We've covered a ton of Josh milestones on the blog already, but today, we're celebrating a big one - his first directing credit!
Josh both stars in and directs the short film, Ape, which realistically depicts mental illness from the POV of the individual who was struggling. In this project, Josh plays Travis, a young man who battles with drug abuse and what appears to be schizophrenia or a similar mental health condition. We get to see an evening through Travis' eyes - what it looks like to fight your demons in public, with people from your past...some who judge and ridicule you.
At just 13 minutes, this short film packs a punch by following the storytelling motto of "show, don't tell". Again, I'm not sure exactly what demons Travis has because we never find out officially, but there are momentary shifts into realites other than Travis' reality that allow us to put the pieces together. For instance, at the start of the short film, there is a blonde woman at the table with Travis and his parents, and it is assumed by the viewer that she is a "real" person at that time. However, one can later infer that she's a figment of Travis' imagination, likely a result of his mental condition and potentially heightened by drug use, as she's only temporarily in scenes.
My praise for this plot likely should be directed at Ape's screenwriter, but I will add that Josh did a great job with the skeleton he was given. Everything about this short film felt amazingly executed - from the lighting that always connected with the tone of the scene to the smooth transitions to the camera angles that really brought us into Travis's POV at the right times, it all just feels so well-done. Bravo, director Josh!
In fact, I'm really going to have to start rethinking my list of top Josh performances because WOW...this short film left me speechless. I'd guess that depicting mental illness in a real and meaningful way may be a challenging task as an actor, but Josh was absolutely remarkable as this. As usual, there is so much more to his acting than how he delivers lines - it's also what mannerisms he attaches (like shaking, in this case) facial expressions, eye shifts, etc.
Josh really shines during one of the final scenes of the film where his character has a violent outburst. He's able to go from 0 to 100 real quick and deliver a convincing depiction of a mental health episode. These ending moments of the project had me on the edge of my seat - tension was built really naturally and believably. I'm also impressed with Josh's ability to make Travis a character we can have compassion for despite not knowing a ton about him. His mannerisms and personality help us understand that he's not an evil person - just a struggling one. During that intense scene, I felt more sadness than fear and viewed the judgemental classmates as the villains over Travis.
If you have yet to see Ape, you are missing out! At the time of this post, it's available to stream for free on YouTube.
Peace and Joshperity,
G
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