I was very intrigued about this film once I happened to watch its trailer because the trailer didn't give away anything at all about the film. It only showed Colin Firth sitting on a bed, fidgety. It was a good trailer indeed, it did its job of arousing my curiosity. The film works similarly. There is a feeling of anticipation and the unknown right from the point when Steve (Colin Firth) makes his first appearance in the home of a married couple (Keira Knightley and Tom Mison). It's obvious from Steve's rather early and desperate attempts at making friendly conversation ("Do you like picnics?" or "What are your top 5 favourite films?") that he is a lonely man. It's interesting to watch how Steve's lack of company and frustration play out together. The acting is very good, both Keira Knightley as well as Colin Firth. At times it feels as though Knightley is singing out her dialogues, I find that distracting. Steve has a (mildly) thrilling undertone, I enjoyed it.
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Horst_In_Translation16 October 20152010 was certainly a career year for British actor Colin Firth. Not only did he star in his career-defining Oscar-winning role in "The King's Speech", but also appeared in this short movie written and directed by actor Rupert Friend. I am generally not the biggest fan of Firth and think he is really similar in most of his movies in terms of characters and range, but here he shines as a loud annoying neighbor to a couple who have their own struggles. He keeps appearing and rambling randomly in hope of a cup of tea.
Lets not forget about Tom Mison and Oscar nominee Keira Knightley, who appear in here as well, even if they are not even close to being as memorable as the title character. I thought this was a good short movie at 17 minutes, carried by strong acting. I really liked the ending, which was a bit sad, but I must say the music they chose for the closing credits really hurt the overall perception of the film. it does not fit all in terms of tone. Still, a decent film and I recommend it. Good job by Friend and I wonder if he will write and direct more in the future. -
anjamanning25 September 2019Interesting and thought-provoking film, and I really enjoyed watching it. I think I will come back to it more than once.
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Ladybugking24 June 2012The question here is -- Who is Steve? It is ultimately left to the viewer to decide. Is he just a lonely, pushy, but harmless man? Is he a loner with more going on than meets the eye? Is he a symbol of the increasing isolation our plugged in culture creates? Rupert Friend has written a puzzle of a short film, and has wisely chosen probably the best actor of his (our?) generation, Colin Firth, to portray the strange man in the yellow sweater whose intrusions on the lives of the other two characters grows increasingly alarming. There are gradual revelations of character here from all three involved. All is not what it seems at the beginning. Watching the subtle changes in the appearance of Steve are part of the texture the director (Friend) has created and give some insight, possibly, to what is going on. It is worth seeking out this film, just for the riveting performance of Mr. Firth.