Missing a Note (2019) User Reviews

the other person's music

[ferguson-6 · 8/10 · 30 October 2019]

Greetings again from the darkness. Young Molly is a bundle of nerves. Her mom smiles, and tries to be reassuring and a calming influence. When they arrive at their destination, the stately mansion is intimidating and only increases Molly's anxiety.

The young girl is here to sing for John, a retired Opera legend, in hopes that he will provide a glowing scholarship report/letter of recommendation. Offering up one final pep talk is Angie, John's wife of 50 years, herself a former dancer. Life lessons come at Molly pretty quickly here, as her initial disappointment turns into surprise, and a glimpse at what accompanies old age. Angie is working hard to protect her lifelong love from the slow descent caused by dementia, while Molly learns one of life's harsh realities - we don't always know what others are going through.

This is writer-director Beth Moran's first film, and it's a 15 minute emotional powerhouse. Ms. Moran was the youngest female pilot to fly with the (USAF) Thunderbirds, and her next project is the just released documentary EVERYBODY FLIES; a film that examines the air we breathe on airplanes. The cast here is exceptional. Ian McElhinney plays John. Mr. McElhinney has an almost 40 year screen career, appearing in such 'minor' projects as ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY, and "Game of Thrones." Elaine Page plays John's wife Angie, and Ms. Page is best known for her musical stage work. Newcomer Darcy Jacobs plays Molly, and shows some nice range for a young actor.

Ms. Moran's short film played before some screenings of the DOWNTON ABBEY movie in the U.K., so it's already had better exposure than most shorts ever get. The film's message of how dementia impacts more than just the afflicted person is quite a gut-punch and lesson for us all.

A really fine watch all in all

[Horst_In_Translation · 8/10 · 15 March 2020]

The award-winning "Missing a Note" is a British live action short film from 2019 that runs for over a quarter of an hour and was written and directed by Beth Moran. This was her first effort as the person in charge (her gender does not matter, this is about equality), even if she has worked in smaller positions on many projects already before that. But now let's talk about this one here: I enjoyed the watch overall. i think all the actors did a fine job here and contributed to this film becoming a success. The script is okay too and so is the duration. It really should not have been much llonger though because otherwise there could have been the danger that it turned into a mediocre film all in all and perhaps dragged a bit. But the path they actually took was fine. I think lead actress Darcy Jacobs here has not really the material to make this into a great performance, but what she does is nothing short of convincing and she was a good pick to play the main character. Of course, they also had to look out for an actress who is a really good singer and it shows here. Her first turn was good, her second turn was great, even if I was a bit surprised by how much she improved. But it's alright. It's working nicely. There is also some nice heart in this film and this is linked closely to Ian McElhinney. Or I should say his character in fact. He is also the by far most known cast member (mostly thanks to Game of Thrones), maybe followed by the "actress" who plays his wife, Elaine Paige, even if probably outside Britain she is not too famous. Anyway, back to the male protagonist here and he is a retired opera singer, very successful back in the day, but now we find out together with the girl that he suffers from dementia as he forgot about how she was already there earlier and things did not go too well. At least not as well as the second time. The way how the girl understands what is going on and we cannot be sure if she does was as emotional (culminating in a brief statement to her mother in the car at the very end before the closing credits roll in) as the wife's tears because of what happened. It is pretty a pretty sad film too, but also somewhat uplifting at the same time thanks to the girl and her talent when it comes to singing. So I think this is one of the best short films from 2019 I have seen and it delivers very nicely on a difficult subject. The dedication when the closing credits roll in imply that the making of this film meant a lot to Moran because of a case in her family. Or at least because of a death. I don't know if this one is also linked to Alzheimer's or dementia. It's not important either. What matters is that this was a really good little movie and it certainly should be seen my more when it is easier to get a hand on. Somebody without my talent when it comes to finding unknown short films may have a hard time, but I hope things get easier because with the awards recognition I doubt this film will be forgotten soon. Also pretty impressive outcome given Moran's lack of experience here. A better rookie effort (not sure her documentary was released before or after that) than those by many big name filmmakers. I hope she can build a career on that. Same hopes for Jacobs. Their combined effort here is something you really don't wanna miss out on. It's sweet, touching and artistic. A must-see! Don't pay attention to the imdb rating that was probably caused by disgruntled trolls/bots. I hope my rating can make thing a little more fair again. After all I am among the Top1000 voters here on imdb.

