Director, Joshua Blewitt brings us chauvinistic, narcissist, movie lover and filmmaker, Chez Florentine (Joe Carmichael), amidst the release of his latest (very controversial) flick, Mean.
Opening on a talking heads/interview is the first entry we are given in a film with subject matter which is clearly an ode to films, filmmaking and the numerous techniques and artistic choices that come with it.
With varied styles, the cinematography ropes you in, keeping you engaged throughout. However, these multiple styles also leave this short struggling from a tonality point of view. Not to say the contrast doesn’t work but the script may have just been a tad heavy for lead, Carmichael, who doesn’t necessarily demonstrate the passion for film that his onscreen counterpart required, convincingly.
As an artist, there is a difference between the stories you want to tell and the stories you’ve been asked to tell.
Mean serves as more than just a title, not only doesn’t it hit on the downsides of the movie industry but it represents 21st-century filmmaking in the age where the internet has a voice and everyone is a critic. Although the ending falls a little flat, the finale does succeed in leaving you with a strong message: As an artist, there is a difference between the stories you want to tell and the stories you’ve been asked to tell.
Jacked In Recommends ‘V for Vendetta’ (2005)
Based on Alan Moore’s DC comic series of the same name, written for the screen by The Wachowski’s (The Matrix), V […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Call the Shepherd – Lambing Time’ (2023)
As we follow the day in the life of a lamb farmer, from the get-go it’s clear that this documentary is going to […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Riley & Rambo’ (2023)
A day in the life of, we follow a young boy by the name of Riley as he journeys around the Bradford area collecting […]
Jacked In Recommends ‘Predestination’ (2014)
Predestination follows a temporal agent’s (Ethan Hawke) journey through time and space as he attempts to capture a […]
Jacked in Reviews ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ (2024)
Tim Burton’s sequel to the 1988 cult classic once again follows the Deetz’s, with Lydia (Winona Ryder) […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Mickey 17’ (2025)
We open on a partially frozen individual, Mickey (Robert Pattinson) – who has unfortunately fallen into a […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Men’ (2022)
Following the passing of her husband, a young woman by the name of Harper (Jessie Buckley) decides to take a bit of […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Candyman’ (2021)
Warning this review has SPOILERS regarding Candyman (2021), so if you wish to keep the element of surprise intact, […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ (2023)
As we open on our favourite racoon giving us a tour of Knowhere (the Guardian’s latest HQ destination) to […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ (2022)
Trisha Yearwood’s How Do I Live begins to play over the opening credits and we are met with two stoners watching […]
Jacked In Recommends ‘Rear Window’ (1954)
An Alfred Hitchock classic, Rear Window follows the life of L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart), a recently […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘The Substance’ (2024)
We join the once-great Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) as she is abruptly pushed out of the spotlight – now […]