August 7, 2007

4:30

2006 / Royston Tan > Similar to short film director Tan's first feature film 15, I found myself hoping that 4:30 was at least half the timespan of its final cut. The meat here is spread quite thin, with a few poignant moments that may linger long after. The story of a boy's loneliness in the absence of a father (or in the presence of a stranger) is a worthy one, and this is one hell of a try at it. Unfortunately, attention spans are tested, and it almost seems like Tan wants us to do a considerable amount of the legwork to make it happen. And while I'm not always against doing that legwork, it would be nicer if its length was fitting.