Short films, when made well, end
up leaving a long and lasting impact. One such fine example of the shorter
version of cinematic storytelling is Director Mandira Chauhan’s short ‘FailureGroupies’ which is the story of a group of tweens who are set to get their
temperamental teacher fired after they failed in a school assignment. With
running length of just about 12 minutes, this film is a fantastic take on some
serious issues, but in a comic way. The film shows the kind of exposure the
kids have in this era, be it the latest gizmos or some serious subjects like
racism or kidnapping.
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| A still from Failure Groupies |
One of the strengths of the film is the excellent
screenplay by Rosalie Tenseth, who also happens to be the producer of the film.
The writing is top notch with funny yet brainy dialogues one after another. In
fact at one point the film grasps you so tightly you almost forget that it’s a
short film and which is the only thing you wished should not have been a part
of the film, that’s its short length.
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| Danny Davis as Zach in Failure Groupies |
Of the cast, all the kids are in terrific
form and deliver a steady performance; however Danny Davis who plays Zach is
outstanding. He does get the benefit of delivering some lines with quality
humor, thanks to the brilliant script, however he also adds the perfect color
to the canvas by his amusing expressions and reactions. The rest of the gang
that includes Samara Fishkin, Morgan Miller, Sydney Sieb and Allyson Stevens
are also superb and make it a fun watch. A very serious point about the film is
that though it includes kids in the prime cast; however it is not a kid’s film.
The film provides ceaseless entertainment, however it does pitches some serious
notes also in regular intervals and does not restricts itself to only kid’s
audience. The Director does a fine job by keeping things simple yet effective.
I really liked the sober camera angles which allows the audience to stay
focused on the film and avoid any miss in those terrifically written lines.
Trailer - Failure Groupies
The film has started creating
buzz in various film festivals already including the Montclair Film Festival,
Hoboken International Film Festival, California Independent Film Festival, San
Diego International Kids Film Festival, Golden Door International Film Festival
and most recently the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and the run
continues. I am going with two thumbs up for Director Mandira Chauhan’s Failure
Groupies. It’s a commendable attempt and one fine example of telling a story
when time is a factor. Do watch if you get a chance!
To check more details about the film you can log on to its website at www.failuregroupies.com
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| Failure Groupies - Official Movie Poster |
