Posted by What makes “Caregiver Wanted” different is the screenplay, considering every other aspect is very minimal and simple.
Directed by Christopher Nunez (USA)
The story for “Caregiver Wanted” (2017), directed by Christopher Nunez, has simple premises. It is about an old man who had a stroke and is trying to hire a qualified caregiver. When one of the job candidates leaves the house very upset, saying that the old man is an “asshole,” everyone goes except the protagonist. Then, he finally enters the house for his job interview. The old man attacks him and his resume with no mercy, confirming what the previous candidate had said.
The short film is straightforward regarding technical aspects. The editing is not bold; it is very generic and directed towards the continuity of the story. The soundtrack is only for the final credits; the other sounds are just foleys or the dialogue. The color correction is very raw, making the images captured look natural; and regarding the location, even though it starts with exterior shots of the old man’s house, the majority of the short is in a living room. Indeed, what makes “Caregiver Wanted” different is the screenplay, considering every other aspect is very minimal and simple.
Seeing the old man attacking the protagonist is painfully hilarious. He is sarcastic and does not have a problem in saying whatever crosses his mind. However, it is more towards the end that the primary goal of this short film is accomplished. It is not just a comedy. It shows the audience the importance of standing up for themselves and not let others bring them down. It has an important message through comedy, which is used as a strategy to make it more successful and somehow as a plot twist. The atmosphere of the short film is so hilarious that does not prepare the audience for a serious moral in the end.
Even though at some points there is a little bit of overacting, the actors did not have an easy job. It is not easy to successfully make the audience laugh or feel this easily amused. Plus, considering the short film is only one living room, it could have easily been a monotonous short film, but that did not happen. Nunez created dynamically between the characters and showed that it is possible to make an excellent short film without a lot of locations and extravagant technical aspects, as long as there is a good script.
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