A Fitting Tribute (2007) User Reviews

A clever teaser

[Chris Knipp · 8/10 · 11 February 2009]

This 13-minute film is a surreal little piece about a cub reporter called Niall (Thomas Nelstrop) brought by a sophisticated young woman associate, the suave, pretty Tamara (Sally Bretton, 'Donna' in 'The Office') to pick up photos of a youth called Michael just killed in a car crash. Writer Ben Clover based this on his own experiences as a fledgling journalist doing "death-knocks" for the South London Press. I had the same sort of job myself and can attest that if you don't have balls and a glib way with you you'll get the door slammed in your face. Niall's job is on the line, and Tamara is standing by in the car to make sure he succeeds this time, or he'll be sacked.

In the car on the way to see the bereaved mother Mrs Wright (April Nicholson), Tamara rehearses various introductory speeches and explains how psychology can be used to get your foot in the door and obtain information about a dead family member, and most importantly, those photographs. Nial, while presentable enough (he's a bland, attractive young everyman with a strong nose and lots of curly hair), is evidently less self-assured, and perhaps just about to put his foot in his mouth--and cause offense before he's let in, or after.

Not a bit of it. None of that matters. When he gets to the door and Mrs Wright appears, a strange mistaken identity has happened. Or has it? We are left to imagine what's going on with Mrs Wright and why Niall reacts with such strange passivity.

Identities collapse and reassemble somewhat in the manner of Harold Pinter. There's a teasing dominance-submission setup between Niall and Tamara, then Niall and Mrs Wright, that's Pinter-like and sly. There's not so much of Pinter's menace. But a sudden onrush of unreality on a placid suburban street is always disquieting, if not downright terrifying. What happens isn't really better than getting the door slammed in your face: it's worse. There's a sickliness in Niall's surrender that reminds me of Pinter's 'The Servant.'

The film may be trying to communicate a little more information than quite gets across; Niall's attendance of the burial of his mum in the opening shots is a hint that gets somewhat lost. However, what 'A Fitting Tribute' does convey is haunting enough, The film's look is is elegant and clear. Young director Danial Cormack and writer Ben Clover make a good team. The accomplishment here well explains qualification for a UK Film Council Completion Fund Award and showcasing by the BBC Film Network. The BBC website also is to be congratulated for the accessibility and detail of its presentation of the film and all you need to know about it at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/A41251565. Gareth Davies did a smooth job on the editing; blackouts work here, enhancing the sense of mystery and transformation. Daniel Cormack and Sam Osborne did the photography. A promising piece of work that uses the short format to magnify hints and portents.

I liked it but wanted more

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 11 February 2009]

Two newspaper people are going to get a story. A young boy has just died in a car crash and Tammy (Sally Brenton) and Niall (Thomas Nelstrop) are going to interview his mother Mrs. Wright (April Nicholson). Tammy sends Niall to get it but Niall gets more than he bargained for.

SPOILERS! Well done and acted and I didn't see the twist at the end coming...but I wanted more. I wanted to know why Mrs. Wright is doing what she does and why does Niall go along with it? He doesn't even attempt to fight back when she puts him in her sons room. I realize the guy is passive but THAT passive? Also Tammy waited out there for him for seemingly hours. When they arrive it's daylight--when she decides to work on her own it's night. Does it take that long to get a story? And what happens the next day when Niall wakes up?

Maybe I'm asking too much out of this because it does work as a creepy little short but those questions kept popping up. In a way I'm complimenting it--it was so well done that I wanted more. So I do recommend it. I just think I thought about it too much. I give it a 7.

Need and coping

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 8/10 · 12 February 2009]

Cormack delivers again. With a longer running time(13 minutes) than Nightwalking, this allows for more varied pacing, and the build-up of atmosphere and mood is not at all hurried(not to say that it was in aforementioned piece). This deals with loss, and is as psychological, smart and accessible as the later-released ultrashort. It's very well-done, with nothing lacking in production value. The acting is spot-on. The editing is sharp and effective. The cinematography is smooth and well-planned. The concept is well-thought out, and as this progresses, it slowly becomes clear to the viewer what is going on, without a hint of heavy-handedness. This can be described as a black comedy-drama. Some of the humor is irony, and most of it works marvelously well. The writing is impeccable. There is not much objectionable material in this. Beyond a little bit of language, which is strong in tone, but next to nonexistent in amount, as well as entirely confined to the first couple of minutes, there is almost nothing worth mentioning. I would still say that this should not be viewed by anyone that could be deemed too young, if for no other reason, the themes explored. I recommend this to anyone who has liked the director elsewhere, or would be willing to give him a chance based on this review. 8/10

