Silence of the Bees is a thought provoking, emotionally charged film. It's beautifully written and the characters are very strong and real. Jim Beaver and Sharon Garnier did an excellent job portraying the intense relationship between a father and daughter struggling to know each other and come to terms with their own life choices. It made me reexamine my own relationship with my father. Also you have to give the filmmakers a lot of credit for making a film of this quality with little money. From what I know about the making of it, they were able to utilize great talent because of close friendships which says a lot about the cast and crew. These folks really believe in this project. A tour DE force, haunting and unforgettable. I can't wait for the full length film. I'd recommend the Silence of the Bees to everyone.
119 Reviews
Powerfully dramatic in an artful way.
pmremmele25 October 2008
Silence of Bees is a powerful short film that packs an emotional wallop through the performances of the two leads. As I watched the film, I couldn't help but be reminded of the universal struggle between parents and their children. Sharon Garnier is raw and completely open on the screen. Jim Beaver's sardonic portrayal of an alcoholic writer is both an archetype and uniquely individual. The camera work and the editing are flawless. This is real gem of a film. No tricks, no artifice, just pure cinema in an old fashion sense. This film is a testimonial to the idea that simple, pure and profound emotions ultimately have more impact than superficial, contrived plot devices. It deserves to be seen.
Great Short Film!
lovely_lyss21 May 2012
The preview clip somewhat does pull me into the picture. As I watched the preview, I felt like I could see what was happening in the time before the preview and I wanted to know what was going to happen after it ended.
The Actors: Jim Beaver is a stage, film, television actor, playwright, screenwriter, and film historian. He is perhaps most familiar to worldwide audiences as 'Ellsworth'... the gruff, tenderhearted prospector in the HBO series Deadwood. This role won him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.
Sharon Garnier appears in a wide range of television and film projects, including HBO's Deadwood and WB's Jack & Bobby. Her primary work is in the realm of independent film and theatre. Sharon's recent film portrayal as Alex McKenzie in the independent short film The Silence of Bees found attention in several international film festivals.
The Writers: Joanna Perry-Folino, Screenwriter and Producer Joanna is the Executive Producer of Into The Fire Film and Theatrical Productions, LLC. She is a playwright, screenwriter, librettist as well as a producer. Her short film, The Silence of Bees, (based on the prologue to her stage play of the same title) won the prestigious Accolade Film Award in 2008, an Aloha Accolade from the Honolulu International Film Festival in 2009 and was screened at the Southeast New England Film Festival, The Kodak Screening Room in Los Angeles by Women in Film in April 2009, at the Urban Suburban Film Festival in Philadelphia and The Naperville Independent Film Festival in Illinois where it is an Official Selection. Also the producer of the film!
The Director: Andrew J. Traister's recent production of Waiting For Godot at A Noise Within in Glendale, California, was chosen as a Los Angeles Times Critics Choice. Andrew directed The Actors Playpen's inaugural productions of Lolita and Road To Nirvana in Hollywood. He has directed at The Old Globe Theatre, Alaska Repertory Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Actors Theatre of Phoenix, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Tacoma Actors Guild, Geva Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, San Diego Repertory Theatre and many more companies across the country.
I liked: The location; the location was really pretty and gave a different spin on the film. The actors/actresses; super into their rolls, felt like they were their character & the relationship between them was great. It was a good short film & I do not have anything really to say negatively.
The Actors: Jim Beaver is a stage, film, television actor, playwright, screenwriter, and film historian. He is perhaps most familiar to worldwide audiences as 'Ellsworth'... the gruff, tenderhearted prospector in the HBO series Deadwood. This role won him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.
Sharon Garnier appears in a wide range of television and film projects, including HBO's Deadwood and WB's Jack & Bobby. Her primary work is in the realm of independent film and theatre. Sharon's recent film portrayal as Alex McKenzie in the independent short film The Silence of Bees found attention in several international film festivals.
The Writers: Joanna Perry-Folino, Screenwriter and Producer Joanna is the Executive Producer of Into The Fire Film and Theatrical Productions, LLC. She is a playwright, screenwriter, librettist as well as a producer. Her short film, The Silence of Bees, (based on the prologue to her stage play of the same title) won the prestigious Accolade Film Award in 2008, an Aloha Accolade from the Honolulu International Film Festival in 2009 and was screened at the Southeast New England Film Festival, The Kodak Screening Room in Los Angeles by Women in Film in April 2009, at the Urban Suburban Film Festival in Philadelphia and The Naperville Independent Film Festival in Illinois where it is an Official Selection. Also the producer of the film!
