Midlands Review of Trick Shot
midlandsmovies • March 22, 2021
Trick Shot
Directed by Christopher Deans
2021
The darkest events are often pillaged for humour. It’s a risky move, a trick shot if you will, a tightrope that rarely works unless Chris Morris is at the helm.
Kudos then to Christopher Deans, whose smart writing and direction makes this ten-minute short about rogue IRA agents a joy to watch. Gerry, Bobby and Michael (Paul Findlay, Dominic Thompson and Brian Marks respectively) sit in their hideout waiting to ship a pool table packed with explosives to a Birmingham pub, in a last-ditch attempt to disrupt the Good Friday Agreement.
The tension is ramped up as Gerry attempts a trick shot, which should make the table explode, but instead brings accusations of sabotage and puts the whole plan into question.
What is so good about Trick Shot is the naturalistic way that the leads interact. One-scene, small cast pieces are so reliant on having the right people involved. Findlay, in particular, is given time to shine the story of how the trick shot was learnt (involving Ronnie O’Sullivan’s father). It’s the sort of drunken pub nonsense we’ll all recognise, and Findlay delivers it with relish.
Thompson and Marks are also excellent, with Deans’ providing them with fully rounded characters despite the short running time. At just ten minutes, Trick Shot is a film you can dive into repeatedly and be able to see the little quirks in the characters that lead to bigger questions down the road.
It is very funny, but not so outlandish that it undermines the subject matter, and all three actors do a fantastic job of switching from the light-hearted first half, to the more serious second half. It never feels disrespectful to the events of the Troubles, nor does it feel forced when these earnest questions have to be addressed.
It establishes Christopher Deans as a ‘must-watch’ talent in the Midlands, keeping your attention from the opening news reports to the raucous Flogging Molly outro.
Matthew Tilt
Twitter Matthew_Tilt
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