A blend of stop-motion and computer animation, “MuM” makes for a more effective mood piece than a narrative. A bride on her wedding day gets a bad case of last-minute jitters. A series of family portraits above the staircase may hold the key to the reason for her second thoughts – though the story is fairly cryptic and certainly open to interpretation, particularly in the case of some supernatural elements near the end. Unfolding in a series of smoothly flowing pans and tracking shots, “MuM” sports a tangible three-dimensional texture and an eerie atmosphere courtesy of some well-rendered shadows and an appropriately spooky score. The clay figures are somewhat crude in appearance and jerky in movement, but convey a surprising amount of emotion, considering their limitations and the absence of any dialogue. Having played at Sundance and South by Southwest earlier this year, “MuM” can now be viewed at the Atom Films website.