Intriguing, Sensitive and Touching

[claudio_carvalho · 10/10 · 11 February 2009]

When Mrs. Wright (April Nicholson) loses her beloved son in a car accident, the experienced and cynical journalist Tammy (Sally Bretton) trains her rookie colleague Niall (Thomas Nelstrop) how to approach Mrs. Wright for an interview for a tribute they will prepare for her son in The Examiner. When Niall knocks on Mrs. Wright's door, she surprisingly welcomes him and invites to drink tea and to rest in a totally unexpected reaction. Later Tammy knocks on the door seeking out Niall, when Mrs. Brown's motives are disclosed.

"A Fitting Tribute" is an intriguing, sensitive and touching tale that uses the refined British sense of humor (or dark humor in this case), supported by magnificent director, writer, cast and crew. I have never lost someone so close to me as, for example, a son, but I can easily understand the human reaction of Mrs. Brown. I like and admire the capacity of Daniel Cormack to concise his shorts. The gorgeous and talented Sally Bretton, unfortunately unknown in Brazil, recalled me Kate Winslet in the beginning of her career. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): Not Available, but you can see in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/A41251565

Good performances, twist ending

[F Gwynplaine MacIntyre · 10/10 · 16 March 2009]

I started out disliking 'A Fitting Tribute' because the premise reminded me of one of the most uncomfortable events in my adult life. In 1975, I was a stringer for one of the Fleet Street tabloids. An attractive young heiress named Lesley Whittle was kidnapped and held to ransom by a psychopath who eventually murdered her. My editor ordered me to go to the Whittle home and obtain a photograph of the dead heiress, even though her grieving family presumably had other priorities at the moment. As I was leaving the editor's desk, he shouted after me: 'Try to get her in a swimming cozzie.'

Fortunately, 'A Fitting Tribute' goes off in an entirely different direction from my own experiences on that unpleasant occasion.

'A Fitting Tribute' begins in a rural cemetery, where we meet shrewish Tammy and gormless Niall. They get into a car, and Tammy drives while she harangues Niall. There's some plot exposition here, and director Daniel Cormack handles it expertly: he shoots close-ups of Tammy's eyes in the rear-view mirror (presumably from Niall's P.O.V.) while her off-screen voice delivers the set-up. Apparently Niall is a cub reporter, and Tammy (a more experienced journo) is ordering him to the home of a young man who has recently died in a road accident, with the objective of obtaining a photograph of the deceased. We never do learn why this young man is important enough to merit so much journalistic intrigue; perhaps Tammy and Niall are working for a regional newspaper that specialises in local events.

Niall goes to the house of Mrs Wright, the deceased's mother. Surprisingly enough, she lets him in and hears him out. What happens next is utterly unexpected, bizarre, yet believable. I shan't spoil the ending for you, except to say that it reminded me of Roald Dahl's classic story 'The Landlady' ... but with a far more benevolent fate befalling the young protagonist in this case. There's a darkly clever pun in this film's title: 'A Fitting Tribute'.

There are only three characters in this mini-drama (we never do see the dead son), but all three actors give excellent well-modulated performances. As the grieving mother, April Nicholson could have brought her characterisation into bathos but blessedly never does so. It's early days yet for director Daniel Cormack, but he has already distinguished himself as a talented director, both in manipulating actors and in positioning the camera. Throughout 'A Fitting Tribute', his shot set-ups are spot-on and well-framed. I'll rate this clever drama a full 10 out of 10.

First half is stronger than the second half, which is a bit of a problem considering this is where the impact should have been (SPOILERS)

[bob the moo · 16 February 2009]

So I'm reading the reviews of my peers on this site and wondering to myself why several of them comment that they did not see the twist coming –as if somehow this is not an idea that we have seen before. To justify my spoilers tag I will say that our young journalist finds that his subject has taken him as her son and will not be shaken on this idea. Where this story goes from here is not our concern as the film fades on both parties having accepted the situation for the time being, albeit with both seeming to know that it is not right but that it is presumably filling an emotional gap for them right there and then. This is well done in terms of playing out the events but I felt the film lacked real heart and understanding of the characters (for the viewer) as I needed more subtle little bits that inform and expand what is going on, without making it obvious.