Superb little film

[jemmajacobs · 10/10 · 21 September 2019]

Watched this short film as it was played before Downton Abbey. Really superb story and the cast were fantastic. Really moving and I enjoyed it very much. Definitely recommend.

Fantastic British short film.

[bangeronthebeach · 10/10 · 21 September 2019]

I went to watch Downton abbey and this gem of a short film was played before hand. The film is raising awareness of dementia and there is not a bad performance in sight. A captivating little story with a wonderful cast.

Beautiful and thought provoking

[helenkgibbs · 10/10 · 5 October 2020]

Absolutely loved this film which, in such a short time, evoked happiness, sadness, empathy, amusement... and left me contemplating its powerful message for some time. Charmingly presented and really very well worth watching. Congratulations to the director, astonishing that it was her debut.

Impactful

[nataliedittmerconsulting · 10/10 · 6 October 2020]

A moving short film which shines a light on many peoples reality; facing the onset of dementia. Seen through the eyes of a young girl the viewer experiences a new perspective. Highly recommend.

Impressive and touching

[conorj-85719 · 10/10 · 18 September 2020]

A beautiful short film on an important subject that's hardly shown in the cinema. Wonderfully shot with a stellar cast.

Hit the right note for me

[eloisefitzgerald · 10/10 · 5 October 2020]

This moving film totally captured me ...very endearing

Major experience in a minor key

[dominictracey-42002 · 10/10 · 27 October 2020]

Beth Moran's expertly written and directed film packs an aeon of impact into 15 minutes of cinematic magic. The cast, including the magnificent Darcy Jacobs, are utterly faultless.

Poignantly Beautiful

[kaizan-10368 · 10/10 · 13 December 2020]

I enjoyed this beautiful short film and appreciated the poignancy in which it illuminated a different facet of the topic. I felt it was an excellently executed, loving tribute to the beauty of a life once led and the tragedy of watching that spark diminish. Having experienced the heartbreak of watching a beloved family member be robbed too soon of the dignity of lucidity, I am grateful for the awareness such an eloquent film brings to dementia.

Emotional and breathtaking

[almc-97972 · 10/10 · 7 September 2020]

This beautiful film took my breath away and will stay with me forever. It focuses on the heart breaking impacts of dementia but at the same time is uplifting thanks to a great performance by young Darcy. The director, Beth Moran, did an outstanding job and I could watch it over and over again.

Missing A Note hits every note! Incredible Short Film.

[tillyfinch · 10/10 · 4 December 2019]

Beth Moran delivers a beautiful, emotional, and delicate short film, exploring the reality of living with the early stages of dementia, featuring Darcy Jacobs, Elaine Paige and Ian McElhinney. Beth's debut short film is a 15 minute rollercoaster of emotion.

With stellar performances from both Elaine Paige and Ian McElhinney, the surprising highlight of the film is the young 12 year old actress, Darcy Jacobs (deserved winner of Best Actress at Birmingham International Film Festival 2019 for her part in this movie).

Known for her West End roles in the The Ferryman and Les Miserables, Darcy delivers a stunning performance as a young music pupil hoping to fulfill her dreams of a scholarship. With her beautiful singing voice and the incredibly natural feel she gives to her presentation of the character, she truly shines in this wonderful short film! I'm confident that we can expect great things from this young actress in her future career.

Well worth a watch 10/10!