BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Sophie Hunter's Short Films

Russell · May 26, 2015 3:08 am

So I wasn't sure where to post this, but it's pretty much a non-Sherlock short film and a blast from the past I thought some might get a kick out of. Starring fan favorite David Tennant and.. dun dun.. Sophie Hunter! Youtube was ever so helpful in noticing I liked Doctor Who/Sherlock, Tennant/BC vids, and suggested watching this. Kinda neat seeing by chance the shorts some actors do way back when. And as usual, it's an artsy, strange little one!

Last edited by Russell (May 31, 2015 2:41 am)

Ah-chie · May 26, 2015 3:09 pm

I saw this about a week ago on Youtube and liked it a lot. Funny, touching and minimalist in nature, it hits the right notes with me with its humanity.

I think the lead actors (Tennant and Hunter) work well in the film together.

-Val

SolarSystem · May 27, 2015 5:00 am

Russell, what a great find, thanks for posting this. I've seen gifs from that film on tumblr in the past, but I wasn't aware that it's a short film and that Sophie's in it.
I love the fact that there's no dialogue in the film and that the story is told just through looks and what the camera is giving us. It's true, it's a strange little story - and also very endearing and sweet. David and Sophie are both pretty cute (although I prefer my Tennant a bit older... ) and I'm totally buying everything we see between them.

ukaunz · May 27, 2015 7:40 am

Oh no, David Tennant kissed Benedict's Cumberwife! sorry....

Russell · May 27, 2015 5:08 pm

Hee… I know!! Again… really neat finding strange/artistic oldies shorts with actors you know now. I found the ending maybe a little… abrupt? But no dialogue and the frequent 'hints' with signs or headlines the camera stops on makes the minimalism neat.

Sophie's apparently did a couple others (also supposedly a little twisted), called "Strangers", and "In The Meadow"? I can't find Strangers just yet, but Meadow is also on Youtube, thanks to fans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lalSg9eTl3k (warning: psychologically disturbing! yet still fascinating, typical short-film commentary on behavior, and Sophie looks really interesting in it)

ukaunz · May 28, 2015 12:37 am

Wow, In the Meadow was interesting and rather creepy, but what a bastard that guy was! I haven't seen much of Sophie's work (I really need to see Burlesque Fairytales).

Here's the link to watch Strangers https://vimeo.com/11290652. I haven't watched this one yet, but it's definitely got Sophie in it.

I also found another of her short films. Maria (2010) https://vimeo.com/125028401
Synopsis: It's getting late and it's cold. Molly and her father James are on their way home when they drive past a woman named Maria, walking alone along a desolate country road. Molly is convinced the woman looks like the image of her mother, whom she only remembers from old photographs.

Sorry, we seem to have hijacked this thread and turned it into "Sophie Hunter's short films"

Last edited by ukaunz (May 28, 2015 2:00 am)

Russell · May 28, 2015 4:43 am

Oh, that's okay. As long as others don't mind… we kind of are talking about Sophie Hunter short films! (should maybe change the title to that) Starting with Traffic Warden, of course, if had any other interesting thoughts on that to add. Am I the only one who thought the ending was a little sudden? And it's not like she has many, since seems mostly dabbled in music and theater. Really really avant-garde type projects/productions, apparently. Fits with what I've heard of, and all these shorts (and Fairytales, which I need to see now, too!) Even a couple music videos I found of hers are kinda weird.

In a way, found 'Meadows' more disturbing than Ben or Martin's strangest shorts, but the mime's creepy synced grace and partnership still had something intriguing to it. Oh, and you found the others! Ok… watched… not bad. Interesting commentary again on humanity/relationships, and choosing to be with someone? (although was mostly piecing Maria together, having trouble catching all the dialogue). Thanks!

SolarSystem · May 28, 2015 8:32 am

Russell wrote:
Starting with Traffic Warden, of course, if had any other interesting thoughts on that to add. Am I the only one who thought the ending was a little sudden?

I don't know, to me it felt quite right. Boy sees girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy rescues girl's goldfish (haha!) from certain death, girl kisses boy. I like the fact that it all just seems to happen, without having to talk about it, as if it were the natural thing. The whole film has a bit of a fairy tale feeling to it anyway, at least that's how I feel about it. And the fact that the traffic warden suddenly kind of has to defeat traffic in order to save those goldfishs from certain death... yeah, it's all a bit absurd.

ukaunz · May 28, 2015 8:55 am

I liked the idea, but I kept thinking "those fish would be dead by now" My husband worked in Kensington Gardens where the final pond scene was filmed (the ponds/fountains are part of the Italian Gardens near Bayswater Road), but not in 2004 when Traffic Warden would have been filmed. He saw a few celebrities and movies being filmed during the time he was employed by the Royal Parks of London, the lucky man

Russell · May 28, 2015 3:33 pm

Yes, yes of course, the absurdity and no dialogue is what makes it all fit. Just was a little surprised at how passionate it was, considering. And yeah, no kidding, those poor fish. That's a cool story! Did you get a chance yet to view the others, ukaunz?

Think I'll ask a mod about changing the thread title like I mentioned… or any of them browsing here?

SolarSystem · May 28, 2015 4:51 pm

Yes, it's true, that kiss is very passionate...
By the way, did you pay attention to all the written text we get in the film? It's really quite interesting, sometimes almost like a comment to what we see on screen, or to make things more clear. For example, when Sophie steps out onto the street, she carries a box which has written "Fragile" on it. At the same time, you can see an ad for Alfa Romeo right behind David, but at first you can only read the word "Romeo". And then in the bus, all those newspaper headlines... "Are you a loser in love??", "Pervert stalks London women" (I mean, yes, David has been following Sophie...!) ... it's actually quite hilarious and fun to watch out for this.

