I watched a couple of short films in the last few days and in one of them, Cholera (2013), I commented about how much I love a good long tracking shot (that film was 3 of them edited together to appear to be one). Shortly after writing that I found myself Suburbia – a film that consists of a single shot that goes from indoors at the start and follows the plot around the streets of an Australia suburbs. This itself is of course technically impressive (more of this later), but what is really impressive here is that I did not even notice this until after I had watched the film and was reading the text of the post I had found the film in. To me that is the real thing about the film – that it is so engaging that I wasn't able to step out of it and see the technical aspects on the first viewing.
The plot deals with a true event which occurred in an Australian suburb. I don't think it will ruin anything to say that an event in the suburb sees a local man go from the building he was in to investigate. As he gets closer he finds others running from the scene and starts to realize something bad is happening. I won't say more than that although it is clear early on what is going on. What the film does very well is not to show you the violence or the event but rather we stay with the guy investigating; the camera follows him, leads ahead of him at times to indicate his line of vision, stays really close to his face at other times – all of the movements of the camera put the viewer in the scene and keep them there. It is very well done indeed and I found it gripping and nerve-shredding to be in that position even by proxy.
The cast do very well, although to give him his dues, the whole performance side relies on Hany, and is he just great. He totally sells the range of emotions he goes through and he is very much in the scene himself, making it even easier for the viewer. Technically the film is impressive and it is well worth a second viewer to really appreciate that it is one smooth take and that the changing focus, light, terrain never seems to cause a problem. It must have been stressful as hell to get done, but it really looks great.
Suburbia is a simple film if you describe it in terms of narrative – so my suggestion is that you don't. It is not about a story so much as putting the viewer in that story and it does this very well indeed. The technical delivery and the performance from Hany all come together to make it engaging, gripping and really effective. It is well worth your time for the several times you'll watch it.
The plot deals with a true event which occurred in an Australian suburb. I don't think it will ruin anything to say that an event in the suburb sees a local man go from the building he was in to investigate. As he gets closer he finds others running from the scene and starts to realize something bad is happening. I won't say more than that although it is clear early on what is going on. What the film does very well is not to show you the violence or the event but rather we stay with the guy investigating; the camera follows him, leads ahead of him at times to indicate his line of vision, stays really close to his face at other times – all of the movements of the camera put the viewer in the scene and keep them there. It is very well done indeed and I found it gripping and nerve-shredding to be in that position even by proxy.
The cast do very well, although to give him his dues, the whole performance side relies on Hany, and is he just great. He totally sells the range of emotions he goes through and he is very much in the scene himself, making it even easier for the viewer. Technically the film is impressive and it is well worth a second viewer to really appreciate that it is one smooth take and that the changing focus, light, terrain never seems to cause a problem. It must have been stressful as hell to get done, but it really looks great.
Suburbia is a simple film if you describe it in terms of narrative – so my suggestion is that you don't. It is not about a story so much as putting the viewer in that story and it does this very well indeed. The technical delivery and the performance from Hany all come together to make it engaging, gripping and really effective. It is well worth your time for the several times you'll watch it.
