After his cell phone interrupts his friend’s wedding, Jackson (Jackson Tozer) finds himself the social pariah of the wedding reception. As many of us would do, he decides to soothe his discomfort with drink. In this case, one pint turns into two pints turns into multiple pitchers, and just when Jackson has hit his seal-breaking limit, it’s time for the post-wedding speeches and toasts.
Nic Barker’s Pint is a glimpse at the worst case scenario for many an uncomfortable wedding attendee. As if the environment isn’t emotionally charged enough, there’s always that chance that you’ll become the talk of the wedding, for all the wrong reasons. The comedy here isn’t that Jackson is behaving in some absurd way (he’s buzzed, and not prone to making the best decisions in such a state), but that he’s behaving as many have before; it’s just his turn to be the unfortunate menace.
Thus the film portrays the entire experience in a dry, matter-of-fact way. Moments are silly, but the film doesn’t play it like a cartoon. Instead, any over-the-top developments come naturally, as a consequence of poor decision-making coupled with extremely bad timing.
So is it funny? Yeah, but more so in how well you can or cannot relate to Jackson’s plight. If you’re one of those people looking down from your high and mighty perch, the entire short might be tiresome, but if you accept that we’ve all had our questionable, and embarrassing, moments, than there’s something here to enjoy. Maybe a little too predictable once the pints start swallowing back, but for a film that eventually goes where it goes, it’s surprisingly restrained for much of its running time. Jackson never becomes that guy with the lampshade on his head; the scene he makes is no doubt a personally sobering one.
Overall, Pint is a technically adept short film that tells the tale it wants to tell and gets on with its life. No matter how you feel watching the film, at least be happy that you’re not Jackson. He was doomed the second he sat down for the wedding, he just didn’t know it yet.
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