Midlands Review of Cheeseburger
midlandsmovies • July 7, 2020
Midlands Review of Cheeseburger
Directed by Scott Driver
2020
A lonely and awkward man trying to find a connection with the world is the subject matter of a new 7 ½ minute short from Midlands director Scott Driver.
A befuddled voice practising an introductory speech to someone opens the short before we cut to a small flat where a man is reheating a burger in the microwave. Dejected he munches on his sad meal for one before sitting down in front of a computer.
In the darkness the man scrolls through internet pictures of a woman before we see her (Holly Turner as Sophie) come online.
Perking up with a smile across his face the man uses instant messenger to confirm a previously arranged meet-up for the coming Saturday. The ellipsis used in online chat ⟨…⟩ which signifies a user is still writing a reply, is filmed in extreme close-up here, helping to emphasise the importance of this interaction to our lead.
The director Scott Driver has previously tackled both dark comedy (Today I Daydreamed That I Killed Tom From Work) and dark drama (Heather) and here we have a melancholic tone with hints upon more serious themes below the surface.
Painfully pulling out nose-hairs and the scrubbing of dental floss, his date preparation is also filmed in close-up as we watch our protagonist meticulously get ready. But looking at his out-of-shape stomach in the mirror leads him to dream of attaining an abdominal ‘six-pack’.
And after some working out, a change of diet and a YouTube dating advice video, we are then whisked to the big day. As our lead walks out his door, his large headphones once again separate him from the real world in a film that explores public and private spaces.
Cheeseburger is very well filmed with a high-quality widescreen image, helped by good compositions in each shot. These are simple but often very meaningful as well. For example, as our lead descends in his building’s elevator, we see him symbolically trapped, even when going outside.
The film questions how the constant emphasis on the perfect image puts added duress on people especially those who may be more introspective or withdrawn. The lead actor Luke Boyden-Jones does especially well, shouldering almost the entire short. He plays the role fantastically as a man with legitimate worries without the character being either self-indulgent or pitiful.
In the end though, Cheeseburger is a successful short that delves into a world of online dating and the difficulties that go with it. Cleverly probing social and online pressures with a simple but effective story, the short film makes you sympathetic towards the lead and is relatable to anyone wanting to make a good first impression.
And a satisfying finale ends with some hope that despite all the above, things will eventually be alright in this world, keeping up an audience’s morale without cheesy sentimentality.
Michael Sales
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