To see what I mean I would suggest that one watch the film Smoke – not all of it necessarily but just the end credit sequence where a similar scenario is played out under Tom Waits' haunting "Innocent when you Dream". OK this sequence has the benefit of having just been told as a story but it still delivers little things that inform the viewer and make it engaging. I didn't think A Fitting Tribute did that even though the concept had enough to carry it. Don't get me wrong, it does have some of this in there but it comes in the obvious moments and is "done" rather than being part of the characters. In this regard it is also weaker on the side of Niall rather than Mrs Wright, as his motivations are less clear – I was looking for more when he was alone in the bedroom to fill this out.

Fortunately this is not the entire short film because it would have been a weaker film if it were. On the contrary the first half of the film is strong enough to make it worth seeing even if the second half does disappoint a bit. The first five or so minutes are essentially a monologue from the more experience journalist Tammy on how to talk your way into the home of a grieving relative. It is not David Mamet but it is still an enjoyable dialogue sequence because it is honest and feels like it is coming from the inside. Like I say, it is not something I'll be quoting but it is well written and Bretton delivers it well. If Nicholson and Nelstrop had been as good perhaps their half of the film would have been better, but in fairness their jobs are harder. Cormack's direction is good in regards the look of the film – particularly given the fact that the first half of the film is on the road. Could he have gotten more from the actors or is that down to the writer? I'm not sure but it should have come from somewhere.

A Fitting Tribute is a good little short but not a great one. The first half is a lot more interesting than the second half, which lacks the depth that it needed to be more than an amusing scenario. It is this but I wanted to feel more emotion and more edge to it. That said the first half is fresh enough and engaging enough to hook the viewer and the "twist" does at least have dramatic interest if not a real impact.

Interesting little short that asks more questions than provides answers; crafty!

[george.schmidt · 8/10 · 11 February 2009]

A FITTING TRIBUTE (2007) In this crafty British short a young reporter-wannabe is given the disheartening task of interviewing recently bereaved people about their loss and is taken to task by his senior mentor who forces him to prove himself by not taking no for an answer. Upon visiting "Mrs. Wright" he discovers instead of the expected grieving, sadness, anger and confusion a woman who welcomes him whole-heartedly into her home. Obviously a comedy of errors...but at what cost. Craftily produced with a tinge of Rod Serling's classic TWILIGHT ZONE with the O.Henry twist of being careful of what you should wish for. Requires several viewings to appreciate the delicate genius of execution.

Dead Wringer

[writers_reign · 8/10 · 16 February 2009]

Apparently this much longer effort (comparatively speaking) was made before Nightfall which I viewed last year. In terms of squeezing a quart into a pint pot Daniel Cormack is out of the right bottle. Experienced i.e. cynical viewers will be one step ahead of the script but it still delivers and hits most of its targets. It's a three-hander and each role carefully structured albeit cliché'd and all three actors turn in solid performances as do all the technicians. I for one would be interested in seeing how he andles say a three or four-reeler.This is clearly a competent director who is seemingly looking for his 'voice'; if he does find it he may well be formidable.

People...people who need people...

[JohnSeal · 7/10 · 5 March 2009]

First, let me say I wish I could have seen this film on a larger screen. Secondly, kudos to the BBC Film Network for supporting new British film talent on their website. And finally, well done to director Daniel Cormack and screenwriter Ben Clover for creating a neat and very professional looking short subject. Other reviewers have provided sufficient plot detail; I'll just add that, technical proficiency aside, A Fitting Tribute is well acted all around by its mini cast of three. Cormack's film echoes the stifling intimacy of Bryan Forbes at his best--there's a wee bit of Seance on a Wet Afternoon and The Whisperers herein. Footnote: there are three 19 Onslow Gardens in London--one in Muswell Hill, one in South Kensington, and one in South Woodford.

a fitting tribute for A Fitting Tribute

[movieman_kev · 8/10 · 17 February 2009]

In the interest of full disclosure, I was asked to view this film and post my thoughts on it & I'm happy to oblige whenever someone request me to review any given film or short. It's my pleasure to watch films of any kind, but keep in mind it's a double-edged sword as I'm brutally honest with what I feel the film is worth, that being said let's get on with the short at hand.

