The Cat’s Cradle (Short)
I really had thought that I had already reviewed David Spaltro’s short film, “The Cat’s Cradle,” but it might be because since his 2008 feature, “…Around,” I’ve been familiar with him on social media, and remember seeing the poster when he was promoting it, because when the film’s writer-star, Tawny Sorensen, sent me a link, and I looked it up on IMDb, I went back into Sonic Cinema’s reviews and couldn’t find it. Whatever the reason for not having reviewed it earlier, it is being reviewed now, and Spaltro’s directorial hand is as sure here as it is on the films he writes and directs. Here, he has a script by Sorensen that feels deeply personal, and is performed by her and Nabil Vinas as if it’s real life. It’s a difficult moment in these two lives, and Spaltro makes us feel like it’s the most important one they’ve had so far.
The film centers around the pregnancy attempts of Amy (Sorensen) and Jim (Vinas) and their attempts to get pregnant. The twist, however, is that Jim is the one determined to get pregnant, whereas Amy is the one who is less enthusiastic with it. I’m sure this is more common than you’d expect in real life, but not necessarily the way it plays out in movies. He’s the one watching labor videos and telling her to do, or not do, certain things, and it’s entertaining to watch. However, it feels inevitable that a shoe is going to drop in this relationship, and when it does, we find ourselves surprised by how it drops, and yet, not so much. The performances by Sorensen and Vinas throughout the film are strong, but the final minutes are especially powerful as they put all their cards on the table, and learn a lot about how each one is going to deal with a crossroads in their lives together. It’s a moment that all couples have at times in their lives together, and Spaltro and Sorensen let it play out in a way that’s meaningful for us to experience.
The Cat's Cradle from Over the High Moon Productions on Vimeo.
