Devin Baron : 5 Ways 2 Die Review
This short does a terrific job of deceiving us as an audience, making us believe one storyline for the majority of the film and then turning that upside down at the end. Certain elements are essential to allowing space for the audience to be deceived, such as the line, "I don't intend to move much," or the shot of the protagonist staring lifelessly over the bridge.
The shot choice they use for when the suit tailor was looking up at the protagonist with bubbly eyes is risky, but I think it fits well, contrasting the stiffness and stern expressions of the protagonists. This same point-of-view type shot is also used several times in the film, such as when the protagonist reaches for the pill bottles on the counter or when he sees the two children behind him on the bridge. The transition between the tailor scene and the phone call scene is not as smooth as I would have preferred. There is a perfectly missed opportunity for the editors to use a match-cut with the pillar that they pan past. Along with that, there are several shots in the pharmacy scene that, while still visually appealing, could have been even better. The pharmacist and the elderly lady are often in focus, while the protagonist is not. However, I noticed that one of the shots lingered half a second too long without rack focusing or at least cutting.
Though there is nothing too crazy going on in the film, there is still an excellent use of sound. I enjoyed the natural sound of shutting the car door, caressing the suit, and clicking in the seatbelt. The song at the end plays wonderfully alongside the reveal.
I am a big fan of the subtle details that are given to us throughout the film. The wife has to change her tone on the phone when her husband walks in to disguise to whom she is talking. The wife's clothes take up both closets. The wife drives a BMW, while the protagonist drives a honda. This "how did I not see that all along," big-twist plot style is one of my favorites.