Short of the Day
A man sits in a café sipping a spot of tea, reading a book and waiting on a sandwich. That’s when a fly begins to pester him, but a moment’s observation reveals this is no ordinary fly and no mere pestering. See, the fly keeps landing on specific words in the man’s book, words that when strung together seem to be an impossible communication. As he starts to decipher the message, the man makes a supernatural connection that…well, you’ll have to see for yourself.
Musca is the name of this brief and dark comedy that hatched in the mind of writer-director Stefan Parker, and though it is only four minutes long and contains very little dialogue, it’s a sharp, poignant, wry, and wickedly amusing slice of life that’s comes across like The Fly as made by Monty Python. Bob Fletcher plays the lead with an awestruck naivete that firmly anchors the film in reality while the fly does his/her part at stirring up absurdity.
This one’s a slow-burner but the payoff is totally worth the wait. With Musca Parker has crafted a droll and sardonic — not to mention hilarious — look at life, death, and whatever waits on the other side. It’ll make you laugh, think, and pay extra attention the next time something’s buzzing in your ear.
Related Topics: Comedy, Death, Short Films
