The Ellington Kid (2012) Online

A short film telling an urban legend in visuals . Two men sit in a café and discuss the legend with the legend itself being intercut with the discussion . That's it and it only lasts a grand total of five minutes but seems much longer . I don't mean it's overlong in the way that some short films or indeed a lot of feature films are overlong but director Dan Sully seems to bring a bit more to a very short film than just padding out a story . He makes good use of editing and the film works very well due to the simple cross cutting technique . He also manages to evoke a strong sense of time and place by using a sort of techno dub soundtrack that seems well suited to an inner London location . He also resists the temptation to use the characters some streetwise innit guv chav speak . Okay if you're a grammar Nazi you might not like the use of double negatives it's recognizably English and natural sounding . THE ELLINGTON KID isn't a great short due to being limited by a very simple premise but it is a very good one

Nathan and Beefy meet in the local kebab shop and Beefy orders a burger, startling Nathan. Referencing a recent stabbing further up the road in Clapton, Nathan explains why Beefy would be best cutting the red meat out of his diet.

In essence this film is just a telling of an urban legend which has themes and ideas that will feel familiar from other such myths and stories you've been told (probably when you were around the age of our two teenage protagonists). In this case the setting of Clapton and in particular the very British urban setting of a kebab shop, adds an emphasis to the urban in urban legend. This is a nice touch and I liked that it moved the story to more of a realistic place and not just someone flashing headlights at the car, or hiding in the trunk etc etc. Of course this is just the setting not the delivery because what works better is that the telling of the story by Nathan (Hawkins) is really good.

The natural dialogue draws you into the story so, even though you probably know where it is going (considering how the story started), you still go with it and are quite engaged. As with any good story, the sense of realism and detail is important and we see this not only in how Nathan tells it ("holding his hand like this") but also in how it plays out. The delivery of the legend is nicely done without stating it too loudly and the end is a nicely comic nod rather than a big punch-line. Writer/director Sully does a good job with the dialogue but also with the action, with the film looking good in the darkness and moving into the bright environments of the shop and underpass.

It is a simple thing though; it is a story being told well and as such it is engaging even if ultimately we know it is a tall-tale.

This is a GREAT short film! I don't understand why it is only rated 6.7/10. Maybe the people who gave it 4/5/6 stars simply didn't understand it.

The language is sometimes difficult to understand but the storytelling is almost flawless. The shooting, the editing and the soundtrack are very well managed too.

Above all, there is some suspense and a few things are left untold so the viewer is left with a strange aftertaste.

You guys deserve my 10/10 and I'm looking forward to watching your next gem!