Written and directed by Lorin Morgan-Richards, Holly Dew, a quiet guardian living inside the letter “D” of the iconic Movieland sign, dedicates her life to saving dreamers from leaping into oblivion. Walter Melon, a washed-up actor with a name as ironic as his fate, becomes her most fragile rescue during a storm that mirrors his turmoil. Voiced by: Abby L. Hendricks, Nick Gligor, Nana Grace and Ayla Glass.
As soon as you jump into The Decline and Fall of Holly Dew and Walter Melon, it has a very old-school feel. There’s a distinct tone to it of the 2000s, as well as a clear fondness for the golden age of Hollywood. Not to mention a penchant for the pun as is very visible from its title. The sense of humour and tone are quite old-fashioned on the whole, the story has its own individual touches here and there, but it is mostly a familiar tale of work-life balance in the creative industries.
It feels as though The Decline and Fall of Holly Dew and Walter Melon was calling out for a more macabre, dark sense of humour. It’s missing the bite to bring a genuine comedy edge, but the drama-romance isn’t really strong enough to hold its own. Especially as the film struggles with the progression, it’s a little clunky, there’s no flow to the way that it moves. It’s a lot of stopping and starting, interspersed with quiet moments of interpretive dance, which feel out of place or mismatched with the overall tone.
The animation style itself is unpolished, like a lot of the short it’s rough around the edges. There is an old-school, home-made charm to its drawn style but at the same time, it’s fairly basic. The voice performances then add a parody note, they’re very theatrical and over the top, akin to someone doing an impression of a typical stage performance. They work but they are also another factor that’s hindering the flow of the film, as they don’t come across naturally.
The Decline and Fall of Holly Dew and Walter Melon has an unusual concept, and title, which opened up the possibility for something quirky and odd, but it chooses a safer route. It would have been great to see the short embrace some chaos, it starts off in that nicely weird place but then follows a familiar path. There are some good ideas in the mix, but the execution feels quite messy.
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