A couple has an argument, something that seems to be a regular occurrence for them.
Written and directed by Joe Bongiovanni, this short film quickly gives the impression that it is not meant to make the audience want to care about either of its protagonists. Soon after the film starts, so does the argument, and both parties sound like they are going at it in bad faith. The way these characters are written makes it hard to care for either of them for the first half of the short film. If this was the goal, kudos for a job well done. If that was not the goal, which seems to be the correct take, it makes caring for the characters and thus for the film difficult. In terms of writing an argument, yeah, it sounds like many arguments overheard and many cinematic ones; it gives negative energy and makes this viewer grateful that the film is a short format one. The direction being from the same person as the writing makes it all come to the screen quite well while keeping the mood pretty atrocious.
The cast here is just two people, Emma Griffin and Richard-John Seikaly, and they do quite well as being dislikable for most of the runtime. There is a point when the mood shifts a bit and things get less tense, but something in how this is done, perhaps in the writing, the direction, or the acting, makes it seem almost coerced, like the big emotional moment might just be manipulation by one of the parties. The acting here is solid with a side of extra, but it works for the material, showing that the cast grasped the material and did their best with it resulting in two performances that work great for the film here.
The cinematography by writer-director Joe Bongiovanni has a strong contrast look that adds to the mood of the film while the focus remains mostly tight on the characters, accentuating their situation and arguments. The way the film looks here is strong and a bit much, quite like the argument at the center of it. The editing is also by Bongiovanni and works well with everything else here.
Overall, The Turtle is mostly a disagreeable watch that seems to know it is so and perhaps has that as a goal for most of the film if not all of it. The film is well made, evokes emotions, brings up issues, and makes the most of its short run time. While it’s not particularly agreeable the film does have an effect which is something every film should aim for and thus, it can be viewed as successful, whether the central subject and way to bring it to the screen works for the viewer or not.