Everything & Everything & Everything (2014)

Not even close. "Everything & Everything & Everything" is an American 15-minute short film from pretty much exactly a year ago. The writer and director is Alberto Roldán and despite his Spanish sounding name, the language in here is English, even if admittedly there is really not that much dialogue in here. The story is fairly strange, includes blue pyramids, doorknob addictions and people leaving the company. The biggest star here is probably lead actor Shane Carruth. He wrote, directed and starred in the fairly popular "Upstream Color" the year before. I have not seen that one (yet?), so I cannot further comment, but in this short film here he is probably the best thing about it, but not good enough either to elevate the really forgettable script. Not recommended.

There is an interesting duality about the way the narrative of this film because on one hand it is actually a fairly simple tale in terms of the arc it takes, but then on the other hand, the main narrative device is a blue pyramid that produces doorknobs every time there is a door in the flat that lacks one. The good thing is that one of these does rather help to balance the other, making the whole work in a way that it may not otherwise do.Those looking for a sci-fi need not apply, but the absurdity of the central device does spread out into the rest of the film, so that once we accept this idea, we also go along with the idea of a 24/7 production and shipping company working in the central character's flat, all while this mysterious pyramid that transfixes everyone, pumps out the door knobs. This great absurd situation is really well delivered in the middle of the film which is packed with energy and well filmed in the chaotic flat, and this bridging section helps the main narrative. This is that a man who lives a pretty empty life, finds something that gives him what he needs – not just for his flat, but something he can use to support another passion – getting a piano for himself. However the desire for better leads into a headlong rush always looking for more, which ultimately burns him out, leaves him hating even the thing he once aspired to, and has him longing for simpler times.As a narrative arc it is actually very simple, and the morality tale it delivers is a little clunky in terms of the general sweep but also the specifics (the shot of the children, and the hatred of the upstairs music was a bit obvious), but it does still work. It does so because of how well it moves through its 15 minutes, and ultimately we are carried along with it, experiencing all of it with Morgan as he changes wholly. In this change, Shane Carruth plays it really well so we do buy his character and the changes he goes through. Technically it is also well made, and I particularly enjoyed the camera movement and editing through the busy period.Were the main character arc as smart as the film itself then it would be better for it, but for the weaknesses in this rather clunky aspect of it, the main device and the overall delivery does cover it to a certain degree.