The Cake (2001)

My summary above sounds very mundane, but this encounter is anything but. Both actors are superb, and the film can be best described as hilarious yet chilling. The film opens with two women conversing in a car, while waiting outside a railway station. This may be to set the scene and give the viewer a better insight into their characters, but it really does not prepare you for the later scenes, which are incredibly ordinary but deeply unsettling (in a good way! This film is very powerful, and evokes strong emotions in the viewer). While it may seem unusual to have an actor with Brendan Gleeson's high profile appearing in a specialist interest short film that is 'as gaeilge' (in Irish), he was apparently an Irish teacher in the past. It is good to see that great entertainment can still be created without a dependency on expensive props and effects, all it needs is a good script, subtle camera-work and editing, and brilliant acting.