Standby: A Short Film

There's something quite special about a film that has the ability to grip you without ever changing the shot, without even changing the angle of the shot. This is the beauty of Standby, a short film written and directed by Charlotte Regan.

The entirety of this fictional 5-minute short is set in a police car, focusing on two coppers: a man and a woman. The camera sits on the dashboard, capturing their emotions and reactions, all from exactly the same angle. Sounds slightly dull when you explain it, doesn't it. Well, that's the genius of it.

The film has no soundtrack and the silence and pauses are part of what makes this piece so effective. The short begins with the man, unfriendly and seemingly pessimistic, answering the woman's friendly attempts at conversation in short, sharp answers offering no questions in return. The silence therefore recurs and we are treated to a number of prolonged, awkward scenes in which neither of them speak and both stare aimlessly out of the window.

However, as the film progresses and they share a number of quite emotional experiences together (an horrific crime scene, a breakup, laughable criminals in the backseat), a palpable affection becomes evident in the car and the two characters start to smile and play off each other. The man even becomes protective of his partner when dropping her at a date, playing a sort of paternal role. There's also a strangely poignant and sentimental moment when they both sing along to a Stormzy song on the radio. Who knew grime music could provoke such an immensely touching scene. 

I won’t ruin the ending, but the array of emotions you feel as a viewer in just five minutes is quite simply incredible and a testament to the director. It’s addictive, snappy, fast-paced and enormously moving, despite its simplicity. It's well worth a watch, check it out here.




  

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