This 13 minute black comedy revolves around novice reporter Niall (Thomas Nelstrop of "Honest") being taught how to do the 'death knock', journalism's 'proper' way to get a tribute of the deceased for the paper, by Tammy (Sally Bretton of "the Office"). When he attempts it with Mrs. Wright, he's slightly off-put by the peculiar reaction.

This was a well-written, acted & directed little short. The 'twist' is easily enough to have seen coming, but is still bittersweet enough to work for the short as a whole.The short is also better slightly paced than others I've watched and flows quite nicely.And although I have not yet seen 'Nightwalking' by the same team of writer Ben Clover and director Daniel Cormack, I plan to do so soon and have a feeling that they both have a good career ahead of them.

My Grade: B+

An Unforgettable Interview

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 31 October 2011]

A Fitting Tribute is a short subject film from the United Kingdom where experienced news journalist Sally Bretton is showing the ropes to aspiring reporter Thomas Nelstrop. The assignment is to interview a grieving mother April Nicholson who just lost her teenage son in a motor vehicle accident.

Bretton gives some really specific instructions about what to say and how to say it to Nelstrop given the delicacy of the situation of a mother in unimaginable grief. Still all of her instructions seemingly go for naught when Nelstrop encounters an oblivious Nicholson who welcomes him like a lost son and invites him to stay.

It is open to speculation just what the relationship of the late young man and Nicholson was. It's all kind of creepy, like another reviewer said, something out of the Twilight Zone.

A Fitting Tribute should get a tribute from reviewers and seeing it will leave you scratching your head for days.

Stands Tall Within Any List Of Top-Level Short Films.

[rsoonsa · 10/10 · 22 February 2009]

One of the better short films to be seen in recent times, Daniel Cormac's effort is his second completed short, a 13 minute affair shot in 35mm. A filmed short, when compared with a full-length feature, bears a similar status to that of a fictional short story or novelette in comparison with a full-length novel, it being a requirement with both media that any type of space spinning narrative is of little or no value. The three principal elements that make up the best sorts of humour: incongruity, irony and surrealism, form the spine of a very polished piece that relates of Niall (Thomas Nelstrop), a novice journalist, and his experience upon attempting to garner photographs from a grieving mother, Mrs. Wright (April Nicholson), a "death-knock"assignment following the demise of her son in a road accident. Niall, failing at his job thus far, is coached by a mordant veteran reporter, Tamara (Sally Bretton), the two running through typically interviewer lines as she drives him to the Wright home, where Niall encounters a reception that neither he nor viewers will expect. Received with enthusiasm at numerous film festivals, the work contains intrinsic psychologic power from director Cormac's having lost his own mother a fortnight before the onset of shooting, as well as from scriptor Ben Clover's former employment as a tyro journalist charged with the completion of death-knocks. Replete with satiric dialogue, A FITTING TRIBUTE additionally benefits from virtually flawless camera-work and editing, all 'neath the purview of an obviously able director. A polished jewel of a short, it will not immediately be readily available for viewing, but is certainly worth an effort to locate.

Don't Go Looking For A Twist Ending

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 7 April 2009]

I did enjoy Daniel Cormack/ Ben Glover's other collaboration NIGHTWALKING and had high hopes for their prior short film A FITTING TRIBUTE but didn't feel my expectations had been met after seeing it

That's not to say this short is bad , just that after reading many of the comments on this page I was waiting a shock plot twist to happen , a shock plot twist that never in fact happens . In many ways my attitude is similar to someone who might have enjoyed M Night Shymalan's earlier films , bought a ticket to see THE HAPPENING and left the cinema wondering what the twist was

In no way comparable to Shymalan's latest debacle A FITTING TRIBUTE has been described as surrealist melodrama and bizarre but have it on authority much of the plot is based on fact ! It's well made and does rightly paint local news journalists as ghoulish parasites but I had hoped to experience an earth shattering plot turn that never comes

Grief and fantasy...

[moonspinner55 · 4/10 · 26 April 2017]

The mother of a recently-deceased young man, killed in an automobile accident, imagines a novice reporter to be her son--and he, for reasons which are unclear, plays along (without consciously seeming to make that decision). Producer-director Daniel Cormack's 13-minute short isn't the dark comedy he probably intended (writer Ben Clover's script is more askew than twisted). The initial funeral footage (shot like a home movie) is wonderfully done, and yet the ensuing look of the film (credited to both Cormack and Sam Osborne) is rather ungainly. The snarky interplay between the female journalist and her new protégé has a doggedly cynical feel which robs the project of mystery or beauty, although one can see where Cormack was trying to steer the material. He has a nice way with his actors--and a good sense of time and place--but the mother's delusion doesn't bloom, doesn't grow out of anything, and the visual jokes (such as a smoke alarm set off from a cigarette) are puzzling in place of amusing.

