“I wish my father would die” is the protagonist’s opening declaration in Adam Hodge’s short film, I Was Nobody. We find a young woman (Danika Golombek) lamenting in her journal over the difficult decision to put her aging father (Larrs Jackson) in a psychiatric ward for his protection. Dying seems to be the better alternative to watching her father’s mental condition slowly deteriorate over time.
“…the difficult decision to put her aging father in a psychiatric ward…”
When she arrives at his apartment, the windows are blacked out, trash bags are strewn everywhere, and her father quickly pulls her to the ground and warns her, “They’re listening through the wall.” Her father’s paranoia is the last straw, and she insists that he goes with her for help. Before they leave, he tells her secrets about his past life that changes everything… or nothing at all.
I Was Nobody is a story that starts as one story and turns into a different one altogether. I wish I could say more than this. Hodge tells a sweet story of a daughter’s love for her father and the heartbreaking choices children often must make. Overall, I Was Nobody is good. The nitpicky part of me thinks the twist could have fit or transitioned better from a tonal standpoint. It’s a bit abrupt, but still, it is a fun tale, and I do like how the ending was pieced together. Again, I can’t spoil it. Sit back and enjoy!
"…it is a fun tale..."
