Amelia and Michael (2007)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

A British businessman sees his wife off to work, but she removes her wedding band as soon as she's out of the car and he makes arrangements for a rendezvous with another woman once he arrives at his office. Short film from director Daniel Cormack (who also co-produced) and writer Stephen Betts is a smoothly-orchestrated character study which manages to say a lot (mostly in visual terms) within a 10-minute span. The clear, precise cinematography from Merritt Gold, Gareth Davies' editing, and Nick Loe's portentous score are each commendable, and the finale is an interesting bluff that keeps us wondering. Does the man or his wife suspect the other of infidelity...and does it really matter in the scheme of things, in the context of harsh reality? An intriguing piece of work.

Having been contacted by private message, I agreed to watch Amelia and Michael. From its idea it seemed very interesting and indeed it was. I will admit I was a little worried that Amelia and Michael due to its short running time would not live up to this great idea.Fortunately, Amelia and Michael did do exactly that. My only real criticism is one or two scenes that felt as though they went on for a tad too long. This aside, I cannot deny the professionalism of Amelia and Michael.It is very well made, the scenery is striking, the lighting brooding and the photography superb. The music is very evocative and fits very well always with what is going on on screen.While the dialogue is minimal, the dialogue there is is sharp. Aas for the quietness I found that very effective and it added to the power and poignancy of the story. Speaking of the story, the concept showed a lot of promise and not only does the short raise intriguing questions but it fits a lot in 10 minutes.The direction is a big part of Amelia and Michael's success, it is very confident, and the acting is strong throughout with Anthony Head standing out. All in all, a wonderfully professional and very interesting short that pushes all the right buttons. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Amelia (Natasha Powell) and Michael (Anthony Head) are an affluent British couple. They seem to have a perfectly ordinary loving lifestyle--but they don't. Amelia visits a young man in the hospital who seems to be suffering from brain damage. Who is he? We're never told. Michael sees another woman who he has sex with. Why and who is she? We're never told.Still it doesn't matter in the long run. This is a beautifully done short showing how a couple that is seemingly happy and content might have dark secrets from each other. The direction from Daniel Cornmack is great--he tells you through images all you need to know. The acting by Head and and Powell is just great. This 10 minute short tells you more AND packs more power than a typical Hollywood movie about relationships.

This short film shows how a good director and a fairly simple idea can tell a dramatic story (with all it's complexities) in ten minutes, that somewhere else could take two hours to unfold. Beautifully shot and great performances by the actors. A marriage is going through a rough patch, whatever the causes, we see the effects. It's a tale about the lack of communication between a man and a woman. Much is told by their silences. The end will make you want to know what happens next as Micheal says "it was just the once," confessing to what he's done, and Amelia crumbles having reached breaking point for more than just her husband's betrayal.