FILM OF THE MONTH

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Directed by Paul Kelly/ Reviewed by  Biplab Das What is loneliness? What causes loneliness? What are the effects of loneliness?  Can mental sickness result in loneliness? All these questions are answered in this short- Bard Words. This 4:40-minute movie is short but unique. It is a short drama on the life of a poet. This drama is woven with words in such fashion that the entire film looks like a recitation of a poem. It can be shelved into the category of the poetic-drama category. This short is ideal for creative ones. If you like to watch experimental, brain-tickling movies then this short is for you.  The film is the director’s take on the loneliness of a mad poet may kindle the desire for you to see the short. As an audience, you need to be fearless to watch the film. After the first viewing, you may seem to find the absurd. But after the second viewing, you will get to know what the director is trying to say in the film. The audience should not be judgmental, but ready to see something new. The director of the film is directed by Paul Kelly. He creates a world in this 4:40-minute short is that he travels into the mind of a lonely poet. The short is the psychological study of a mad poet and her so-called madness. The role of the poet is played by Judith Roberts. She is exquisite in her role as a bard. She is old but her energy on the screen contagious. She brings a charm on the screen with her acting. The short chronicles the life of a poet. It seems from her behavior that she is in some sense neurotic. She lives in an apartment alone. The apartment is full of toys and books. From her window, the concrete jungle of the city is visible which makes her more isolated and lonely. She swears by Shakespeare. The saddest part is that she gets scammed by telemarketers. The sound of the film is really interesting. The director uses voice-over along with Judith Roberts’s voice. There are scenes where Robert’s voice gets overlapped with the voiceover. The short showed that the poet doesn’t believe anyone. She roams around the room with a knife in her hand. At first look, it seems funny and ridiculous, but it implies the end result that she is lonely and dejected. She doesn’t believe anyone. When she hears a ring on the door, she becomes suspicious. Bard Words is a tale of a lonely, almost-mad poet. I give 3 stars out of 5. It would have been much better if the length of the film is bigger. The reason I’m saying this because the movie ends in such a way that you would like to know about what happens to the poet. The most intriguing part of the film is how the poet sees the world. Her perception of reality is beyond what we think is normal. Bard Words is an audacious take to show the life of a bard who is immersed in the world of words.