Premise:
Every time the beautiful Regina rejects his advances, James pushes a red button and tries again, all the while unaware of the reality and consequences of his actions.
Review:
Writer Sean Crouch poses a simple and intriguing premise in the form of the ultimate get out of jail free card for awkwardly asking someone out. Every time hopeful romantic James (Brian Dietzen) messes up his attempt to pick up Regina (Erinn Hayes), he hits the red button on the mysterious box on his lap, sending him back in time by one minute, giving him all of the do-overs he needs…or so he thinks.
With the central conceit being repetitive by its very nature, the film is dependent on Crouch’s ability to keep the story fresh, director Devon Avery to set a pace and a tone that keeps us hooked and our central characters to give us something to root for. Dietzen and Hayes display great chemistry giving the audience what appears to be a run of the mill meet-cute and almost seamlessly weaving time travel into the mix. The casual manner with which the time machine is treated adds to the humour, playing as a nice counterbalance to the age-old struggle of finding the right words to say to an attractive woman.
Avery knows not to drag this premise out for too long, capping the film at under 6 minutes, but is also somehow able to keep the pace of the story to such a level that a complete story is delivered. Crouch’s script delivers on investing the audience in James’ mission and also manages to throw a curveball or two into the plot, ensuring that the repetition lasts long enough to be funny but not so long that the characters outstay their welcome. Particularly impressive is the film’s ability to interconnect the pick-up mission at the heart of the story with the mechanics of the time travel driving the plot, rather than have the time travel be a plot device or contrivance.
One Minute Time Machine is smartly written, enhanced by economical visual storytelling and carried by two adorable leads. Give this film a watch today.
Studio: Devon Avery | Year: 2014 | Genre: Comedy/Romance/Sci-Fi | Duration: 6 mins | Suitability: Mature - Contains adult language
Cast:
Crew:
Director: Devon Avery | Producers: Devon Avery, Brian Dietzen | Writer: Sean Crouch