Think Tank

An emergency board meeting is called to discuss the most effective strategies to employ in the immediate term in order to close a deal that potentially lies open before the enterprise. However normal that sounds, in this case the deal is a shot at sex on a first date, while the board are the various internal parts of the psyche of the man on the date. The group of men debate what to say from their point of view.

Short films can be many things but quite often you really just need a good idea because, unlike feature films, with a good idea in a short film you can be in and out before it outstays its welcome, giving you solid impact in a short time. It is similar to the difference between a sitcom and a sketch show in terms of content. Think Tank takes a simple scenario (man on first date trying to work out how to sleep with girl) and extends the thought patterns into a business setting. The result is that we have a chaotic meeting between various versions of the man – the sharp, distinguished Englishman with his measured opinion, the jock who measures success by the extremity of the sexual acts they get to perform, the arty guy with his goatee beard and sketch pad, the teenager on his videogames, the sensitive side with his emotional honesty and so on. The essence of the joke is the selfish agenda that all these aspects have and how they interact between each other. It is also interesting as an idea because each of the characters is part of the main character but none of them are totally him.

As a comedy I found it quite fresh and funny even if the short running time helps it of course. The idea carries it through and the script is pretty good as it plays to the comedic strengths of each of the characters. It could have been sharper and funnier in the detail but then at 8 minutes long there is only enough time to really deliver the idea rather than fill it out fully. The performances by Rhys are all pretty funny and however they did the split screen stuff worked well since there isn't really a feeling of "joins" in regards him sharing a screen with himself. Rhodes is good in the second role albeit with a lot less to do.

Overall Think Tank is an enjoyable little short film. It delivers well on its good idea and, while the script could have been sharper and funnier, it is more than good enough for the short running time. Well worth a look.