"Tune for Two" is a Swedish live action short film from 2011, so it has its 5th anniversary this year. The writer and director is Gunnar Järvstad and he manages in under 3 minutes what many comedy films do not manage in under 2 hours: to create something that was really laugh-out-loud funny. And all this with almost half the film being very serious. We see how a contract killer brings a victim to a snowy isolated area to kill and bury him. But the victim has one last wish. And when he starts with that wish, the look in the killer's eyes is completely priceless. The title already spoilers a bit, so I won't go any further into details. Lets just say it was hilarious. But what happens afterward? Have the two made a connection? Will the job be fulfilled. Well.. if you know Swedish films you know that they are really good in terms of quality when it comes to violence paired with dark humor, so maybe you guess the answer correctly already. Don't miss out on this hilarious little film!
4 Reviews
This is nothing short of genius.
mpapapoulios23 February 2012
In my 2 or 3 years as an active member of the IMDb, never have I taken the time to review any title. And I've seen a lot. However, this little fellow, not more than 3 minutes, did it. I just watched it half an hour ago. I'm still chuckling. I'll be chuckling randomly throughout the following week. And I'm pretty sure that if I'm still here 20 years in the future, I'll randomly remember it and chuckle like an idiot on my own.
I don't need to tell you the story or anything. The description sets it up perfectly. If you haven't watched it - although I think that if you're here you've already seen it - go watch it right now. It'll only take 3 minutes after all. I give it 10/10 and I gave Hugo 9/10 just yesterday. It's just... excellent.
10/10
I don't need to tell you the story or anything. The description sets it up perfectly. If you haven't watched it - although I think that if you're here you've already seen it - go watch it right now. It'll only take 3 minutes after all. I give it 10/10 and I gave Hugo 9/10 just yesterday. It's just... excellent.
10/10
Gets the darkness and the absurdity right, which is why it works (TOTAL SPOILERS)
bob the moo20 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
An assassin drags his victim into the middle of the snowy woods, digs a pit, positions him next to it and prepares to finish the job. His victim seems to want to go out singing though.
This short comedy is pretty much impossible to discuss without even making suggestive spoilers so I shall just assume that I ruin it all here. The film is a dark comedy that is built around the idea that the victim starts to sing a song which is written for two performers – this much I knew coming into it but the joy of the piece is that the song is the Muppets' version of Mah Nà Mah Nà. The thing that makes this work is that up till this point the darkness of the piece has been very well done; the victim is seen dragged, the scenario is grim and the make-up and use of location are very convincing to tell the story of the violence and hopelessness of the situation. The absurdity of the song clashes very nicely with this and I liked the build in delivery.
The punchline is dark but works because, ultimately, the film is just returning us to where we were all along – a dark place. Järvstad manages to structure and deliver it so both aspects of this film work on their own, which means the dark comedy works well as a whole. It is simple and absurd, but certainly memorable.
This short comedy is pretty much impossible to discuss without even making suggestive spoilers so I shall just assume that I ruin it all here. The film is a dark comedy that is built around the idea that the victim starts to sing a song which is written for two performers – this much I knew coming into it but the joy of the piece is that the song is the Muppets' version of Mah Nà Mah Nà. The thing that makes this work is that up till this point the darkness of the piece has been very well done; the victim is seen dragged, the scenario is grim and the make-up and use of location are very convincing to tell the story of the violence and hopelessness of the situation. The absurdity of the song clashes very nicely with this and I liked the build in delivery.
The punchline is dark but works because, ultimately, the film is just returning us to where we were all along – a dark place. Järvstad manages to structure and deliver it so both aspects of this film work on their own, which means the dark comedy works well as a whole. It is simple and absurd, but certainly memorable.
Gambit
chaos-rampant13 August 2015
Young makers have it drilled in them that shorts are their calling card in the business, the whole gambit in that circuit that starts from film schools and ends in festival screens is to show you're competent enough to take on work, and somehow manage to stand out from the pile.
Here's a perfect example; in little over two minutes, a scene of one man dragging another in the woods to show competence in stitching together a minute of film, it could be taken from any crime TV show, and interrupt the usual crime scene with song, to stand out from all the other things screened that night.
It's fine, and the scene of making films is wide enough to allow for all sorts of fields to exercise it, I hope the filmmaker is where he wanted to be or getting there.
What lingered in mind though as a personal view; if I had to look for what's the matter with the state of filmmaking nowadays, I'd begin in the numbing routines of Hollywood and crime TV, end with the film school and short film circuit and the whole culture they foster.
Here's a perfect example; in little over two minutes, a scene of one man dragging another in the woods to show competence in stitching together a minute of film, it could be taken from any crime TV show, and interrupt the usual crime scene with song, to stand out from all the other things screened that night.
It's fine, and the scene of making films is wide enough to allow for all sorts of fields to exercise it, I hope the filmmaker is where he wanted to be or getting there.
What lingered in mind though as a personal view; if I had to look for what's the matter with the state of filmmaking nowadays, I'd begin in the numbing routines of Hollywood and crime TV, end with the film school and short film circuit and the whole culture they foster.
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