A young couple that is struggling to find quality time to spend together decide to document their problems while working with a documentary film maker. Through interviews, the two are questioned about their shortcomings and the possible root causes that keep them apart.
Billed as a “slice of life satire”, the production sets itself up for failure in this comparison, mainly in offering characters that are very mundane and generic. The success of slice of life format is dependent on intrigue as much as creating the air of realism. The couple featured in the short film hold no real interest, and have no unique characteristics. It could be argued that they are faced with some universal problems, but these issues are presented in such a way that the subjects could virtually be anyone. Awkwardly, in trying to take the ‘every-man' approach to the dialogue, the production manages to make the female lead utterly unlikable. This comes in two separate scenes, one which has her arguing with someone off camera, and a later one where she complains about the quality of servants. Ultimately, the film attempts and fails horribly to make profound statements out of fundamental truths, resulting in characters that at best are forgettable, and at worse deplorable.
Having taken the approach of a ‘zero budget' production, the technical aspects understandably begin to falter. However, even though the technical shortcomings can be justified within this approach, it does negate the presentation being so sub-par. The audio quality is horrible, and you can hear busy traffic in the background as a constant reminder of the speed in which this was put together. Being shot entirely in black and white, which gives the impression of trying to add a degree of style, acts as a poor creative choice. This comes in the way of notable changes in lighting throughout the production, making some shots so murky they become an eyesore. There are a few nice external shots, but with such a focus on characters' faces, that are awkwardly placed beside a badly drawn picture of ‘Princess Jasmine' from Aladdin, it becomes moot to give any praise to the technical aspects of the production.
“Entry Exit” at best can be seen as the growing pains of someone trying to work towards finding their creative voice. However, with the film seeming safe in its exploration of modern problems couples can face, and the inability to create empathetic subjects, it is hard to say what can be improved on. Overall, The message is too broad and delivered in an ugly format that made my experience with “Entry Exit” grating and uncomfortable.
