Written & Directed by Nick Esposito, ‘Speaking’ is one those rare short films that stands out like a sore thumb. A deliberately farcical comedy set in a period in which verbal communication and expression existed only by grunting, growling and moaning.
The short opens with picturesque landscapes of a world tens of thousands of years ago, but the viewing pleasure is quickly interrupted as the camera pans down to a tribe of cavepeople. We are sorely introduced to a bunch of foolish individuals who comically carry out their lives, but the world they know thus far is changing. That change is advanced when one of them (HER) learns to speak – albeit profanity.
The short film refuses to take itself self too seriously. It’s highly grotesque and outrageous, but, most importantly, HILLARIOUS! The use of weak special effects in most live-actions would typically write-off your average narrative short, but all is forgiven here – it just multiplies the comical absurdity.
‘Speaking’ has a strong ability to convey a story without comprehensible dialogue – a narrative triumph. The musical soundtrack assists the audience to acknowledge tone and character emotion – mystifying if otherwise. A special highlight would be the rendition of Celine Dion’s’ ‘My Heart Will Go On’ – sung entirely in expletives. Gemma Soldati (HER) is the icing on the cake. A breath of originality. A distasteful delight. Highly recommended.
