THE LONG GOODBYE stars Riz Ahmed.
Shot by highly talented, upcoming Director, Aneil Karia, THE LONG GOODBYE, is startling, brilliant and a fine example of modern cross genre writing, aimed very much at a 21st century world. Part Magi-real, (or magi-nightmare, horror), part improvised drama, and part music promo short, THE LONG GOODBYE’s 12 minutes is a thrill ride that well deserves the awards and nominations it has received.
Now on the qualifier list for this years Academy Awards, THE LONG GOODBYE's pace starts warmly, and very recognizably, in a normal house, not dissimilar to where most of us came from. The family is being a family, a normal, warm, affectionate, teasing, connected, friendly family. Only wait, this is a British Pakistani family, and suddenly, outside vans of masked vigilante’s pull-up.
Starring highly talented actor Riz Ahmed, who also co-wrote along with Aneil Karia, the film then shifts into high octane. To put this amount of complexity into a story line is a feat for a lot of features, but to pile it into a short, shows a really strong grasp of story. However, we live in fast moving times, where so much is irrevocably changing, hastened by Brexit and the Pandemic, and to go with it there is a wave of story tellers from all backgrounds, racial types and ages. They are coming forwards to explode all that is dark, horrific and wrong about how we treat our fellow human beings and, all that we hold dear in our world. This is just one tale, of just one of today’s narratives that has to change, and that might just affect how we shape our future into something far more loving and wonderful. Good luck at the Oscars gentlemen, and meantime, tune in and spare 12 minutes. It’ll be time very well spent.
Review by fellow writer/director, Jane A. Foster, who loves to support all British films. janecreates@23films.com
