Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
When a film scene abruptly transitions to a different setting, it’s called a ‘Jump Cut’, since it almost feels like the viewer is jolted to a different place. But you probably already knew that.
Well, the short film ‘Jump Cut’ cleverly plays on the word with its primary premise: a struggling actor in her 30s signs up for an experimental film and starts to experience a disorienting loss of time, as if she is jumping from one moment to another, skipping several sections of her life.
Directed by James Martin Morrison who has co-written the script with Christopher Rivera, ‘Jump Cut’ is about seventeen minutes long and opens with an affecting montage of 30-something protagonist Maya (played by Lucy Walters) auditioning for different roles, from supporting parts with distinct monikers to nameless bits like ‘cop 3’.
Maya is so desperate for any work, she’d sell her soul to the devil if need be. So, when a mysterious director (and also quite creepy) offers her the lead role in a cryptic ‘life-changing’ project, she doesn’t hesitate to take it up. What follows next is a strange chain of events, which ultimately circle back to the bizarre circumstances under which she was finally the experimental film.
The first few minutes of ‘Jump Cut’ is tense, and immediately hooks the viewer in. Lucy Walters as Maya gets a show-reel to show off her acting chops and she is riveting as a struggling actor auditioning for a multitude of roles, while trying to make an extra buck on the sides by passing flyers. She goes from passionate, hopeful, to lost, desperate and despairingly frazzled within seconds.
“I was born for this role,” she accosts an agent on the street, trying to pitch herself for a part. Completely unprofessional and out of line. But you cannot blame her for trying. Later, the same day, her life changes when director Philippe Wokozi (Jamie Jackson), who looks more cult leader than avant garde filmmaker, approaches her with a role.
The second half of the film then quickly morphs into a different struggle for Maya. She starts to live through life on fast-forward: losing large portions of time, from weeks, to months, she practically hurtles through her timeline. It’s like going through your days on a high speed rail but missing major milestones.
There are multiple ways to interpret the themes and ending of ‘Jump Cut’. Maya’s bizarre journey can be a lesson in how one wrong decision taken out of desperation can make you lose a lot more than you gain from it. The second half could’ve benefited from a few more minutes of Maya’s nightmarish experience, but overall, this is a pretty solid watch.
Watch ‘Jump Cut’ on YouTube.
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