SHORT FILM

THE LONELIEST BOY BAND

Written and Directed by Natalie Fält

'“Writer-director Natalie Falt, along with co-writer and lead actor Arne Gjelten, have crafted a portrait of hope, loneliness and self-expression, in the shape of a mock documentary.

The cinema-verite-style camerawork follows Dusty as he dances in his room, wanders at a mall, tries on clothes at a store. The camera is a reliable companion for Dusty, who talks and shares his hopes, dreams and fantasies. It also captures a terrific performance by Gjelten, who essays an exuberant yet nuanced performance as Dusty.

He often plasters a veneer of irrepressible charm and joy over his vulnerability, creating a fascinating tension that plays out within the compact narrative — and proving a delight for the audience to watch. The charming storytelling and brisk editing captures Dusty’s journey with a buoyancy and lightness of touch, making what is actually a small-scale but well-structured narrative seem gentle and offhand.

Watching Dusty try to maintain and then lose his joie de vivre in the face of uncertainty is a process both specific to this character but also extremely relatable to any human who’s struggled in the pursuit of happiness. “The Loneliest Boy Band” may be a fictional character portrait and a cinematic Polaroid of one moment in a life, but its emotion and vulnerability resonates well beyond its seemingly modest framework.” - OMELETO

https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/best-comedy-web-videos-2018.html