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PureLombardi Director Thiyagaraja's Than All Else Ever has a superlative title for a reason. It contains themes of concepts such as love and time, and questions our understanding of the universe. Needless to say, it means a lot to convey in its running time of just under 15 minutes. But does it do it well? We are taken on a journey with a narrator that recounts an anecdote of a space scavenger named David Galloway (Michael Marinaccio). He is tasked with reprimanding a rogue captain as well as retrieving a space pod they stole. Along the way, we see glimpses of Galloway's love life.Marinaccio's role is well acted and intriguing. He serves as the allegorical and emotional soul of the themes and story. On the other hand, that rogue space captain mentioned is played by the award-winning Eric Roberts (Dark Knight), who completely steals the short in his limited screen time. You truly feel a sense of history and insanity with this Kurtz-esque character, from the grizzled hair to a cynical outlook on destiny and choice.Than All Else Ever's general idea is that no matter how far we technologically evolve, humanity will still remain determined --- for better or worse --- by its natural tendencies. This idea is furthered through the use of a black and white filter. Adding to this, flickers to the frame are seen. At one point, we even witness one frame roll up as if the film is being shown through an old projector. This artistic choice visually conveys the notion of humanity's tendencies from the past. In the story, qualities and states of mind such as hubris and limerence determine the characters' bittersweet fates. Is free will just a concept? This is one of many philosophical questions posed to the audience.As you can gather, Than All Else Ever executes these heavy themes well. It has solid acting, an occasional but droningly soothing score and deep thematic depth, achieved profoundly through smart artistic choice. At parts, though, its influence of 2001: A Space Odyssey oozes too evidently, and its effects can sometimes seem amateurish. The inclusion of a narrator does not do many favours either, shoving down the themes in a not-so-subtle way. Still, it is a surprisingly dense bit of short film prowess. Give it a try and contemplate what makes us human.

Bucharest ShortCut CineFest A space agent is given the task of bringing back a space pod that was taken away by a captain who never returned to Earth. This journey reopens chapters in his mind that challenge the strength of his.We were really into the idea of a science-fiction film that rather than following the dystopia pattern, focuses more on the individual in relation with a setting that transcends the Earth. The attention of the viewer is not directed to the elements belonging to the improbable; on the contrary, those are reduced to casualty, while the emphasis is shifted to the inner feelings of the main character. However, we do not feel that the idea was exploited at its best. Thiyagaraja Marimuthu's film has certain weak points, such as the unconvincing acting of the main actor even in simple scenes and the dialogue that fails to reach a point where it becomes meaningful.Than all else ever is a film of powerful conflicts, developed by enigmatic characters. The inner conflict of the main character plays the central role, as his mission becomes a journey through the darkest corners of his mind, where memories, desires and fears fusion. Glimpses from his past blur the flow of his thoughts, making it more and more difficult to distinguish between reality and imagination. If he does not manage to explore in depth the horizons he launched in because of the undying memory of his lost love, the captain who held the pod cannot recover from the experience of the space. His detachment from the earthly life is perfected through a remarkable line: °I alone am my own God." Overall, we felt that the actors understood the complexity of the conflicts behind the characters, so they kept everything clear and simple enough to let the viewer explore the subtle aspects.The cinematography was far from being spectacular, but as the focus was on the flow of emotions, not on the space setting, it served its purpose well enough. We think that the choice of the noir visuals was very inspired, because it conferred more mystery to the plot and also managed to cover some imperfections of the images.The soundtrack does not stand out, serving more as a background for the development of the story. The hunting sounds deepen the mystery and the incurable nostalgia of the film, creating a complex fusion of thoughts and feelings.Than all else ever is an experience that erases the borders between through time and space. It explores the limits of the human mind, stretched to the point where the future becomes a " locked destination „ . Although we feel there is a lot of improvement that can be made in terms of artistic and directing approach, we saw the potential of interesting new projects.