Written and directed by Max Rothman, the six-minute comedy short Who Is Elmore Dean? stars Timothy J. Cox as Elmore Dean, an acclaimed songwriter who wakes up on the morning of one of the biggest days of his life with a raging case of anxiety and an apartment that seems to be taking on a mind of its own. 

The goings on in this amusing, charming little short are simple yet funny and brought to life quite nicely by Cox, a frequent actor in indie/low-budget shorts and features who looks like your typical character actor but has a knack for pulling a wide variety of characters out from seemingly nowhere. 

The film's intro scene, while seemingly a bit slow, sets the stage nicely for everything that unfolds and gives you a nice sense of what's up with Cox's Dean, a seemingly ordinary guy whose world really isn't all that ordinary. D.P. Olivia Kimmel's lensing is pristine and steady, while Cindy Lin's production design is also rock solid. Rothman's script is quietly funny, perhaps even funnier than one might expect given Cox's grounded in the real world performance. 

While there's not a whole lot else to be said about Who Is Elmore Dean?, sometimes all a film needs to do is make you laugh to become memorable and for this film that's a mission accomplished. 

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic