Very well executed

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Franz Kafka sits alone in his room at his writing desk, trying in desperation to begin a story. He begins writing and reciting to himself, "Gregor Samsa awoke one morning to find himself transformed into a gigantic --", and then he stops, stumped. "A gigantic WHAT?" Kafka's gaze drifts about the dismal room and light on a bowl of fruit. Cut to an imaginary scene of Gregor Samsa waking up, completely covered by a sheet, struggling to free himself, only to reveal a giant -- BANANA.That's the opening scene, and to me it's the most shocking and amusing. You won't find much of Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" in here. It seems to provide only a kind of spine or notochord because, after Kafka loses the thread of the narrative, along with some other things, and is ridden by guilt over having squashed the cockroach that inspired him, he's given Christmas presents from the girls downstairs, every present being a jar of insects, ranging from cockroaches to maggots. Christmas bells begin ringing and the camera glides to the window where it is snowing. Yes, it's a wonderful life after all. To prove it, the final shot is of Gregor Samsa, now a beetle, lying on his back in bed and avidly singing "Ah, sweet mystery of life at last I've found thee" -- the whole first verse.I don't know exactly what to make of this 25-minute production. It had me wondering if someone had smoked one of those bananas we saw. It's rarely funny, mostly intense, and has a couple of absurd lines in it. "Is this a real conversation or an imaginary one?", asks the lady downstairs. We also get to meet a character who has a tiny beetle friend and seems to have lost it, until it's found again as one of the Christmas presents, recalling Thomas Mitchell and the missing money.All in all, it's confusing but in a most innovative way, as if someone had dumped haphazardly into a cocktail shaker Franz Kafka, George Bailey, Monty Python, and stray limbs and membrae of Eugene Ionescu. After a violent agitation, this is what came out.I don't think all that many people will laugh, but I don't think they'll be able to stop watching it either.

Franz Kafka sits in his apartment trying to write "The Metamorphosis", but is bothered by a man selling knives and hacksaws, women throwing a party and a lady selling gag gifts. This, mixed with a twisted version of the Frank Capra film this movie is named after, makes for an interesting time.One reviewer summarized this film as "Monty Python meets Orson Welles over the body of Franz Kafka with spectacular results!" I can see that. The Monty Python is the oddball humor, and the Franz Kafka is the main plot. But the Orson Welles really stands out, too, and maybe would not have if I had not read the review. The scenes in this film rely heavily on odd camera shots, many of them from under the floorboards or up stairs, giving the "larger than life" look Welles had in "Citizen Kane" when the cameraman sat in dug out hole. (Try it yourself, taking someone's photograph from a seated position while they stand -- gigantic!) The main character (Kafka) is played beautifully by Richard E. Grant. I obviously never met Kafka personally, but Grant portrays him as a paranoid and idiosyncratic, eccentric germophobe. Yeah, I think that pretty much captures the idea (have you read Kafka's "The Trial"?). Grant is known from other projects, but this might well be his master performance.The secondary characters are also nice... the salesman is great and the woman at the party is perfect for the role. And we need not forget the man playing Gregor Samsa... nice acting and fine singing! The way the footage for the Samsa parts was made to look very old (1920s) was a nice touch, giving off a comedic Charlie Chaplinesque quality.If you can find this in your local video store, pick it up. As a short film, even if you don't like it, the movie will be over before you realize it. But I'd bet dollars to doughnuts you'll love it as much as me. This one really takes the original idea and runs with it... to Oscar gold.

Franz Kafka is probably still spinning over this one almost ten years after the fact. There are echos of suspense in this one, but mostly it resembles Python at its full-bore, full throttle best. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, the costumer here also did costumes for The Python series. Too many moments to pick anything out, but it is absolutely wonderful. The incredibly serious among you will probably gnash teeth and pound thy breasts over the violation of Kafka, but the sufficiently twisted will love this! This won the Academy Award for Live-Action Short (in a tie with Trevor, he noted for accuracy's sake) and it's good to see this in print and available. Most highly recommended.

When I saw this, I was intrigued. I was pleasantly suprised at it's dark, yet light style of wit. It will make you tense, then you will laugh. To describe it is really to give a lot away. Just check it out if you get a chance.