9 MINUTES: Are They Aliens, Machines or Alien-Machines?

I’m going to preface this article by saying I’m very set in my ways. Taken into a different context that means I’m old, and at the ripe wizened age of 27, I shun your new fan-dangled ideas of what makes a good movie. Furthermore I will use this mindset in reviewing the short film 9 Minutes.

9 Minutes is about a dog and his pet human who experience an out-of-this-world encounter. It is directed by P.J. Wolff known for his other films Hell Date and Knife Fight. In this film, the human John, played by Joshua Leonard of Blair Witch fame, is building a vacation house in the arid desert of Joshua Tree, CA. During his downtime one night, he wakes up violently to a loud bang – like a fist hitting the coffee table bang – that he goes to investigate. False alarm, until things get crazy starting with the TV bugging out and the ground shaking like a jackhammer. John heads to the window and tries to make a call but the lights go out. Cue the Verizon Droid Incredible by HTC commercial. Weird red lights infiltrate the window and surround the room. Under such duress, John does what any of us would do in such a bizarre situation – press record. Guess how many minutes there are to the video?

I’ll get the positives out of the way first. Each shot is well crafted and planned out. When Leonard investigates the bang, the night scene switches from the establishing shot outside to inside the building under construction. It’s pitch-black inside so you see Leonard‘s flashlight moving toward the camera but then he turns left. This seems like nothing, but now the shot has Leonard centered. There is enough light to see him yet enough darkness to develop the creepy atmosphere.

Leonard and Jett, the dog, perform excellently together. In most of their shots, Jett acts as a sort of silent guardian of the two as well as a cuddly best friend. If John is laying about the couch, you can bet his best friend is somewhere on the floor. You get that sense of closeness which makes their relationship feel sincere. Saying that, I will also add that our canine friend makes the film. He is bestowed with the heroic characteristics of both protector and martyr. As a protector, he guards Leonard‘s character from his own loneliness. In terms of martyr, you’ll have to see the end of this short.

Lighting and sound are the big stars of 9 Minutes. I mentioned the Droid Incredible commercial because there is a scene that looks like it came straight out of one. Red blinking lights and odd sounds take over. The same odd sounds that remind you of those Matrix scenes where the killer machines keep popping up to off Keanu Reeves. Then things shift and it becomes Close Encounters of the Third Kind where everything is embraced in blinding white light indicating the passage of time. If nothing, I applaud that 9 Minutes pays homage, even though I’m not sure it was intentional.

Now, there are certain things that confuse me about this film. For example, one of the opening scenes is Jett walking up to John and sharing a loving man and dog embrace. Suddenly, the scene jumps to a tug of war between the two with a rope. I know it’s supposed to show their strong rapport with each other but the edit is intrusive. The pair is introduced with their soft traits first as their embrace indicates friendly warmth. Then the situation jump-cuts into a competition that undermines the first scene – competition is inherently about one competitor getting alpha status in complete contrast to the mutual comfort of a nice hug.

I’m still conflicted about whether they’re aliens or machines or alien-machines. Can you tell? Put you opinion down below. 

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