Who do you want me to be?

[not_from_here · 20 February 2008]

If you lost someone close to you then you could have a number different reactions. If you go out to work in the morning what do you expect to find? In this film both situations combine to provide an unexpected result.

Two journalists set out on a routine task to get a story of a young man who has died. The youngest one (Nelstrop) is given the job of knocking on the door of the family home. The more experienced one (Bretton) lectures him on the technique to use to get in the door. Mention the name of the deceased several times in the intro, use the phrase 'tragic loss' instead of death and most importantly get a picture, you must get a picture. His performance as a reporter hasn't been great so far and this could be his last chance

But it doesn't turn out like either of them expect. He gets in the door easily. The woman answers his questions in a bemused manner. She seems surprised by his questions, what is he talking about? Does he want to eat, then does he want to sleep? He accepts all this and is shown to the room of the dead young man. At this point the viewer (at least the one writing this review did!) realises what is going on but because this is subtlety done we don't reject the idea as crazy. It seems as if the woman is using him as a replacement to her lost son and just as worrying he seems to accept this.

Outside the female reporter grows tired of waiting and knocks on the door herself. But she is sent away confused, where has her colleague gone? Is this the house he went into? Why will he not come out?

All this is conveyed by Daniel Cormack in this short film with economy and precision. There are no gaps, no filler, no padding. In such a short film there is no time for that and there is also not much time to tell a story as completely as done here. The camera work is excellent switching between scenes perfectly and technically superb. This must have been a challenge across the different scenes in the car, street and various rooms in the house. the film is worth watching for this alone and actually now that I have told you the ending perhaps thats just as well!

We can only speculate what happens next. Does the man escape? Does he care? Is it preferable to stay here being looked after than getting back into the car to be hassled by his colleague. What does she report on when she gets back to the office? Hello, I'm back I didn't get the story and I'v e lost Niall ?

Perhaps if Cormack gets the chance to produce longer films then this could be revisited and the ideas explored further. Maybe even this film could be combined with Amelia & Michael in which a young man dies. Could this be the woman's son? The number of plots and subplots that idea throws up is mind boggling!!

Bizarre but worthwhile short film

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 9/10 · 9 March 2009]

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Hard faced experienced journalist Tamara (Sally Bretton) accompanies novice reporter Niall (Thomas Nelstrop) to interview recently bereaved mother Mrs. Wright (April Nicholson) so their paper can run a tribute piece on her son. Niall's a bit nervous and unsure how to conduct himself in the presence of Mrs. Wright. But when he introduces himself at the front door, she warmly welcomes him in...but grief appears to have had a funny effect on her mind frame and she may see Niall as something other than the interviewer he came round to be.

I watch a shamefully few amount of short films. These are the projects that springboard new talents and potential future mega movie makers into stardom, if they gain the right acclaim for the work they have done. This short was actually recommended to me by the director himself, well, not so much recommended as suggested (I'm sure he's a modest guy!) For the sake of thirteen minutes it wasn't too much of a slog to sit through, and the added bonuses made it all the more better.

This is a darkly comic tale, where most of the humour comes from the awkward and uncomfortable situation Nelstrop finds himself in with a mentally unstable woman, with the air of tragedy and gloom always hanging over. We as the viewers feel it ourselves, and this makes this short and sweet effort all the more involving. Good performances from Nelstrop and Nicholson are an added bonus, but the star of the show is Bretton, with her cold, cynical b!tch act and her tacturn approach to the more easy going Halstrop, although you're not really sure if she's really this way or she has just become frustrated with him.

I doubt a short film would leave that much of an impression on me, but for the few I see I'm glad I saw this one. ****

Haunting and memorable

[howard.schumann · 9/10 · 25 February 2009]

Denial is a universal reaction to tragedy that may allow one to accept pain or loss in small doses. If denial lasts too long, however, it can be very unhealthy. According to Professor David K. Switzer of Southern Methodist University, the effective resolution of the grieving process can only occur when the grieving person comes to accept the finality and reality of the physical death, and begins to not act as though the deceased person is still physically present.

