The Non Actor Review: An Intimate Story Cut Too Short

★★★½

Eliza Callahan’s longest short yet, The Non Actor is well-crafted, but ultimately too short, trying to condense the entire arc of a feature into a short.

It tells a compelling, character-driven narrative centered on Elliot, a woman who is staying with her ex’s new girlfriend while in town for a doctor’s appointment regarding her recent loss of hearing.

Once there, she learns her ex is out of town and it will just be the two of them, which leads to a connection forming between them.

Callahan pens the script, which is based on her award-winning autobiographical novel.

“The story feels rushed, unfinished, and condensed, rather than trying to craft an interesting and engaging short that introduces the characters and a piece of the story that works as a standalone moment.”

Unfamiliar with the novel, the short feels as if Callahan tries to force the entire narrative into a short, cutting out an hour-plus of the story that seemingly goes between the second-to-last sequence and the final sequence.

While connected, one moment feels like the beginning of something so much more complex and rich, leaving the other to feel as if it’s a Band-Aid to finish the narrative and call it a story.

The first 16 minutes of the short are so well-written, crafting and building these characters, with the remaining two minutes wrapping it up without truly closing it out.

“The vision is crisp and clear, offering an insightful and layered narrative that allows us to see beneath the characters’ external layers.”

Callahan uses the various aspects of storytelling to help craft the narrative and convey tone, subject matter, and substance.

The cinematography, for example, is emotionally driven, using the camera to capture and explore tone.

The dark shadow around the person Elliot is talking to at the beginning of the film is a bold and beautiful example of visual expression, allowing the visuals to convey emotion rather than simply speak it.

Johnathon Rado’s score allows us to hear the problem Elliot faces, quite literally.

The way he uses the score to drown out part of the conversation, playing over Bella talking and making it muffled and distorted, allows the viewer to hear what Elliot hears and how she hears it. It matches the tone of the scene, allowing you to feel disoriented without it being overbearing or misinterpreted.

Accompanied by two astonishing performances from Maya Hawke and Victoria Pedretti, who both deliver in every scene, The Non Actor finds its greatest strength in the characters and the craft surrounding them.

“The Non Actor delivers an interesting and compelling story that is well-crafted and pays attention to detail.”

Its only true flaw is ending somewhat abruptly, completing the story rather than leaving it open. It makes the film feel as if there is a missing piece needed to conclude the short’s arc.

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