Sean Robinson’s Naked – A Musical Short Film is just that, a musical short film. Focusing on a woman (Katie Zaffrann) tortured by her shitty job for Mr. Wright (Claude Kerven), the short shows us how she copes, particularly when she sets upon the idea of living life naked, both figuratively and, possibly, literally. Singing her cares away, she sees a life unfettered by stresses, fears and clothes as the way to go from here on out.
As a short that keys in on a single musical number, you get the feeling that a larger tale could exist, with even more music and characters. Which would be fine, but the sequence nonetheless stands on its own. It’s entertaining, even if the reality of our protagonist’s life is anything but.
Like many a musical, I enjoy taking the film as it expresses the rules of its own cinematic universe, but I also like the potential idea that we’re watching a really cheerful short film about a woman who just lost her mind. It’s a different flavor, perhaps more cynical, but equally as valid (some jobs can drive you to do some insane things).
Overall, though, Naked – A Musical Short Film comes down to whether the song keeps your attention. The filmmaking skills are all there; the film is no slouch in most technical areas (though some composition and blocking, in the office environment, feels not office-like enough; perhaps more desks and co-workers were needed?), I appreciated the editing overall and the music was entertaining enough for me. Well, the song could’ve been shorter (you get the point, and the short doesn’t really do too much to change up the experience; she wants to experience life naked, we get it), but it still works as is; it’s not like it’s boring. If you like musicals, this isn’t a bad one to check out.
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