Phoney Friends
“Phoney Friends” is a cute little flick about how the use of phones can destroy the heart of a friendship. It shows the downside of what happens when phones are too relied on and how we can easily lose track of what really matters to us the most. This flick is relatable, as we all have that one friend who can never stay off their phone. It does a nice job at tackling the issue head on.
First, I must say that I’m thoroughly impressed that a 12 year old made this. I can remember when I was that age and attempting to make movies. Mine weren’t ever thought out all the way like this “Phoney Friends”. There’s a structure and a lesson that each character learns. The art of storytelling is to not only make it interesting, but show how certain characters change throughout the story itself, which this definitely pulls off.
Secondly, I really enjoyed the journey of watching these friends interact and then fall apart. It was oddly nostalgic to witness the conversation about when you first get a phone and the dangers of having one. And in a way, I think this short film definitely addresses this in a very mature manner. When there is drama with a friend or family via text messaging, it can be exhausting and meaningless. There’s so many different ways to read a text message regarding the tone of the sender and this film has a lot of fun with that aspect including voice overs that are ruthless. The power of that aspect is incredible because if the filmmaker had decided to use a different tone for those voice overs, the viewer would see the flick through an entire set of different eyes.
The quality of the picture is really well done for being done by 12 year-old. Granted, DSLR’s aren’t as hard to come across anymore – I can remember when my first camera had a VHS and then we upgraded to a microSD card. DSLR’s have become extremely versatile in the industry being able to capture some incredible shots. Seeing as this is a first time filmmaker, I can get a sense of what their style is like and how much more they can improve and capture even better shots as they practice more by making more. There’s talent and passion behind it and it really does show through every moment of this short film.
Overall, I thought the message it was trying to send is a nice reminder for not just the younger generation, but for all generations. When you get older you get more involved with politics or work and end up in disagreements (especially in the art world). More often than not, in a world of technology, that can be extremely messy. The message of this film: don’t fret about it. Don’t let technology or social media get in the way of being true to yourself and to your friend group (that includes family). Put down your phone. Connect and socialize and basically be human to one another. Don’t be a mindless robot that’s glued to typing things on a lit up screen.
