STARRING
Philip Goldacre, Tayo Elesin WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY
Mike Archer RUNNING TIME
22 Mins.
"The Journey of Alfred Small" a Thought-Provoking Short
The touching story of a reclusive, embittered oldman (Philip Goldacre, Tomb Raider Ascension) and a young mother trying to outrun an abusive relationship (Tayo Elesin, Law and Order UK), The Journey of Alfred Small is a thought-provoking and meaningful film that examines the journeys of life and the ways in which we are both different and amazingly similar.
Written and directed by Mike Archer (Easy Virtue), The Journey of Alfred Small is a simple, quiet little film that allows the story time to grow, perhaps a tad too much, but in doing so brings life to these two lovely people whom everyone might not realize are quite lovely.
Alfred is an aging man who has become resigned to a daily routine of taking the bus to visit his hospitalized wife over the past three months; one day, his routine is disrupted when he meets Kendal, a young mother, and her young son, Benj, at the bus stop.
The meeting doesn't go well.
When Kendal suffers a violent attack at the hands of her boyfriend, Alfred must make a decision whether to continue living within his own little world or to get involved with someone whom he seemingly has nothing in common.
Perhaps the perfect metaphor for the state of American politics these days, such a scenario is thought-provoking, meaningful and difficult to forget even if it doesn't quite gel together perfectly. There are moments in the film when the challenges of low-budget filmmaking are evident, an occasionally wonky sound mix and modest lighting issues being the primary culprits, but for the most part Archer has crafted a solid film with grounded, disciplined performances from both Goldacre and Elesin.
The Journey of Alfred Small is now available for viewing on Youtube or you can simply watch it in its entirety above thsi review.
