United Kingdom (MKE Premiere)
Running Time: 16 Minutes
Screening Time: Saturday Sept 6th 12:45pm
Set over a single night, in and around the streets of London. A first date catastrophe or the beginning of true romance, between Mary-Ann, an uptight 40 yr old American, and Liam, a roguish 29 yr old Englishman. Yet all may not be what it seems.
Director Statement
Film is a highly collaborative medium, but the most vital piece at the heart of any film is the screenplay. And like the blueprint of a house if it is faulty the building will fail.
Bearing this in mind and after re-‐write after re-‐write, the story for One Night Only was eventually perfected and the characters came alive. The in-depth background the actors created for their characters and complete understanding of them, was crucial to creating the strong engaging and layered performances, without which would render the film 2 dimensional.
The story of a first date, with all its awkwardness and self-‐consciousness was both recognizable and easy to identify with: At least for most of us, who have had the misfortune to experience an awkward first date. Mary-Ann, appears uncomfortable; too self-‐aware perhaps to relax and enjoy herself. On the other hand, Liam, is more self-‐assured and at ease with the situation although he seems distracted a lot of the time.
There is a ‘curiosity’ factor to the film. Where is this leading us? Mary-Ann, clearly no longer in her 20’s, is on a date with a man 11 years her younger. will this age difference cause a problem? He seems uncommitted to the date, almost irreverent; she’s more conformist or modest in her approach, and yet he seems able to break through her barriers. So will this end as a true romance or is she about to suffer the humiliation of rejection? From the start it’s clear that this is a story about relationships.
Location is another key to this movie. Starting out in a trendy London wine bar, the action soon moves to locations in night-time London with all the lit-up beauty of the city on full display. In this way the visual world that’s created: the use of locations and the London streets themselves help greatly to enhance the chosen visual style: A world that is cosmopolitan and yet still within reach of ordinary people; a visually exciting backdrop to a story that is as old as time itself. There is a moment when, in traditional romantic fashion, there is a betrayal of their relationship that creates the tension. But this is not a romance story, either. And because of that, we honestly don't know where the story will go from there.
Not knowing the answers, you’re left to ponder and question what happens next and even what love and relationships mean in the 21st century.
Film is a highly collaborative medium, but the most vital piece at the heart of any film is the screenplay. And like the blueprint of a house if it is faulty the building will fail.
Bearing this in mind and after re-‐write after re-‐write, the story for One Night Only was eventually perfected and the characters came alive. The in-depth background the actors created for their characters and complete understanding of them, was crucial to creating the strong engaging and layered performances, without which would render the film 2 dimensional.
The story of a first date, with all its awkwardness and self-‐consciousness was both recognizable and easy to identify with: At least for most of us, who have had the misfortune to experience an awkward first date. Mary-Ann, appears uncomfortable; too self-‐aware perhaps to relax and enjoy herself. On the other hand, Liam, is more self-‐assured and at ease with the situation although he seems distracted a lot of the time.
There is a ‘curiosity’ factor to the film. Where is this leading us? Mary-Ann, clearly no longer in her 20’s, is on a date with a man 11 years her younger. will this age difference cause a problem? He seems uncommitted to the date, almost irreverent; she’s more conformist or modest in her approach, and yet he seems able to break through her barriers. So will this end as a true romance or is she about to suffer the humiliation of rejection? From the start it’s clear that this is a story about relationships.
Location is another key to this movie. Starting out in a trendy London wine bar, the action soon moves to locations in night-time London with all the lit-up beauty of the city on full display. In this way the visual world that’s created: the use of locations and the London streets themselves help greatly to enhance the chosen visual style: A world that is cosmopolitan and yet still within reach of ordinary people; a visually exciting backdrop to a story that is as old as time itself. There is a moment when, in traditional romantic fashion, there is a betrayal of their relationship that creates the tension. But this is not a romance story, either. And because of that, we honestly don't know where the story will go from there.
Not knowing the answers, you’re left to ponder and question what happens next and even what love and relationships mean in the 21st century.
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