Does anyone ever care about the mothers of idols? Well, sometimes they get some screen time, but in general, the answer is no. With one exception, and that is Carmen Aumedes Mier, whose focus on this particular short is exactly that.
I'm Too Busy is screening at Vienna Shorts
Ocean is a middle-aged dance instructor, whose son has just left the family house, to pursue his music career. Like an abandoned lover, Ocean cannot handle the separation, and soon even moves to his room in an effort to feel close to him again. Nothing seems to work, though, and the lack of communication with her husband does not make things better. Her son soon becomes a YouTube celebrity, with his channel Jitterbug, turning into a cultural phenomenon that even has people parading his songs on the streets. Her son's success means nothing to her though, and she even starts hating her job. Her efforts then focus on buying an appropriate costume and joining one of those parades. Her husband, who begins to feel her sorrow and experiences a kind of jealousy for what it seems to be like the first time in years, makes the ultimate sacrifice: he turns his chair 24°, from the TV to the mirror she looks at herself in. His sacrifices do not stop there though.
Through a series of vignettes featuring the excellent Ouyang Rongping in the role of Ocean, Carmen Aumedes Mier comes up with a film that is sad and hilarious at the same time. The extreme reactions of the mother and the way she so sincerely communicates her thoughts through narration are the main point of hilarity, while her husband's behaviour puts the cherry on top. The rather fast pace, through the many and frequent cuts also add to this sense, as her surprising reactions in an effort to fill the gap her son left, are presented to the viewer in non-stop fashion.
On a secondary level, however, and through a closer look, the 12-minute short also highlights the dysfunction of relationships in modern times, particularly for couples that have been married for a long time and have become accustomed to ignore each other. Ocean's erratic behaviour has its source in her son leaving, but also in the fact that she cannot expect anything from her husband. Furthermore, the way various women come together to parade also highlights the fact that she is not alone in this concept.
In that fashion, the film could have easily become melodramatic, but Mier's steady directorial hand prevent from doing so, through humor and the somewhat optimistic ending. Her effort proves once more, that one can be funny when dealing with serious issues, in probably the movie's biggest trait.
Both the comments and their presentation are excellent in “I'm Too Busy”, and Mier seems to have what it takes to be a director that will draw much attention in the future.