The Director: Andrew J. Traister's recent production of Waiting For Godot at A Noise Within in Glendale, California, was chosen as a Los Angeles Times Critics Choice. Andrew directed The Actors Playpen's inaugural productions of Lolita and Road To Nirvana in Hollywood. He has directed at The Old Globe Theatre, Alaska Repertory Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Actors Theatre of Phoenix, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Tacoma Actors Guild, Geva Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, San Diego Repertory Theatre and many more companies across the country.
I liked: The location; the location was really pretty and gave a different spin on the film. The actors/actresses; super into their rolls, felt like they were their character & the relationship between them was great. It was a good short film & I do not have anything really to say negatively.
Review of film
jannelmachado5 December 2011
The Silence of Bees is a short, 17 minute film that successfully portrays the movies plot and storyline. Being a short movie, The Silence of Bees gets right to the point and does an okay job at including everything the audience wants to see. For me, the movie consisted of many good characteristics, but with the good comes bad. On the other hand, the only negative thing I can think of would be choice of music. The music used for scenes didn't match up to what I was expecting to hear. Overall, I enjoyed this short film and its way of fulfilling many aspects in a short amount of time. I am glad I was able to see this movie through the drama course I am in, because if it wasn't for the class I would have never seen this.
The Silence of Bees worth watching
cathy_colt22 May 2012
The Silence of Bees was a great short film. Jim Beaver and Sharon Garnier did a great job capturing the emotion of a troubled father/daughter relationship. It was clear that they didn't know or understand each other very well. Father/daughter relationships can be so complicated and if not portrayed properly can come across as fake and over acted, but that's not the case here.
I do wish the movie could have been longer. I found myself wanting more backstory about Alex's mom and in her past and present relationships. I wanted to know more about Parker and what made him the way he was. I want to know what the relationship was like between Alex and her dad before her mom went away.
I love the story about how this movie was made. The budget was small and the actors did the movie as favors of the directors. They loved the script and wanted to be a part of the film.
I do wish the movie could have been longer. I found myself wanting more backstory about Alex's mom and in her past and present relationships. I wanted to know more about Parker and what made him the way he was. I want to know what the relationship was like between Alex and her dad before her mom went away.
I love the story about how this movie was made. The budget was small and the actors did the movie as favors of the directors. They loved the script and wanted to be a part of the film.
Review
imbored200221 May 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The Silence of Bees is an emotionally charged film that almost anyone can relate to when it comes to the struggle between parents and their children throughout life. The characters had a lot of depth and Sharon and Jim really brought them to life. The film has wonderful sound and the cinematography was fantastic, you could tell at every angel how the characters were feeling and the use of close-ups', and medium shots were great. The music was fitting for the film and on point. The only thing I didn't care for were the shots with low lighting, it made things hard to see at times. Other than that the film was great and I would recommend it to watch.
Movie with good acting, writing and overall filmmaking. Very nice message in the film.
alexkilgore8 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
From The Silence of Bees website, there is a lot more background information about the film and the characters Parker and Alex. While watching the film, the viewer does not know why Parker lives in Barbados and why Alex is about to head back to Flint, Michigan. The synopsis on the website explains, "Parker escaped to Barbados years earlier to flee responsibilities and family and to a great extent himself." What I enjoyed in the film is how you could feel this awkward tension between father "Parker" and his daughter "Alex", but you are not sure how it became that way. The website tells you more about how Parker is writing about lost relationships; and he feels like his daughter is not happy as a nurse. It is important information about how he is trying to keep this connection with his daughter and not lose it like he has done with everyone else. Watching the preview for them film creates interest and it does entice the viewer to watch the whole film. I believe that the clips chosen were the best options to put in a preview clip because it does not give the viewer all of the information about what Park and Alex and discussing. It is just enough to where the viewer is left wanting more and finding out what happens between the chosen clips.
