I felt that concept in there somewhere, but it was buried beneath a bunch of other stuff that didn't work.
The relationship between the two characters is unfocused and superficial. I never really understand who they are to each other. I know in a short film there is only so much time to establish these things, but that is the challenge of the day. I wish the filmmaker had challenged himself to find a way to clearly demonstrate who these characters were and who they were to each other. Instead I get two character arguing, but I don't know or care about them or their conflict (a conflict that turns the entire story at the midpoint when one character has to help the other).
The crisis was poorly executed and again, I felt the filmmaker did not challenge himself in finding a way to make the crisis more interesting and compelling.
The camerawork is elementary in that we are never drawn into the story or characters through the visuals. The camera never really explains or elevates the situation or circumstances or where we are in the plot. It just kind of records, but sort of does it poorly. It never reinforces the relationship between the two men. It doesn't really do much.
Again, an interesting concept with a clunky and unfocused execution.