A bereaved mother, Mrs. Wright (April Nicholson), in Daniel Cormack's brilliant 13-minute film A Fitting Tribute has yet to come to grips with that reality. Neither for that matter has Niall (Thomas Nelstrop), a novice reporter who sets out to interview Mrs. Wright shortly after the funeral of his own mother. Based on the experience of writer Ben Clover when he was a young reporter, Niall is chosen to interview Mrs. Wright who is mourning the death of her son Michael in an auto accident. In the drive to Mrs. Wright's home, Niall is trained by a more experienced journalist, Tamara (Sally Bretton), in the proper interview technique which he rehearses in the car.

Tamara wants Niall to obtain photographs of Mrs. Wright's son and the young cub reporter, obviously nervous, seems to have doubts about his ability to do so. Apparently, Niall's job is not secure and he approaches the interview with some trepidation while Tamara waits in the car. When Niall knocks on the door, however, Mrs. Wright surprisingly welcomes him warmly and invites him inside to drink tea and have something to eat. The drama which has been fairly straightforward up to this point now turns into a modern Twilight Zone-like episode and will grip you with a haunting and memorable conclusion.

NOTE: A Fitting Tribute qualified for a UK Film Council Completion Fund Award and showcasing by the BBC Film Network and can be viewed at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/A41251565.

Very interesting and with an emotional impact

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 16 December 2011]

Having been approached to watch A Fitting Tribute I was all for seeing it. Last night, after a hectic week I sat down to watch it, and it lived up to my expectations and more. A Fitting Tribute is a very interesting short, with a strong emotional impact.

What really struck me was the story. It was a very intriguing one to begin with, and stayed that way for the finished product. A Fitting Tribute is very touching in its subject matter and it makes us identify with it and the characters without forcing it.

Yet there is also room for a twist, which was a satisfying one, being clever while not being too predictable or giving the drama an uneven tone. A Fitting Tribute is beautifully made as well, has a dynamic and unobtrusive score, is directed with care and is very well acted with April Nicholson coming off best.

All in all, I really liked this, I had been anticipating it to be good having watched the wonderful Amelia and Michael previously and from the plot summary, and I wasn't disappointed. 9/10 Bethany Cox

An excellent and interesting comedy drama short

[Woodyanders · 9/10 · 11 February 2009]

Cynical veteran reporter Tammy (a marvelously tart and brassy portrayal by Sally Bretton) and naive novice journalist Niall (an engaging performance by Thomas Nelstrop) have to interview Ms. Wright (beautifully played with commendable subtlety by April Nicholson) about the recent death of her son in a car crash so they can write an article in the newspaper they work for. When Niall goes to Mrs. Wright's doorstep to talk to her, he encounters a lady who's the total radical opposite of the expected bitter grieving mother. Director Daniel Cormack and writer Ben Clover deliver a sharp, compelling and provocative seriocomic meditation on death, loss, denial and mortality that not only offers a fascinating insider look at researching grim events, but also manages to both wickedly funny (Tammy giving Niall pointers on how to properly speak to the bereaved is especially hilarious) and ultimately quite touching (Wrs. Wright wants Niall to replace her deceased son). The crisp cinematography works wonders with the high definition format while the spare, harmonic score by Andy Simms is effective and unobtrusive. Bretton and Nelstrop display a deliciously spiky chemistry that's a treat to watch. Moreover, Nicholson's spot-on characterization of Ms. Wright is quietly heartbreaking and highly impressive. Nice ambiguous ending, too. A fine, amusing and affecting little winner.

Surrealist melodrama?

[Polaris_DiB · 7/10 · 22 March 2009]

This could almost be a sort of fitting tribute in comedy form to Hitchcock's Vertigo. Okay, okay, so it's not insanely Hitchcockian dynamic thriller magnificence, but it does have people bringing back their loved ones psychologically from the dead, and the mother's hair cut is in that swirl bob that Kim Novak wore. Close enough for me.

Anyway, this silly surreal gem involves a wet-behind-the-ears reporter who stumble-bums his way into the home of an old woman who has just lost her son in an accident—except that, instead of offering him information and photographs, she offers him relapse into childhood and a warm home. It's all very strange except that it's also kind of cute. One wonders how it could possibly last, but luckily the ending is up to interpretation.

