JUMP – By Laura Barbato – Short Film Review
JUMP follows the adventures of a stuffed elephant, avocado and bear as they are left home alone to their own devices. Laura Barbato (director) shows off her creativity by making a funny narrative through a very minimal idea, introduced by the title idea to just jump.
The film uses two locations, a bedroom and kitchen and three central characters showing the set-up to the heist of the liquor cabinet. One problem, elephant is scared to jump off of the bed. Without spoiling much more, the simple narrative follows the ups and downs of the heist.
All three characters have defining traits that add to the hilarity. The scared elephant feels the peer-pressure from the crude avocado and impatient bear, Eddie. I won’t spoil any of the plot points, but the group require the medical expertise of a doctor.
The mischievous score adds to the childlike wonder of Toy Story meets teenage angst. Laura sets the viewer in a world where, instead of learning about friendship like in Toy Story, we learn that toys are rebellious and pressuring too, wanting to party when the owners aren’t home.
The film is simple and at times very minimal, the story is concise, and the characters come across well in the under 5-minute run time. I can assume that this is a film made during a lockdown or other isolating incident, as the voices, directing, cinematography and editing all seem to be done by Laura. She excels at crafting a simple story that is both funny and cute.
We look forward to seeing what Laura Barbato does next!