The director of this film was Andrew J. Traister, who has four director credits on IMDb such as Mirror (2014), Just Out of Reach (2011), Nicky's Birthday Camera (2007) and The Silence of Bees (2008). What is interesting about Traister is that he also has eleven IMDb actor credits for quite a few short films. According to The Silence of Bees website, Traister received an "NEA Directing Fellowship" in 1980. My professor Joanna Perry-Folino was the screenwriter and producer of this film. This film actually "won the prestigious Accolade Film Award in 2008, an Aloha Accolade from the Honolulu International Film Festival in 2009" and screened at four different film festivals. Perry-Folino is really gifted at what she does, as a professor and in filmmaking. She has 7 IMDb producer credits, 4 actor credits, 3 writer credits, and 1 director credit. I was able to read the actual screenplay for The Silence of Bees and it was so well written and detailed that I was almost able to completely imagine what the film was going to be like. Other people who worked on this film were P. Kelley (director of photography and producer), Jim Beaver (as Parker Lam), Sharon Garnier (as Alex McKenzie), Derek Beauchemin (Film and Sound Editor), Carl Johnson (Composer), Dan O'Day McClellan (Production coordinator and assistant director), plus more. One of the strengths of the film The Silence of Bees is the acting of Garnier and Beaver. They were a very believable father-daughter match up, and what I specifically enjoyed about their acting is the way they created the idea that there was something weird going on between them, but Parker and Alex are trying to act like nothing is there. It makes it interesting when Alex finally has enough and this unleashes a conversation about how they both feel and you can see in their faces they are dealing with their own burdens, which puts a strain on their family relationship. I also really enjoyed the set and scenery for this film. It was simple, but it gave off the island feel of being in Barbados and almost being isolated, like Parker was trying to do. There were not any obvious weaknesses to me while watching this film. I thought it was maybe a little too simplistic at times and I craved more details. Other than that this film was really well written, directed, produced, filmed etc. I do not have much experience watching Indie films, and I have to say this films gives me and interest in watching more of them.
The director of this film was Andrew J. Traister, who has four director credits on IMDb such as Mirror (2014), Just Out of Reach (2011), Nicky's Birthday Camera (2007) and The Silence of Bees (2008). What is interesting about Traister is that he also has eleven IMDb actor credits for quite a few short films. According to The Silence of Bees website, Traister received an "NEA Directing Fellowship" in 1980. My professor Joanna Perry-Folino was the screenwriter and producer of this film. This film actually "won the prestigious Accolade Film Award in 2008, an Aloha Accolade from the Honolulu International Film Festival in 2009" and screened at four different film festivals. Perry-Folino is really gifted at what she does, as a professor and in filmmaking. She has 7 IMDb producer credits, 4 actor credits, 3 writer credits, and 1 director credit. I was able to read the actual screenplay for The Silence of Bees and it was so well written and detailed that I was almost able to completely imagine what the film was going to be like. Other people who worked on this film were P. Kelley (director of photography and producer), Jim Beaver (as Parker Lam), Sharon Garnier (as Alex McKenzie), Derek Beauchemin (Film and Sound Editor), Carl Johnson (Composer), Dan O'Day McClellan (Production coordinator and assistant director), plus more. One of the strengths of the film The Silence of Bees is the acting of Garnier and Beaver. They were a very believable father-daughter match up, and what I specifically enjoyed about their acting is the way they created the idea that there was something weird going on between them, but Parker and Alex are trying to act like nothing is there. It makes it interesting when Alex finally has enough and this unleashes a conversation about how they both feel and you can see in their faces they are dealing with their own burdens, which puts a strain on their family relationship. I also really enjoyed the set and scenery for this film. It was simple, but it gave off the island feel of being in Barbados and almost being isolated, like Parker was trying to do. There were not any obvious weaknesses to me while watching this film. I thought it was maybe a little too simplistic at times and I craved more details. Other than that this film was really well written, directed, produced, filmed etc. I do not have much experience watching Indie films, and I have to say this films gives me and interest in watching more of them.