--PolarisDiB

Is this the right Mrs. Wright I'm talking to?

[sol1218 · 8/10 · 13 February 2009]

(Some Spoilers) Bittersweet yet funny little short in how to coup with a personal tragedy under the most depressing of circumstances.

Young cub reporter Niall, Thomas Nelstrop, is given the task to do a story for his newspaper-the Examiner-on the death of a local teenager-Michael Wright-who was killed in a car accident the previous evening. We had earlier seen Niall attending his mother's funeral which had the young man's mind, who was crying uncontrollably,on other things besides his work as a reporter for the town's newspaper.

Knowing from his previous work that the young man isn't exactly up up par in conducting interviews Niall's colleague Tammy, Sally Bretton, walks him through in how to correctly, and sensitively, interview Michael's mom Mrs. Wright, April Nicholson.

Tammy keeps stressing to a very attentive Niall who, if his interview sells papers, may well get a promotion out of all this that it's important to use the word "Tribute" in telling Mrs Wright about the story he plans to write about her deceased son.

Going to Mrs. Wright's house and trying to be as cool and professional as possible Niall to his complete surprise gets the exact opposite response from the grieving mother! Mrs Wright doesn't seem to care, or know, if her dear and beloved son is dead or alive in fact she invites a startled Niall to a home cooked meal that she had prepared for him!

You at first think that your watching an episode of the "Twilight Zone" in how everything seems to be completely out of whack with reality. It's later that it becomes apparent that a tragic event like the loss of a family member, in this case a son, can drastically distort a person's thinking in trying to blot out that tragedy.

***SPOILER ALERT*** Mrs. Wright handled the death of her son the only way she could and that was by making believe in her mind that it never happened. If both Niall and Tammy ever went through the terrible experience of what Mrs. Wright did they, instead of being shocked and bewildered by her actions, may have very well understood her.

Quirky.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 6/10 · 11 April 2009]

This movie starts out rather normal but soon turns into a more quirky one, the soon the Mrs. Wright character makes her appearance. I like the fact that this short makes this rather sudden but pleasant turn. It's especially surprising once you have also seen some other Daniel Cormack shorts, that are all more 'serious' of tone.

I like it that the movie has a certain amount of quirkiness in it. Perhaps the kind of quirkiness that'll remind you of a Tim Burton movie.

It's not that the movie ever turns into a full comedy though, which is a bit of shame. The odd Mrs. Wright characters truly showed some comical as well as mystery potential. The movie has some missed opportunities and wasted potential in it but overall it works out as an entertaining short, that makes a nice turn in the middle of it.

The movie leaves you guessing what the ending will bring, which makes it a bit disappointing that the ending doesn't really bring anything. The movie suffers a bit from the same problem as the other Cormack short "Nightwalking", which also got written by Ben Clover, which couldn't be a coincidence. It's as if the end comes too soon and too sudden, which leaves you with a bit of an unsatisfying feeling afterward. As if what possibly could had come after the ending is more interesting and provoking than the actual ending being shown.

The movie also isn't always that believable. Here we have the tough female journalist character, being played by Sally Bretton, who kicks the main character around but yet doesn't become suspicious- and simply accepts the fact that the main character is indoors with Mrs. Wright and even spends the night there. She doesn't check in on what's going on though till the next morning. A bit hard to believe, as is the entire movie of course that due to its quirkiness works better out as a simple little entertaining short than one that impresses.

Daniel Cormack is a good director, in need of a better writer really.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Tragedy Through a Prism.

[rmax304823 · 8/10 · 26 February 2009]

Thomas Nelstrop is young Niall, an apprentice reporter for a London newspaper. He nervously grooms himself while waiting to be taken on an assignment by his keen and matter-of-fact tutor, Sally Breton as Tammy. They are to interview the mother, April Nicholson, of a young man who has been killed in a car crash.

On the road to the apartment of the bereaved, Tammy has Niall practice his introductory speech, correcting him a little irritably when he doesn't follow the usual script according to which these encounters are played out. You don't say, "I'd like to talk about your son." It's too personal. Rather, you'd "like to talk about Michael." The name Michael has a universal quality. The whole world will be interested in "Michael" whereas only the informant is interested in "your son." "Michael" is a tragedy, whereas "your son" is just another traffic accident. The point is to get through the door, establish rapport with the source, and get the interview.

