Written and directed by Darius Shu, a chance encounter at a launderette sparks an intense emotional intimacy between Vinnie and Ryan. As closeness blurs into desire, unspoken expectations surface, forcing them to confront what love demands before it fractures everything they have built. Starring: Hiroki Berrecloth, Frank Kauer, Aldous Ciokajlo Squire, Xander Pang, Kadell Herida, Kaja Chan and Tatum Swithenbank.
Straight away Darius Shu draws you into Molly with a stellar aesthetic and an immediate meet cute. Hitting you with this sweet, youthful, darling atmosphere which floats you off into the world of romcoms. The style reflects that throughout, there’s a lot of warm colouring and wistfulness. As well as a sentimentally driven score which sits atop the scenes. It feels very much inspired by the idea of first love and that fierce infatuation, which can then move into what at first feels like simple jealousy or envy but Shu gradually reveals that Molly is more than meets the eye.
That evolution to the story is a fantastic choice but it’s a shame it doesn’t get to its turning point earlier. It perhaps spends a little too much time on the setup when the following moments have a lot to say. Especially as it slows down the pacing, but when it finally does open up emotionally, it’s touching and begins a fascinating dialogue about relationships that not many films have done before. There could have been a little more detail just to fully get to grips with the issue as it’s left quite open, but Shu approaches the topic in a gentle, tender way which is lovely to see.
Those qualities are something that’s reflected in the performances from Hiroki Berrecloth and Frank Kauer. They truly tap into that youthful feel, with all of its flirtation, nervousness and playful hesitation. Berrecloth brings an intensely vulnerable feel to Vinnie, you can immediately sense the isolation and anxiety that he’s capturing with his performance. That sensitivity then balances so well with the confidence Kauer instils in Ryan. There’s almost a suaveness to it as he’s so naturally friendly and flirty. Together they’re adorable and create an organic, convincing connection.
Molly is touching, pensive and sweet. It has all of the elements of a classic romcom but goes further than that into an interesting discussion of what a relationship is, being comfortable and adjusting to your partner’s needs, or whether that’s a possibility. That’s achieved in a natural way, without having to rush into the topic or deal with it overtly, Darius Shu leaves a lot of room for viewers to interpret things themselves. Hiroki Berrecloth and Frank Kauer have excellent chemistry and make for a very cute couple. The cinematography is excellent (also by Shu), the style has a strong youthfulness and it’s a truly tender short film.
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