Last edited by SolarSystem (May 28, 2015 4:53 pm)

Russell · May 31, 2015 1:03 am

Yeah, I know! I did. After they showed the actor's names that way at the start, it's a neat way to make you notice. Were you interested in, or get a chance, to watch her others mentioned? Strange, but thoughtfully curious glimpse of relations there, too.

SolarSystem · June 1, 2015 9:57 am

Not yet, Russell. I'll admit it: I'm shallow. If Benedict or David or Hiddles were in them, I'd watch them immediatly.

Russell · June 2, 2015 4:03 am

SolarSystem wrote:
Not yet, Russell. I'll admit it: I'm shallow. If Benedict or David or Hiddles were in them, I'd watch them immediatly.

Ha… no, I get ya. I keep hearing about so many neatly done little shorts myself, but unless someone I really care about is in it….. *shrug* Just made an exception for Sophie (or other tangentially related actors or animated/award-winning stuff, depending), but they were neat. Don't suppose, then, you've seen more of David or Hiddles old strangely interesting ones floating around out there?

Liberty · June 2, 2015 8:02 am

Russell wrote:
Sophie's apparently did a couple others (also supposedly a little twisted), called "Strangers", and "In The Meadow"? I can't find Strangers just yet, but Meadow is also on Youtube, thanks to fans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lalSg9eTl3k (warning: psychologically disturbing! yet still fascinating, typical short-film commentary on behavior, and Sophie looks really interesting in it)

This one was bizarre but I really liked it! The ending wasn't what I expected.

Russell · June 4, 2015 8:18 pm

I know! I wasn't sure how 'horrified' I felt at the guy afterward, versus the mimes (and their interesting sense of morality against their 'immoral' targets?). Did you find the mime's face as the guy ran away just as interesting? Like… who is being the horrible person now?

Liberty · June 4, 2015 8:48 pm

Yes, it's as if the mime's saying "shame on you", and the guy looks so sheepish. As if the whole point had just been to show that side of him to himself.

I noticed one of the comments on youtube said that

he killed her himself. What do you think? At the end when he has the shower, he has scratches that seem to have been done by his mistress, not the mimes - presumably during sex, but could have been fighting him off? He's kind of ambivalent with her all the way through. But if he killed her, the mime fantasy seems a really odd one to have - it doesn't absolve him but just makes him bad in a different way.

.

SusiGo · June 4, 2015 10:11 pm

What a great thread. So far I only managed "Traffic Warden" and liked it very much. Lovely little film, loved the goldfish rescue turning into a love story. I will definitely check out the others as well.

"Burlesque Fairytales" is really interesting but not really cheap to rent. We might have a thread for it in the Benedict section.

Until "Little Favour" and "Inseparable" I have not been really interested in short films but it is a fascinating art form. I recently watched "The Muse" and "Beat" with Ben Whishaw, available on We Are Colony. I am developing a taste for shorts.

Last edited by SusiGo (June 4, 2015 10:13 pm)

Russell · June 5, 2015 2:56 am

Liberty - I think I remember browsing past that comment… they were thinking it was more metaphorical/a fantasy of a sickened mind, then? I'm not sure. My over-active imagination with 'filling in' story and background on this kind of thing just imagines… (hmm, should tag for spoilers…)

…imagines the mimes as a very tight couple with a weirdly bent sense of morality, and apparently old hats at doing this kind of thing at that perfectly secluded hiding spot, to people they determine are cheaters (since it's probably a popular spot for those as well). The guy mime was watching to see if he learned his lesson and whether the cheater would try to be a hero or not, and when he took the coward's way out (and couldn't even send help, because then his secret would be out!), he seemed disappointed 'oh well'. I wonder if they let the girl go after that, (horrible) lesson learned on two counts, as well?

SusiGo wrote:
Until "Little Favour" and "Inseparable" I have not been really interested in short films but it is a fascinating art form. I recently watched "The Muse" and "Beat" with Ben Whishaw, available on We Are Colony. I am developing a taste for shorts.

I know! I mean, I loved some sweet little animated ones, like those Pixar does. But most others seemed generally on the really weird 'arteestic' end or esoteric or home-made/not well done and didn't really seek them out. But I've been coming across more of my favorite established actors doing these short little studies of stories they found fascinating for just a quick little splice of life exercise, and as mentioned with all the titles shared above (yes, especially the ones by our favorite crew), they're really interesting sometimes. Not changing the subject or anything, but just curious if you really like Tennant and Hiddleston (ha… plenty of people here do?) Because, besides the Sherlock crew ones, a few of the ones I found the most intriguing and loved watching the actor in, involved those two (including Traffic Warden). If you'd like to see them in another, check youtube for 'Sweet night good heart', with David. And Tom's shorts 'Out of Time' and 'Out of the Darkness'. Oh, and Tom is cute in a tiny section of 'Friend Request Pending', which is the cutest little thing ever, carried mostly by Judi Dench (!) being adorable. (which I was going to mention to Solar as well, after her previous comment, heh)
Ahem… but back to your usual thread of shorts.

SusiGo · June 5, 2015 6:56 am

I like Tennant and Hiddleston but not as much as Benedict.

I like what I have seen of their work and I am generally interested in British actors. So thank you for pointing out Tom's short films, I will have a look at them, too.