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Short Film Review: Abandonment (2020) by Sagnik Dutta Gupta

A look at Sagnik Dutta Gupta's no budget debut feature.

Having gained critical attention through doing the festival rounds last year, has earned plenty of plaudits for his directorial debut short “Abandonment”. The movie tackles the mature themes of suicide, depression, and homelessness and manages to present them in a universally relatable manner.

“Startup: The Real Story” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative

The film concerns two strangers who meet by chance one night and find each other in troubling circumstances. One of these nameless characters, played by , intends to kill himself, having given up on whatever troubles life has thrown at him. However, he's reached out to by 's beggar, who initially is stealing from the man. The ensuing conversation between the two might just see both of them off for the better.

The first thing to note is that the sentiment behind “Abandonment” is sincere and genuine. Pattader's troubled man is a sympathetic figure, with his non-specific problems making him easy to empathise with for all who have suffered dark patches in life. His despondent demeanour screams of depression while his clearly fragile mental state is depicted in a grounded manner. The character's methodical and mostly silent contemplation of suicide makes for a welcome and realistic representation of how one would act in such a situation. This is bolstered by the restrained performances from Pattader and Roy, who both put in good showings.

Arghya Roy's beggar is certainly the more typically cinematic character in the piece, as he offers Pattader grand life advice that wouldn't be expected of a stranger living on the street. For as upbeat and friendly as he is, though, the beggar is never more than a device to motivate Pattader. While this would be fine if the focus were entirely on the latter, we instead have meandering sequences consisting solely of the beggar that unnecessarily inflate the short.

This issue of meandering is persistent throughout the film, as we have lingering, flat shots that stagnate the narrative considerably. We are with both Pattader and Roy separately in the same spot as the two sit in contemplation for the majority of the runtime. Whereas such scenes are more engaging with Pattader's character given the implication of what's on his mind, similar instances are less interesting with Roy. In fact, sequences with the latter towards the back end of the short are repetitive and take away from the implication of certain plot developments. You feel that the same sentiment could have been put across, with a significant portion of such scenes being cut.

On a technical note, the film looks great, courtesy of 's moody night-time cinematography. The bleak urban atmosphere established in the opening chunk of the movie makes the thematically appropriate shift to day-time that much more cathartic. Impressive also is the sound editing, which appears to be post-synched. However, the mixing isn't always even, so the sound of clunking footsteps can be a distraction in certain moments.

“Abandonment” is a solid first directorial effort from Sagnik Dutta Gupta as the young filmmaker shows promise with his sincerity and artful approach. A padded runtime and stagnated narrative do mean the short is a bit of a slog to get through even at only 15 minutes long, but the heartfelt sentiment and subtle performances make it one worth watching all the same. No doubt there will be some who find a deeper connection to this film purely for the maturity with which it handles its subject matter.

About the author

Tom Wilmot

Been watching movies for as long as I can remember and have slowly allowed them to take over my life...but it's not like that's a bad thing, right? Down for watching everything, but have a particular soft spot for J-horror, late twentieth-century anime, and literally anything from Shin'ya Tsukamoto.

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