So far, so instructive. It's like a tutorial on a process that the sociologist Erving Goffman called "the presentation of self." Tammy waits in the car while Niall knocks on the door of Michael's mother. He's expecting a grief-stricken woman but what he finds is a friendly and solicitous lady of middle age. She ignores Niall's clumsy introduction and his questions and insists on his having something to eat, then tells him in the most maternal way to have a rest in Michael's room.

Everything between the two begins to get a little twisted. Shirley Jackson could have written a short story like this. Nicholson is the unperturbed mother and Niall is the son. (Meanwhile, his tour guide, Tammy, is waiting in the car, tapping her fingers on the dash.) Night falls and Nicholson tells Niall it's time for bed. The now impatient Tammy knocks on the door and begins her thoroughly ritualized introduction, but Nicholson is firm. Her son, Michael, isn't dead. He's upstairs in bed. Tammy turns away, looking like a sealed envelope with no address written on it.

Nicholson then climbs the stairs and enters Michael's dark bedroom, where we see Niall peacefully asleep under the covers. Like a Shirley Jackson short story, the film ends there, with the hint of something a bit sinister about to happen.

I kind of enjoyed it. It's properly ambiguous. The actors turn in professional performances. The musical score is apt. The script is convincing and the direction is functional and, to its credit, lacks any displays of razzle-dazzle.

The budget is low and the aims are accordingly modest. This isn't "Cleopatra" or "Lawrence of Arabia." Within its limits, it appears to have done precisely what it intended. Nice job.

A Fitting Tribute

[jboothmillard · 6/10 · 11 November 2011]

I was very interested to be contacted by the director of this film, Daniel Cormack (Amelia and Michael), he asked me review this second film of his he sent me, and I was very happy to. Basically we see a flashback of Niall (Thomas Nelstrop) by his mother's grave, before returning to present time where he is in a toilet smartening up as the journalist he is. He and his colleague Tammy (Sally Bretton) are travelling to the house of a woman, Mrs. Wright (April Nicholson), who has recently lost her son who was killed in a tragic car accident, and she in a very business focused sense gives him tips on how to approach a bereaved person and get all questions and photographs to help make an article. Niall is surprised though because Mrs. Wright apparently knows who he is, and invites him in without the need for introductions or anything, and while stacking a dishwasher she does seem puzzled by him asking for the things needed for an article. While Tammy is waiting in the car and on the phone to someone telling them the situation, Niall eats some soup, and then Mrs. Wright takes him upstairs and insists he should get some rest, and he finds some hidden pron magazines, and plays with the dead boy's toys. Making a big bang and knocking a photograph of the boy off in the process she comes back upstairs to give him a hug and put him in bed to go to sleep. Tammy eventually decides to knock on the door herself to see what is going on, and Mrs. Wright is puzzled by her explaining the situation with her dead son, but she denies her son is dead at all. Tammy leaves, Mrs. Wright does seem shaken by the words of the journalist, but she returns to Niall who is fast asleep in bed, and gives him a kiss on the cheek. The performances are well done, especially Bretton as the hardly sympathetic journalist who wants the story more than to offer any support, it is filled with some funny moments, especially from the odd nature of Nelstrop, but also there is the tragic element brought about by Nicholson who you can sympathise with despite her being a bit weird, a surprisingly interesting short comedy drama. Very good!

After the sunset a mother hopes for the son rise.

[tyler-and-jack · 8/10 · 2 November 2011]

Surreal and whimsical, with a dose of dark humour, this short film from director Daniel Cormack and writer Ben Clover is a little gem that should be watched and enjoyed by those who like their tales to wander into the arena of the strange.

Hard-nosed journalist Tammy (Sally Bretton) offers advice to her colleague, Niall (Thomas Nelstrop), as the two head to the house of a woman (April Nicholson) who recently lost her son in a car accident. The task is to get some information and a photo or two for "a fitting tribute" but when Niall manages to get himself welcomed over the threshold things take a turn for the bizarre. Meanwhile, Tammy waits in the car and grows impatient.

The problem with reviewing most short films is that you can rarely discuss what you liked the most about them because every surprise can prove to be a delight and should be kept that way for future potential viewers. As is the case here. A Fitting Tribute starts off well in one direction and then turns elsewhere, with each component part just as satisfying and enjoyable as the rest.

The acting by Bretton, Nelstrop and Nicholson is superb, the script is fun and the direction is spot on. Well worth a watch.