2022 BURLINGTON COUNTY SHORT FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
It’s the wild west, and two siblings, Billy (Gabriel Pascual) and Jenny (Emily Pascual) are prepared to fight to the death for what’s right. Wait…now it’s modern America, and the same two siblings are preparing for what might be described as a Nerf battle in their home. As the two discuss the expectations of the coming battle, teenage life continues to hit them in the face. Will the battle ensue before dinner time, or will hunger get the best of them? Standoff!.
An award winning film at the 2022 Burlington County Short Film Festival, Standoff! is written, directed, and nearly fully developed by Gabriel Pascual, a young filmmaker. Young is often associated with inexperience, but whether or not that’s the case with G. Pascual is irrelevant. This film is incredibly well done, and, while you still might expect that G. Pascual doesn’t have a ton of experience at his age, his filmmaking knowledge is far beyond his years.
What stands out the most to me throughout the course of Standoff! is the editing. Viewers see the film transition back and forth a number of times from the wild west to the living room of the two siblings–and that is a massive transition. Those transitions happen very suddenly, without any notice–and while that might feel to some as underdeveloped–it beautifully represents the change in mood and tone as well throughout Standoff!. How smoothly things transition throughout Standoff! allows viewers to remain present, appreciate the content, and I remained in awe throughout the course of the film.
There are issues with the props, but, if I’m being honest, it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of the film. The silly looking prop guns are laughable, but it’s a low-budget film. With limited resources things aren’t going to be perfect, and I don’t expect them to be in Standoff!. G. Pascual does well with what resources are available to him, and it seems that nothing will stop him when he puts his mind to it.
G. Pascual’s script is silly, and it’s an exaggeration of what sibling rivalry can be, but it’s relevant to his intended audience. For parents, they see a reflection of the nonsense that sometimes plagues their home, and for siblings they see themselves and those rivalries (both serious and not) that exist between them. Standoff! does a wonderful job of reaching a number of different viewers, and G. Pascual has a genuine understanding of how to create riveting cinema and attract a large audience.
It’s often hard to find close to no-budget films produced by inexperienced writers and directors that shine brightly, but Standoff! is a diamond in the rough. It stands above many other films that exist in the same category, and it was a pleasure to be a part of its premier and to see it find success by winning an award. It’s deserving of the praise that it has received, and G. Pascual, should he choose, will have a bright future in the world of cinema. He’s young, and he has tons of time ahead of him–I look forward to what he does in the future.
Written & Directed by Gabriel Pascual.
Starring Gabriel Pascual, Emily Pascual, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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