A man, sitting in a bar, has his night interrupted by the arrival of two mysterious people looking to use his skills for a secretive job. This is the short film Bonding.
Over the years, we’ve had a fair few “fan films” land on our desks, ready for review. These films are usually by up-and-coming filmmakers and feature their favourite characters in short-form stories. Characters such as Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Jigsaw from Saw. While there is always something interesting about this way of filmmaking, there’s nothing really unique about it. Now, what we have with the thirteen-minute long Bonding is a short film that will, not only make fans of the series it is based upon smile, but it will also make the viewing audience think about the endless possibilities and roads the series could actually take.
Written, directed by, and starring Luke Rex, Bonding is set in just two locations, but those locations are used to stylish effect.
A man, who we later learn is called Dr. John Flemington (the aforementioned Luke Rex) is sat in an empty bar, speaking to his girlfriend over the phone, and planning to visit her in Mexico. Impressively, the conversation jumps from English to Spanish with minimal effort, showing both actors to be bilingual to great effect. After ending the telephone call, Dr. Flemington orders another drink, which the barman (Darren Lipari) makes wrong, which is our first hint (other than in the title itself) towards which cinematic world we are in. The barman accidentally stirs and doesn’t shake the cocktail.
The silence of the bar is then invaded by the arrival of two people, a striking bald woman with long dangling earrings (Jannica Olin), and a silent and no-nonsense-looking man (Ryan Stroud). A conversation starts up with the woman stating that she knows who Dr. Flemington is and that she is aware of who his father was, even if he had never met him. They have a need for his skills and they are making him an offer he can’t refuse.
Yes, this is a short film set in the world of James Bond. Within this world, the most infamous of spies is deceased but his legend remains. Instead of taking his father’s famous surname, Dr. Flemington instead uses his mother’s maiden name (which is obviously a nod to James Bond creator Ian Fleming).
As stated earlier, whilst the film is only set in two locations with four actors (five if including the girlfriend over the telephone) Bonding is such a well-made piece, that you can’t help but be impressed. It looks fantastic, thanks to the brilliant camera work by cinematographer Laura Jansen, and the colour grading courtesy of Pete Szijarto, the latter also responsible for editing the piece. The music by Daniel Teo, Luke Rex, and Greg Beaton is also excellent, and during the last scene, when hints of that famous theme start to emerge, it sends a shiver down your spine.
Luke Rex is convincing as Dr. John Flemington and we can’t help but wonder what will happen next as heads off down the streets of Los Angeles and into the unknown. There are also some more unanswered questions left to talk about, like what does the symbol shown on a rune stone and tattoo mean? Is there going to be a sequel? We hope so. If there is, we also hope we get to see some of the action scenes that the Bond series is known for, within the budget though, obviously.
Overall, Bonding is an impressive short film, that looks and sounds excellent. It should make all fans of the 007 series smile.
Leave a Reply