Brilliant Film with Beautiful Character Development
Reena119128 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
The Silence of the Bees is an award-winning independent film which creates an in-depth view of a relationship between a father and daughter. The film clearly shows the differences between the two protagonists and their inability to agree with certain things in life. Watching this film causes one to examine their own relationship with their father. At first, the scenic scenes may be confusing, but is purposely used for the picturesque views of the setting of Barbados. The actors beautifully portray their characters by accurately depicting the attitudes and emotions that they feel by this somewhat scarred relationship. The film lives up to its tagline, "The bond between a father and daughter is sometimes too strong to be broken - even when they try," by showing the distance created between the characters only will bring them closer. A weakness of this may be that the film does not give too much information as to why their relationship is the way that it is, but strengthens the plot by showing the progress that may have occurred at the end in the touching scene in which Parker writes something to his daughter, Alex on a card. This film truly analyzes and progresses two characters in a short amount of time, which adds to the depth of this film.
The Silence of Bees
Kellz03014 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
"He loved her the best he could. He hoped it had been enough to see her through. He knew it probably wasn't." –Parker Lam The Silence of Bees is a short film, written and produced by Joanna Folino, which shows the strained relationship of a father and daughter, whose struggles surround the fact that he wishes for her to continue writing, like him, but she is a nurse, proud that she is making a difference, no matter how small.
Jim Beaver plays the part of Parker Lam, the father and once successful writer, who would like to see his daughter find her happiness writing, like him. Sharon Garnier plays Parker's strong willed daughter, Alex, who is happy being a nurse, or is she? Both actors are strong in their roles and portray a convincing pair, struggling for acceptance from each other. The Silence of Bees is a heartfelt film about a father and daughter who truly love each other, they just have a hard time saying it.
Jim Beaver plays the part of Parker Lam, the father and once successful writer, who would like to see his daughter find her happiness writing, like him. Sharon Garnier plays Parker's strong willed daughter, Alex, who is happy being a nurse, or is she? Both actors are strong in their roles and portray a convincing pair, struggling for acceptance from each other. The Silence of Bees is a heartfelt film about a father and daughter who truly love each other, they just have a hard time saying it.
An enchanting look into the father-daughter relationship struggling to understand their different paths in life
sette-e_939 December 2012
The short film The Silence of Bees is an enchanting look into the father-daughter relationship struggling to understand each other at different places in their lives. I found the intimate and isolated setting of Barbados to be very fitting for both Parker Lam and Alex McKenzie to reflect on their differences and past experiences. Jim Beaver gave a great performance of a father accepting his deficiency in life and trying to be enough for his daughter. He wants his love for writing to inspire his daughter, played by Sharon Garnier, to follow what he feels is her true passion as well. We explore the idea of purpose and true meaning of life through their witty interactions. Ultimately, by the end their unspoken respect and understanding for one another is revealed. Although I found Beaver's performance more believable than Garnier's I thoroughly enjoyed the setting and storyline of the film, which resonated with many trying to find purpose in their lives.
The Silence of Bees - a great independent film
jilllynnpeterson3 April 2009
The Silence of Bees is a brilliant short independent film which captivates your inner soul. The musical score and the acting done by Jim Beaver and Sharon Garnier were just astonishing. Both actors pull you into the story line. As I was watching the film, it reminded me of the strong bond that I have with my own father, and how no matter what happens in life, nothing can break the ties between father and daughter. This films deserves nothing but praise for its acting, cinematography, screen writing, and production. It is truly a breath of fresh air. The film is 17 minutes, and during this short time, it truly gives you a heart warming feeling. A true gem !
Short on time, long on emotion
nine_deuce_five29 November 2009
The Silence of Bees is an excellent example of how dialogue and chemistry between actors create a compelling story in a short amount of time and without the aid of gimmicks, such as special effects, by putting the focus squarely on the conflict that is taking place. The film does an excellent job of examining the dynamics of a strained father-daughter relationship and the actions both parties take to try to improve things between them.
Because this film is 17 minutes in length, the movie doesn't have too much time to tell the it's story so it gets right to it. The film uses the small amount of time it has effectively, as we immediately find out just why Parker and Alex have a complicated union. This immediately struck me as very real, since the discussion the two characters were having sounds like many talks a frustrated child has had with a stubborn parent. Both characters want the other to understand why they made the choices they have made, and they want them to be content and accepting of their choices. This is where their conflict arises.
As the two characters argue, one can't help but think of the relationship they have with their own parent or parents. People of all cultures throughout all times can relate to the struggle for respect and love that is bred from the relationship between parent and child, giving the film a universal appeal.
