Dan (Ryan Fisher) has invited his long time girlfriend Hannah (Nika Mistruzzi) over for dinner. Hannah’s inner thoughts, as represented by calm voiceover (Kevan Brighting) and various imagery from her life, share that this event is notable because it is uncommon for Dan to do such a thing; he doesn’t cook, and therefore this must be a special occasion. Hannah’s imagination gets the best of her, until the truth of their dinner can reveal itself.
The playful nature of the voiceover and imagery call to mind comparisons with Amélie, and not in a negative way (then again, I’m one of those people that find it hard to think negatively of Amélie, so a comparison would always seem to be a compliment of sorts). As Hannah is an introvert, the choice to represent her inner life in such a way does wonders in getting across that just because someone is quiet, it does not mean their minds aren’t racing like a determined hamster on its wheel.
There’s a relaxed calm to the storm of expectation, even as the short shows how right and wrong our minds can be at interpreting the meaning of something. Dan’s invitation certainly signifies an important moment in their relationship, though not one that she can guess. And, frankly, not one that I saw coming either. And, as an audience member, my mind was racing to interpret the short just as furiously as Hannah’s mind in the lead-up to Dan’s reveal.
Overall, Dan Invited Hannah Over For Dinner was a charming affair, that at times is fantastical in how it represents the sometimes erratic yet mundane thoughts we can have when we try to predict what something may or may not mean. It’s a wonder life isn’t more exhausting for Hannah, but then again, perhaps it is.
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