Off/Guard is a short crime piece that follows the different possibilities regarding a police shooting in Ireland. There is plenty to say and recommend about this film, the first of which is its terrific direction. Filmmaker Bruce Wabbit manages to bring a professional, high-quality direction that makes it feel like a big production, despite it only lasts 10 minutes. Wabbit is clearly familiar with the genre and knows how to create a tense, realistic atmosphere that keeps the audience wondering what might have been the real story until the very end, then finishing on a high, yet somehow ambiguous note. The result might depend entirely on the viewer’s experience and how much we liked and supported this protagonist, all of which opens a thought-provoking question… how much can we forgive or ignore when someone we sympathize with, has done something wrong? Again, the film doesn’t offer a simple answer and is up to decide what we want to believe and how much can we forgive.
Naturally, all of the above couldn’t be achieved without a clever, realistic script with complex, believable characters. Again, for such a short piece, Wabbit has made sure not to waste any second of the film, creating a tight, tense narrative in which every detail counts. This is only elevated with the convincing performances, particularly the one of lead actor Joseph Sharkey whose charisma makes us root for him even if the final seconds cause us some doubt.
As for production quality, the cinematography is solid, managing to both capture the beauty of its locations and keep the tension of the plot. The editing works quite nicely as well, making smart use of shared screens to keep the story moving at every second, and the sound is clean and effective. The featured songs are another highlight, setting the mode right from the opening credits and creating a terrific experience in the climax of the movie.
In conclusion, Off/Guard might be short… but in its 12 minutes manages to do as much as many features. It creates an involving, coherent story, and raises some moral questions that go beyond its Irish setting. Situations like the one featured in the film are universal and viewers from all around the world might know of something like this and/or question themselves what would have done in Brennan’s place. All of this makes Wabbit a filmmaker fascinating to keep an eye on, and we sure would love to get a chance to explore more of his work… and, hopefully, someday, a full feature. Ultimately, if he managed to make something this good with limited resources and time, just imagine what he could do in a bigger production.
Director’s Biography:
Originally from Wellington New Zealand, Bruce is a Visual editor turned award winning short filmmaker. Best known for accolades on such short films as “Just To Be Frank” “Siobhan” and “The Crook & The Creek”.
Bruce studied film at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and currently resides in British Columbia where he directs commercials and media for the City of Vancouver.
Watch the film Here
