Film Friday: Review of Noah

Noah, a 17-minute short film created by Canadian film students Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg, debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival.  The mildly NSFW film begins from the moment the protagonist logs into his laptop and then proceeds to chronicle the hazards of technology, relationships, and jumping to conclusions.  Oh, did I mention everything takes place on one teenager's computer screen?  Now before you think this creates the most boring premise ever, let me explain!

From what we gather on his desktop, web browsing history and Facebook profile, our protagonist, high school senior Noah, enjoys porn -- yet has a girlfriend -- and chats with his friend about playing 'cod' (Call of Duty).  Still, I can see why if you haven't seen it, this could be mind-numbingly boring.  Except it's not.  We see a potential breakup, an actual breakup, and the potential rebound all in a matter of minutes.  The whole film's soundtrack was cleverly supplied by Noah's own iTunes playlist and made expert use of the 'ding' noise we can associate with Facebook.

I thought this was a relatable yet original and inventive look at how we've become increasingly more reliant on technology, and moreover, how this can adversely affect our relationships.

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts!

4/5 stars