Balconies on what looks to be the back of a building are bustling with all kinds of glimpses in the lives of its inhabitants, giving them their own mini-stages for their lives to play out on.
Written and directed by Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, and Guy Maddin, Accidence is an exercise in observation as it puts, fits, and almost crams as much on the screen as it can at once without it feeling overwhelming. All the mini-stories play out concurrently on different balconies and/or in their respective windows. This leads to the viewer needing to split their attention or rewatch the film multiple times to see everything going on at the same time. Accidence is the kind of film that gains from being paid serious attention to and being viewed a few times. The level of details put into the multiple stories make the film work. The writing and direction are tight and done with an attention to details that serve this setting beautifully well.
The cast here does great ensemble work, the way the film is written and shot, although the characters have lines, most of them are not audible as the stories run concurrently and the music takes the audio priority. The cast composed in part of Norm Asher as Beige Man, Ensign Broderick as Ghost, William Bond as Detective Weif, Adam Brooks as Detective McMillian, Brent Neale as Dr. Jekyll, etc does great work on their respective balcony and in their respective mini-story. They manage to keep the attention and pass their emotions without a word or almost without a word, forcing the viewer to pick a balcony to follow and pay close attention to everything.
One of the things that really allow the film to work is the cinematography by Lianed Marcoleta and Ryan Simmons. Their work creates a subtle movement to things that helps guide the viewer’s attention to one story over the others while also creating a dreamlike feeling to things. The cinematography for Accidence works hand in hand with the editing by Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson. This editing is seamless and flawless here, giving the impression of one single take with everything coming into play perfectly. Both the cinematography and the editing show masterful work from Marcoleta, Simmons, Johnson, and Johnson.
Working with all these visual aspects is the music by Ensign Broderick is absolutely lively and transports the viewer into the world of those balconies, in a world of its own, helping them concentrate on the film and on each story being depicted on the screen at the same time. This music adds to the already careful sound design to create an auditory world that fits just right with the short film.
Accidence is one of those short films that works perfectly within its timeframe and within its self-imposed limitations. From the writing and directing, to the acting, to the images created, and the sounds, everything is carefully planned and shows a mastery of the art each person involved brought to the table. Accidence is a fascinating film and experience in filmmaking done with talent. The short is one of those that’s easy to watch yet contains a ton story and character-wise. It looks great and moves at a good pace while providing the perfect music. Accidence is definitely a must-see, on the big screen if possible, for fan of tour-de-force short films.