Andy (Sean Cronin) is dodgy and in debt. Grieving the loss of his wife, he must also fend off a loan shark bent on taking over his vintage shop. Determined to fight back, Andy's vigilantism doesn't exactly go as planned and things get way out of hand.

Written and directed by Filippos Vokotopoulos as his graduation project for the London Film School, Unattended Item will have its world premiere at Greece's Drama Short Film Festival on September 22nd ahead of what is likely to be a decent indie film fest run. The neo-noirish dark comedy is stylish and quietly fun, mostly courtesy of Cronin's entertaining performance and a solid production crew including D.P. Anaïs Lorié and production designer Pablo Angel Lugo.

The concept behind Unattended Item is a rather familiar one, though Vokotopoulos does a nice job of adding his own distinct voice to the mix. There's an absurdity, especially toward the end, that is rather fun to watch unfold even if there's also a tad bit too much predictability that goes along with it.

It's always a bit of a joy receiving films from newer filmmakers, whether they be students or simply newbies feeling their way around the process. In addition to going the extra mile to promote their films, newbies tend to have a freshness and appreciation for the journey that radiates in their film. It'll be interesting to watch Vokotopoulos's career in the coming years to see where he goes from here. For now, Unattended Item is a modestly familiar yet entertaining short that should have no problem finding a home on the indie/underground film fest circuit both in the United States and abroad.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic