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The glass may be half empty but it will contain good whiskey. I write film reviews for http://www.scannain.com/ , say hi and we can debate films forever and ever and ever...... Warning this blog may contain more than just film talk.

Saturday 24 August 2013

Short film review - Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (2013)

There seems to be a justifiable confidence at work in Bertie Brosnan’s Jacob Wrestling with the Angel film.

Jacob Wrestling with the Angel tells the story of Jacob, an artist who is struggling with his work. Indeed the angel in this case is his sanity. He is at times reduced to a wreck, staring at a computer screen from which various phrases emanate from. One of the main phrases ‘is there any such thing as freedom?’ seems apt for Jacob’s mental state, indeed it is easy to imagine that these words are only heard in his head. We also see Jacob’s dream state, where he is either in dark corridors (of his mind), in a forest or on an open beach. The shots on the beach seem to suggest a more lucid and calm state of being.


This is a fascinating short film. The pace is languid, the storytelling unhurried, the script sparse. This is a film that is telling you a great deal but with the minimum of traditional narrative. This may be a problem for some people but for me it worked in its favour. Some of the cinematography by Blaine Rennicks is superb, particularly in the forest. The score by Jason Fernandez is beautiful. If there is a criticism it would be that maybe a minute or so could be shaved off the running time. It is not too long in general terms but the pacing might be helped with a slightly shorter film. Otherwise this is a fine film.