Tyler

3 Responses to Tyler

1. John says:

   May 30, 2020 at 6:48 am

   I can’t believe no one has written a review on this short but extremely powerful film, so I’ll have a go. I don’t know of any 4 minutes of film that captures the uneasy transitional phase of boyhood than this short. I use the term “transitional” because “coming of age” is too vague of a term, and seems to be applied to everything from ages 5 to 25 these days. The boy is only about 10, but he’s ripped, and he’s going through the transition from boy to man, looking for a role model. He gets his toned build from dancing rap in the street and boxing with his brother. You can only assume these relationships, they’re not stated or obvious. But there’s some passing reference to his father when someone asks the boy if he’s thinking about him, so you get the sense his father is absentee. His Mom is present, caring but functionally depressed, or at least overwhelmed, brooding about chicken being expensive, but that making a cake might be nice, while having energy enough to exercise. So the boy is clearly emulating his brother, and his brother’s relationship with his girlfriend. And therein lies the pain of the transition.

   On the one hand his brother is showing him respect by asking his opinion of his rap lyrics and teaching him boxing. On the other hand, when he wants to partake in his brothers beer drinking and asks for a sip, he’s told to fuck off, then he’s asked, “so you really want some ” as his brother starts pouring beer on his head. At first he thinks it’s a joke, more fun with his brother, but when his head and shirt are covered in beer from his brother’s anger and belittlement, the pain on his face is palpable. But with that springback only boyhood provides, next scene he’s back dancing in the street, an homage paid by a soundtrack of Ave Maria.

   He’s hanging around his brother and girlfriend, the girlfriend saying he’s part of the team. But at one point he unwittingly sees her changing her top and is secretly transfixed. They share moments together on the couch, him helping her with her hair, and being teased that he “likes getting in trouble,” affectionate enough that he leans in for a kiss, the first one innocently stolen, the second with intent, repudiated by her surprise, but returned with a puppy kiss on his forehead. Another rejection, now palpable with confusion, frustration, even a little anger.

   So at this age you can only be taken just so seriously, even though you’re feeling the burn of unrequited love.
   All of this in four minutes, and none of it is forced. In fact it doesn’t seem like acting. It’s as if the director dropped a camera into a day in the boy’s life, then pieced together the scraps, but not with the insipidness of a reality show. The film has direction and makes a statement. It even ends with a poem, recited by a neighbor on the porch, secretly woven into the fabric of the film. The poem opines, “the moon will say to the stars that the night is too short to conceive any love,” but, “I’ll be waiting to know you just by your love.”

   All in 4 minutes. Miss this film? Are you crazy?

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2. Danny says:

   January 6, 2022 at 7:50 pm

   I must agree with John. I just had my ‘best spent’ 4 minutes this year.

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3. Orion4 says:

   January 7, 2022 at 7:34 pm

   Right on, John. Tyler + Testosterone = Trouble!

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