Midlands Review of Life Support
midlandsmovies • May 24, 2020
Midlands Review of Life Support
Life Support
Directed by Wayne Kelly
2020
KLENS UK & Spoon Jar Films
The familiar sound of an incoming Skype video message call opens this new made-in-lockdown drama from Leicester filmmaker Wayne Kelly
Life Support is a short story filmed as an online video call between Amy Allen (as Shona) and Rachel Nottingham (as Magz).
The two are strangers but as Magz calls unexpectedly, they do in fact share a common connection to a man named Liam. Magz is married to Liam and accuses Shona of having a relationship with her husband after finding information in his mobile phone.
Shona explains that she was “ghosted” by Liam after their brief affair whilst Magz gets upset as she tells this woman she was unable to have a family.
An interesting and unique style, the film uses the video-call format to focus on the faces of these women. The actresses do well with the material and the drama comes from a tight script that teases out the details during the course of their conversation.
Owing to the lockdown period, director Wayne Kelly had to film and direct the short remotely but has done well given those limitations.
Advocating his ethos “creativity through crisis”, it is great to see the filmmaker adapt to the tough situation and focus efforts on creating a stylish short. Without the luxury of a variety of locations, the film moves swiftly with its revealing dialogue and emotional beats.
As the two women further discuss the situation, more tragic news is shared about Liam’s predicament and the director starts to move away from the moral conundrum of the affair. The short then edges towards a more nuanced exploration of loneliness, tragedy and a shared love for a person.
Addressing the Covid situation specifically, the film also reflects the difficulties of our current world but also how it parallels a broader sense of loss and isolation.
Although the outcome didn’t ring particularly true to me, it still must be said that Life Support is a successful example of clever writing and well-chosen stylistic choices. It ends as a great example of a low-budget short, which makes the most of limited resources by using efficient storytelling and a compelling script.
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