One thing that I always loved about short films is their ability to tell a complete story in a short amount of time. One of the ways they accomplish this is by picking a subject everyone can relate to. Pity is about one of those subjects: loss.
Written and directed by John Pata (Dead Weight), Pity packs more emotional punch than most full length feature Hollywood films. This is helped by the stellar performance of Jake Martin. The only dialog in the film is done as voiceover, but Martin’s emotions on screen match what is being said so perfectly that you would swear you were inside his head.
Pity is based on the short story “Prowler in the Yard” by J.R. Hayes. It tells the story of a man struggling with a recent break up. It is filmed completely from the man’s perspective as he sits in his car across the street from his ex-girlfriend. Through the use of voiceover we hear his inner thoughts which get darker with each passing minute. As the story progresses it reveals disturbing things that will cause the hair on the back of your neck to stand up. By the end of the film I was holding my breath and creeped the hell out.
The overall production quality really stands out. It does not look like a micro budget film produced by an independent film company. From the lighting, to the audio, to the setting, it has the look of a big budget Hollywood production. Pity is an example of why I love independent cinema. It shows that with a small budget and a lot of passion you can tell a powerful story. 5 out of 5 stubs.
Pity is produced by Head Trauma Productions and The Line Film Co.
You can visit Pity’s website here http://www.pityfilm.com and like their Facebook page here http://www.facebook.com/pity to find out if it is playing at a festival near you.
About the Author: Mark Krawczyk has been reviewing films since 1993. He is the host of WeLiveFilm.com’s Horror Thursdays and has his own movie review show on his channel that you can catch here www.youtube.com/SpecialMark and on twitter @moviemaniac3d
