The Pond

THE POND is a short film from 2010 written and directed by Dan Hannon. It features an original and touching love story with a twist. The movie opens with emotional shots of a woman called Shelly, played by Alicia Witt (JOINT BODY), who breaks into to a funeral parlor to retrieve the ashes of her deceased partner Michael, played by Todd Rotondi (HOWL). After a tearful goodbye, she decides to scatter his ashes in a pond that was a meaningful spot for them and, miraculously, he emerges from the water completely revived and with no memory of his death. Shelly is shocked, ecstatic and relieved until the same thing happens to her after she and Michael get shot. Upon talking to Adam 11, the mysterious man who shot and revived her, Shelly learns about the interesting and historic tale behind the pond’s power, discovering that she has a very important decision to make.

Visually, the opening portion of the film is quite dark, with minimal lighting used. This sets the somber mood and contributes an element of realism to a scene that acts as a suitably natural opening to the storyline, which becomes gradually more surreal as the plot progresses. The darkness also serves as a fitting contrast against the vibrant flashback shots interspersed with those of Shelly clutching Michael’s ashes as she reminisces about the romantic moments they shared together. The slow and atmospheric score combines with all the visual components of the scene to maintain its tone and reflect Shelly’s feelings. The later cinematography is vivid and simplistic, engaging the viewer while creating a dream-like environment and causing the unusual aspects of the film to seem even more out of the ordinary. Handheld camera shots are used to display Shelly’s panic and surprise during her second pond scene.

Overall, the acting is impressive; particularly the supporting performance given by David Morse (THE GREEN MILE) with his portrayal of the elusive Adam 11, not particularly surprising given the two Emmy Award nominations he has to his name. Despite the inventive and absorbing story, I feel as if the movie is lacking in character development and I would have particularly liked to have seen Michael and Shelly’s relationship explored a little more, rather than just the brief flashes that were shown right at the beginning. Perhaps the concept would be better suited to a feature length duration. To sum up, I believe that this film offers a truly unique, powerful and engrossing love story that will surprise you and leave you wanting more.