Long Story Short | Film Review

 

I remember seeing the trailer for this film ages ago and being really interested in it, so I was really excited when it came out on Sky Cinema.

The morning after his wedding, Teddy (Rafe Spall) wakes up to discover that it is actually a year in the future, and every few minutes, he loses another year. As he sees his future play out before his eyes, Teddy discovers what he is about to lose, and does everything to stop it from happening.

I really enjoyed this film. I knew it wasn't going to be anything profound, but I was surprised by how thought-provoking I found it.

I loved the opening scene. It did a great job of setting up the entire film, and thankfully the film kind of kept the same tone the whole way through, which I enjoyed.

I absolutely adore these two characters, Teddy and Leanne (Zahra Newman), both individually and as a couple. I loved the way they were written, and I loved the way the actors portrayed them.

The film doesn't waste any time whatsoever, and I would have liked to have some backstory around the characters and their lives. It moved very quickly. In fact, my one major complaint about it is that it moved too quickly, and really needed to slow down.

The concept reminded me a bit of the book 'The Midnight Library', and I think I would have liked that book a lot more if it had been more like this. Rather than trying to make grand statements about life and depression, if it had just been an interesting exploration into a character's possible lives. 

I really liked the way the film was written - both the events that took place, and the dialogue. It was a lot more emotional and thought-provoking than I expected it to be.

And I absolutely loved the ending. It was predictable, but it was exactly what I wanted. 

Again, my only complaint about the film is that it went too quickly. It actually felt really rushed, and would have benefitted from allowing each scene to breathe a bit more. 

Overall, this was a cute, sweet rom-com that'll have you thinking about your own life. I'd definitely recommend it.

6.5/10