4.6 All Too Well: The Short Film

The very first of it's articulated form to appear upon my blog, All Too Well: The Short Film written and directed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift chronicles the undeniably and equally indelible fantasy of falling in love and such problems that cause those to drift away, formulating into eventual preeminent heartache. Titled after Swift's 2012 song of the same name, All Too Well was produced by Saul Projects and Taylor Swift Productions. Starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien, the short film is an orginal adaption of Swifts 10-minute version, as a romantic couples up-and-down relationship eventually splinters, ultimately resulting in them falling apart.

"Love is so short, forgetting is so long" - Pablo Neruda

Illustrating both the contrasting and elegant combinations one might choose to seek and discover through both love and eventual heartache. All Too Well is masterfully commanded and controlled when establishing such free-flowing emotions and complexities that go into making and founding a relationship. As well as the undeniable pain and mourning one must come to handle, as love seemingly can become so short and yet so difficult to forget. With Swift ornamenting her growing maturity as both an artist and up-coming filmmaker.

While as very much a cementing and particular career highlighting performance from Sadie Sink, away from such foreseen television success. Sink soon becomes able to poetically picture such contrasting emotional turmoil, as someone who both feels closely intimate and intoxicated by there love. While still potently conflicted by there eventually break up. As Taylor Swift seemingly and similarly to her very music herself, is able to seek such compelling emotional conflict, that not only feels befitting to the piece itself, but rather also clinches to audiences long after. With this elevated music video meeting a Noah Baumbach authoritative piece, that is undeniably brave and nonchalant, when seeking such deep, cavernous depths associated with the eventual pain and turmoil that's follows such heartache. Whilst Swift supplements such depths with some enthralling and elegant scenes of blossoming and budding romance, portraying the truly moving heights of such romance and intimate understanding. As All Too Well seemingly layers such romance by cautiously drawing such fractured instincts into frame, before such love ultimately dissipates and eventually falls apart.

While such memorable and illustrated cinematography spawns a magnetic lure, underscoring Swifts emotionally framed story, as such romance is placed into a seemingly alluring driven and articulated world, befitting to both the piece and her music itself. Whilst it rather keeps such contemporary instincts feeling invigoratingly fresh and nuanced. Rather instead however such potent romantical details can only feel equally captivating as such the chemistry between both leads Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien, with them able to elegantly and so poetically visualise the perfect interpretation of Swifts song. As well as the equally relatable blissful moments of there intimate love and devotion, that seemingly continues to command the screen with the presence and true underlying capacity that's Swift unapologetically unafraid to explore. While this unconfounded puissance later opts to seek such challenging moments of their downfall and separation, articulating and rather recontextualizing the boundless entities for what such a piece can choose to depict. As All Too Well, reformulates and sets a new, vigorous standard for how through such deeper, inner turmoil, pain and rose-coloured moments, us as humans are often able to seek the very good, growing us into better people. As if there's always something satisfying and enriching to seek within the dark depths of turmoil, while it's only left to those for which if they choose to find it. Although such asphyxiation and agony might initially hurt, Sink often is able to truly seek such inner principles of both value and worth, with her seemingly better of from the experience due to what she can inevitably come to learn and gain from it.

As such an authentic and bittersweet ending reminds us to constantly reflect and rather consider both sides of this conflicted tale, with most our time spent with Sink undoubtedly spawning a vast contrast that might force some to believe such others might not be feeling such revelations. Although that wasn't the case. With Swift drawing our attention in such core moments that not only best represent her songs deeper narrative routes, but rather also it's characters and actors very best strengths. As her finely tuned and somewhat intuitive led style of directing suited this toned, smaller refined story exquisitely, while simultaneously advancing and illustrating her ongoing maturity and valiant boldness. With it somewhat refreshing and equally captivating to see her able to effortlessly translate such impeccably gifted and nuanced storytelling capabilities from lyrics to screen, as her inclination and shared impulse for detailed-oriented and conversant narratives spawns a gorgeous alure and curiosity. Something later that is seemingly only out bested and befitted further by All Too Well's enchanting visual array of warm, inviting colours, spawning a welcoming, enchanting sense.

With Swifts clever yet also refined and purified directing complimenting such lore and discography, whilst similarly establishing and seemingly only ever elevating such engrossing portrayals. As her craftsmanship for seducing lyrics transcends beyond the norms and rather across the page into a divine combination of screenwriting prowess'. Spawning therefore a subsequent powerful and potent character portrait and relationship study, that if anything gets at the very true and potent core of what such love can both feel like and result in. Such an end result is a piece that feels not just complimentary but highly thoughtful and contemporary in execution, similarly to that of a neatly polished gem. As it's bittersweet, heartbreaking ballad structure foreshadows such potent, conflicting emotions, one might my come to feel. While her story is subsequently only ever as potently demonstrated as those tasked to establish it on screen.

With Sink often poetically elevating and empowering such potent emotions marvellously, working and trading off her vast array of talents for this such piece. As such an achievement is seemingly only ever heightened when considering the very limited dialogue often at both actors disposal. With Sink if anything, often willingly resorted to utilising such facial expressions, enabling audiences to seek such layers of emotional complexities. As Sink is able to carry and plot such a narrative through her facial expressions alone, establishing the whole story let alone her character's deeper meanings. While for an actress mostly notable known for her role as Max in Netflix's Stranger Things, it soon became refreshingly invigorating to see her able to so potently handle and command such conflicting emotional delight and struggle, as her character experiences such highs and depths both commonly associated with such ordeals. Until her true capabilities are luminously pictured when confronting and mourning such loss. Emphasizing her truly vast array of complex talents.

Although if any of my such problems were to lye anywhere, it would possibly be towards such the ending of the film, as Swifts appearance as a now grown and much older Sink. Slightly dilutes and forcefully takes away much of the nuanced and authentic feeling, All Too Well did so well to previously establish and achieve. Disburdening some of the much, well earned artistic merit and calibre, All Too Well had offered thus far. As thus this appearance debilitated much from the auteur feel, preventing it from a being a perfect short.

While if anything All Too Well, is the perfect synecdoche of both the person and artist Taylor Swift has become . As her growth and innate maturity soon enough became as equally intoxicating and absorbing, as the very piece itself. While All Too Well perfectly articulates such memorable lyrics transcending any such feelings one might already come to feel. As often through Swifts elegant and refined direction, All Too Well establishes a new, boundless norm for what films of such matter can aspire and seek to achieve. With this melodramatic short, establishing an alluring sense of fascination and engagement, forcing audiences to seek the true intentions and meanings one might come to naturally feel and later learn from such ordeals. As it's endearment and drama are poetically heightened and brought to light by both Sink and O'Brien respectively, with them establishing such conflicting struggles of there relationship away from such moments of certitude and attention. Making therefore for a fine articulation of what such love can attain on screen, when both protagonists best know there counterparts deeper instincts. As Although they both love each other, neither can sway away, let alone ignore the fact that there undeniably not right for another, as they continuously hurt one another. 4/5 Stars