from Pea vs Carrot

This film isn't really a film, hell it isn't even a short film, but rather a handful of short scenes strung together following the romantic anecdotes of two hipster lovers. There isn't really a sense of time place, but rather a scatter shot of different scenes that don't correlate to form a story. The audience gets a sense of the sort of irreverent attraction between the two romantic leads, but there's not really any deeper connection. In some ways it kind of reminds of a severely truncated version of the Indie film Eagle Vs. Shark which also featured a similar post-modern romantic mash-up. We get scenes of the two couples in parties, after parties, including an especially charming shot of a night after with each person holding the other while a stream oh yellow day glow vomit lies between them in their lovers embrace.

But what Eagle vs. Shark has over this is that it tells a story. Even short films benefit from an overarching narrative, but the only problem here is that there's none to speak of. There's a bit of bookend bit with the opening featured the title romantic female lead beating up on the male lead and then a closing bit in the same scenario with her slamming him into the ground, but rather then indicators of conflict these more or less serve as quirky character moments designed to accentuate the sort of hip post-modern urban vibe of the film in a sort form of abusive affection since the violence has no malice but rather a sense of play. For an amateur production it's beautifully shot, but the ultimate result is that without any greater narrative thread to grasp it only culminates into series of eccentric adventures in mindless revelry with no deeper connection. And I still have no idea what the meaning of the title is. In some ways this is less like watching a short movie and more like sitting through a video year-book from an old college roommate showing off his ex while he remarks "hey, remember that? Wasn't that awesome?" But all you can really do is nod your head passively because you weren't even there.

Isaac Shapiro is a recent graduate from Goucher College. Full time (unemployed) critic of all things film and television, and part-time playwright with a new play being featured in the Riant Theate's Strawberry Play Festival premiering July 24th + July 25th. For more info or questions regarding the play or review, contact him at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it