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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Molly Robber is the first action-comedy that I got to see at Tribeca. Austin Hall and Zach Visvikis write and direct this 15-minute project. Surprisingly, it does better than I thought.
In this review, I will discuss Hall and Visvikis’s short film. There will be no spoilers here, as the title of this article suggests.
Plot Summary
Here is the synopsis of the short film, as per the official Tribeca website.
“A high-school dropout in desperate need of cash plans to rob her drug dealer, but when her anime-obsessed step-brother sneaks along for the ride, things get complicated.”
Lopez portrays the film’s central protagonist and narrator, Baker Desmond. Elim Uraimov plays Baker’s younger step-brother, Trout Danger Desmond. In supporting roles, Camron Jones appears as Baker’s druggie friend, Riley, while Tristan Ott plays the drug dealer, Brayden.
In smaller roles, Jeff Tendall plays Baker’s manager, Jim. Barry Bostwick plays Baker’s father, Ron, while Elizabeth Kelso makes an off-screen appearance as Baker’s step-mother, Tina. Kenzo voices the film’s fictional anime superhero, Saving Day.
Discussion
I don’t know what it is about this short film, but I enjoyed it more than I had expected. Hall and Visvikis have lovely writing in their script, with Katie Hood doing the storyboard art.
Juliett Brett does a great job with casting these characters, with Reid Hensen having designed their costumes. For example, we have Trout’s character in costume as his superhero. The film even goes so far as to having Jiaxi Yang constructing a 3D model action figure of Saving Day.
Morgan Gardiner does absolutely outstanding cinematography, with Andrew Lin serving as the second unit director of photography. Maya Hirota lends a hand at designing the production of the project, none of which were terrible. And for the most part, Melvin En DaChamber’s editing is perfect. Ben Heim seals the deal with his musical composition; it’s just splendid.
Performances
I must say, Lopez and Uraimov do well as Molly Robber‘s protagonists. (I really thought the former would be named Molly Robber. However, listen closely to the dialogue or just stick around for the end credits to find out it’s Baker. I thought this would be her surname, but it isn’t.) The two characters develop within the 15-minute time frame they’re given, and I appreciate how it’s executed.
I do have concerns with Uraimov’s lack of speaking lines. This is a similar issue regarding Asian actors that many people have in films such as Suicide Squad, or television series such as The Boys and Umbrella Academy. I do hope there is a reason behind this and it’s not as big a problem as it might be.
For characters that are vital to the story, I wanted Jones and Ott to have more screen time. With that, they could have brought more to the table. Suffice it to say that they did well with what lines and action they’re given.
Final Thoughts
Hall and Visvikis categorize their project under Comedy. Indeed, Molly Robber does not fail. The short film has its laughable moments alongside the action-packed scenes. The project messes around with a chyron at one point, and the ending may not be what you expect. The film does have a post-credits scene, which answers the question of who made Baker and Trout’s circumstances worse. This part is just laugh-out-loud ridiculously funny to watch. Despite some flaws it may have, I recommend watching Molly Robber if you want to have a fun experience.
Molly Robber is available to watch at the Tribeca Film Festival!
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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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