Sort of in the tradition of “Soul Food”, here’s another film, featuring an all black cast, focusing on estranged family members being reluctantly pulled back together over a fallen family member. “When the Time Comes” deals with five siblings convening at their childhood home to figure out what they’re going to do with their terminally ill father. As each family member shows up to the house, they’re shown to be too conceited and too wrapped up in their personal business to give a damn what happens to the old man…all except for brother Darryl that is. So what do they do for the remainder of the film? You got it. They bitch and argue at each other, volleying the responsibility of taking care of their sick father back and forth like they were on the beach. Oh yeah, for an extra kick to dad’s balls, an intercom is left on at his bedside, enabling him to listen in on the arguing with tears rolling down his face. Finally, Darryl takes hold of the debate and leads the family down memory lane where good times and bad times are revealed.
This entire film has a generic acting school assignment feel to it. But in that regard, the players would definitely get high marks for their performances. It’s too bad, however that the audio quality is such garbage. The dialogue is frequently inaudible and not helping the matter is a nice hum in the background, the kind you’d hear in a David Lynch film, but alas, no fecal flinging midgets showed up, so a Lynch film this was not.
“When the Time Comes” – a nice class exercise for aspiring actors.
“When the Time Comes” can be found on “The Best of the Acapulco Black Film Festival Short Film Collection” DVD.
