Autumn Never Dies – By Chris Quick – Short Film Review
This film is an adult mash-up of genres and puppets that we didn’t know we needed. Starting with a funeral, the story takes place over the span of a few weeks as we follow Danny (Duncan Airlie James) the puppet ostrich, his friend Nelson (Chris Quick) the crude Scottish monkey and their adventures around Glasgow.
Chris Quick (director) and Andy McEwan (writer) centre the narrative around Danny’s therapy session following a suicide attempt. Having seen very few puppet Ostriches go for psychoanalysis, the premise is hilarious but at times also oddly deep.
Flashbacks to the narrative events are provided by the conversations between Danny and his therapist, describing the events post-suicide attempt and his efforts to return to normal life.
One aspect that really jumps out is the comedy. The blend of puppets and humans is like that of BoJack Horseman where each character accepts the reality of this world and provides comedic beats throughout the piece.
Everything from the misogynistic monkey to a homeless man with a comical sign show that every beat is used to its best, as the comedy undercuts the drama in a satisfying but not distracting way. Special mentions go to Chris Quick for his crazily acting best friend Monkey performance.
Speaking of the acting, the puppet acting is brilliant, and all the human actors do a great job playing off their puppet counterparts. Lizzie (Nicolette McKeown) and Katie (Amy Ebbutt) both give great performances as lovers to Nelson (special mentions go to a particular puppet/human sex scene).
The sound and editing also adds to the comedy. Without giving too much of the plot away, the music adds another element to some great scenes. I particularly loved the spoof James-Bond opening along with animation.