This is not a film I would normally watch, however, a person asked me to watch it and post a review and seeing as how I have not reviewed a short film in a while I thought I would take them up on their offer. Like I said, this is not a film I would of searched out and watched on my own, I am not really into dramas all that much, but I found this one to be rather interesting. It was also very well done, it is the type of short film that is basically a short movie as it looks like it has a budget, it has a rather good soundtrack and it looks more like a mini movie rather than some of the more amateurish short films and full length movies I have seen over the years. The film is about a husband and wife who do not seem very close, nor do they seem like they despise each other. They both lead their lives with secrets. You see the secrets and how they play out. Very somber indeed and much different than the way a similar scenario would happen in America (this film is somewhere in England). I was impressed by how the film played out, just not really a genre I enjoy all that much otherwise I most likely would have scored it higher. Films like this end up making me depressed and I try to avoid films like this for the most part, but it was well done.

Occasionally, young filmmakers contact me and ask me to watch their short films. I am nobody that important--just a nutty guy who has done a bazillion reviews on IMDb. I always give the films a viewing, though if I don't like the film I usually don't review them. It's because I don't want to harm a struggling young artist--and a few negative reviews can do that for a short. However, in the case of "Amelia and Michael", I was glad to post a review because it was a thoroughly professional looking piece--and one that shows that Daniel Cormack is extremely talented. It also shows that he must know somebody, as the film looks quite expensive and stars Anthony Head--an actor who is often in great demand and must not have been easy to get for such an independent film.The story is one that actually might be best seen AFTER you read the IMDb summary. This is because what, exactly, is happening isn't readily apparent. This is NOT a criticism--just a comment about the subtlety of the film. I won't completely explain the plot--as I said, just read it yourself. The film is about a couple who SHOULD be quite happy--at least according to society's standards. They are quite wealthy--so well to do that the husband (Head) has a private car pick him up and drive him about and he can jet over to Milan for business. In fact, the pair go through the motions of being happy--while both have their affairs and live separate lives in the same household. It's a life of quiet desperation...and it's profoundly sad.The film is striking when you watch the camera-work and hear the very evocative music. While the story is depressing and slow, the amazing professionalism of the project is what struck me. I am surprised that after making this film and "Nightwalking" that Cormack has not been in huge demand. You'd think such professional looking films would create a ton of folks pressing him to work on other projects. His work deserves to be seen and appreciated.

Amelia and Michael are a married couple that are cheating on each other. Amelia has a long-time lover in the hospital and Michael hires a prostitute that doesn't satisfy him. The two smolder with their infidelity but manage to connect to each other in the end.There's not a whole lot to this particular short. The direction is straight-forward and dramatic, which is good, the acting is sincere, but the story leaves a little bit to be desired. Why, exactly, do we care about these two people? It's a little hard to see how this story sticks out from any other infidelity story except that it's much more pared down and doesn't search for meaning in it (a welcoming change of pace if anything).I don't know, it's possible I don't connect to these stories because I've never experienced them. But I have noticed that the blocking in these narratives are typically the same, i.e., a couple talking together while avoiding eye-contact by pretending to be immersed in magazines, etc. The nice things about short films is that they provide a bit more room for trying something different, and I'd like to see a different take.--PolarisDiB

This short film shows how a good director and a fairly simple idea can tell a dramatic story (with all it's complexities) in ten minutes, that somewhere else could take two hours to unfold. Beautifully shot and great performances by the actors. A marriage is going through a rough patch, whatever the causes, we see the effects. It's a tale about the lack of communication between a man and a woman. Much is told by their silences. The end will make you want to know what happens next as Micheal says "it was just the once," confessing to what he's done, and Amelia crumbles having reached breaking point for more than just her husband's betrayal.