Movie Short Review: ‘Affection’

by | Aug 3, 2018 | Featured, Movie Reviews, Movies | 0 comments

Review by James Lindorf

Affection is the latest from writer and director Tricia Lee who is best known for her award-winning horror films Blood Hunters and Silent Retreat. For her most recent work, she ditched the horror genre to focus on a drama starring Steve Lund (Bitten, Reign) as Tyler and Steph Song (Blood and Water, Smallville) as Laina.

Clocking in at 9 minutes and 52 seconds, including credits, Affection doesn’t have time to waste when it comes to sharing its story. Lee manages to deliver a raw drama about the depth of the human need for affection, how having that affection withheld can cause long-lasting damage, and the unpredictable evolution of relationships. Both Tyler and Laina have been left jaded by their past experiences. When the pair came together for what was supposed to be a brief conquest, neither of their lives was in a place where relationships thrive, but a one-night stand becomes something that could be worth fighting for.

Lund and Song deliver strong, but reserved performances. Song may have been a bit too reserved during her big moment for my liking. Her performance wasn’t unnatural, I just wanted her to turn it up a notch to emphasize her frustration. Lee also made interesting choices with the film’s color pallet. Each scene is bathed in a different color that is a visual representation of Laina’s emotions towards Tyler at each point in the story. When the color filters disappear, we get to see the characters as they really are and find out if they made the final decision to carry on with their relationship or not. Lee did miss an opportunity to include the Kenny Loggins song Meet Me Halfway but it may not have fit in the budget. I think, much like its characters, this short film is worthy of affection. Affection is at the beginning of its festival run, making its premiere at the LA Shorts International Film Festival July 26th – August 2nd.