Plot:
A young man is going through a psychological turmoil about his own existence in a world where his race is slowly dying out.
Our thoughts:
Alfredo Salvatore Arcilesi has always shown what a great storyteller he is in his short films. Some which we have given good reviews on here, as well. His strongest point was always, to me, telling a story. Even though his films were artistic in execution, and a lot of work obviously went into it all, it hasn't been until "For Clearer Skies" that I've really seen what he can pull off.
It's a short film, and it consists of only a few perfectly executed, longer shots. The story is of a young man. Or rather, a young alien, trying to choose the right path when the population of his race is growing smaller and smaller. Should he continue his survival that is tearing him down in hope that it will save his race, or should he just accept the extinction and fall with it?
The fact that this story is told in just a few shots is really where the key to it all is. It goes from what seems like a story of a troubled teen, to something similar but at the same time very out-of-this-world. It throws you into a psychological sci-fi fantasy that mimics Earth life, but by the end of it you'll have a completely different perspective.
The final shot is just remarkable from a small production like this - I'm against CGI but this could not look any better. The way the film slowly grows into the sci-fi tale that it really is, is what makes this such a great piece of film. The story is definitely secondary this time around, and all focus is in Arcilesi's direction, the cinematography, editing and post-production work. I simply adore this film on a shallow level, and I don't think it's a bad thing to say.
"For Clearer Skies" doesn't bring all that much in terms of story, but it's still an epic sci-fi film in small format. It catches you off-guard and goes from Man to Alien in a matter of seconds. Now I know I can't wait for his feature "Canswer". I need it. |