Both actors do a great job of playing their characters. Beaver completely nails the role of the jaded, veteran writer, a man who holds fast to his beliefs. Garnier is not to be outdone as the loving but somewhat resentful daughter who wants nothing more than to have her father's love but also wants to not be questioned for her choices in life.
During the course of their conversation, Alex gets annoyed at her failed attempts to get through to Parker, and eventually announces she will be leaving the next day. Parker senses that he may be letting something slip away, so he takes a few moments to reconsider his approach. As he makes some suggestions for her future, Alex comes to realize that she has an enormous amount of respect for Parker, and although their relationship is not the typical model of a healthy father-daughter relationship, they have a certain connection that cannot be tempered or broken.
The only drawback to the film are the use of shots that don't change very often and limited camera angles. While this is not artistically desirable, it's reasonable to assume that using a certain number of shots puts more of the focus on the plot and conflict. In fact, the use of only a few different shots gives the film a more realistic quality.
By the time the film is over, you will be reminded of how the bond that exists between two people holds up through time and challenging situations. Hopefully, it will make you reexamine the relationships in your own life and think of how your actions affect them. This is short, simple film that contains a powerful message.
Because this film is 17 minutes in length, the movie doesn't have too much time to tell the it's story so it gets right to it. The film uses the small amount of time it has effectively, as we immediately find out just why Parker and Alex have a complicated union. This immediately struck me as very real, since the discussion the two characters were having sounds like many talks a frustrated child has had with a stubborn parent. Both characters want the other to understand why they made the choices they have made, and they want them to be content and accepting of their choices. This is where their conflict arises.
As the two characters argue, one can't help but think of the relationship they have with their own parent or parents. People of all cultures throughout all times can relate to the struggle for respect and love that is bred from the relationship between parent and child, giving the film a universal appeal.
Both actors do a great job of playing their characters. Beaver completely nails the role of the jaded, veteran writer, a man who holds fast to his beliefs. Garnier is not to be outdone as the loving but somewhat resentful daughter who wants nothing more than to have her father's love but also wants to not be questioned for her choices in life.
During the course of their conversation, Alex gets annoyed at her failed attempts to get through to Parker, and eventually announces she will be leaving the next day. Parker senses that he may be letting something slip away, so he takes a few moments to reconsider his approach. As he makes some suggestions for her future, Alex comes to realize that she has an enormous amount of respect for Parker, and although their relationship is not the typical model of a healthy father-daughter relationship, they have a certain connection that cannot be tempered or broken.
The only drawback to the film are the use of shots that don't change very often and limited camera angles. While this is not artistically desirable, it's reasonable to assume that using a certain number of shots puts more of the focus on the plot and conflict. In fact, the use of only a few different shots gives the film a more realistic quality.
By the time the film is over, you will be reminded of how the bond that exists between two people holds up through time and challenging situations. Hopefully, it will make you reexamine the relationships in your own life and think of how your actions affect them. This is short, simple film that contains a powerful message.
Thoughts
krystalyna4154 December 2011
Warning: Spoilers
The Silence of Bees started off OK with the showing of the time setting, but I didn't think the lighting of the sun setting and the next close up shot of the leaves and a bee went together. The shot with the bee looked much brighter than it should have.
Sharon Garnier plays a perfect Alex because she has the right uptight look and conflicting emotions between Alex's father, Parker, played by Jim Beaver, who also played his character well. The father-daughter relationship seemed very real. In the beginning, Alex seems like she no longer cares to be living with her father and responds to her father's questions in a tight way, but towards the end, she begins to feel more appreciated and loved by her father.
Because this was a very short film (17 minutes), I felt it left me with many unanswered questions, but I also believe there was enough depth to the two characters that made the film watchable and not boring.
Sharon Garnier plays a perfect Alex because she has the right uptight look and conflicting emotions between Alex's father, Parker, played by Jim Beaver, who also played his character well. The father-daughter relationship seemed very real. In the beginning, Alex seems like she no longer cares to be living with her father and responds to her father's questions in a tight way, but towards the end, she begins to feel more appreciated and loved by her father.
Because this was a very short film (17 minutes), I felt it left me with many unanswered questions, but I also believe there was enough depth to the two characters that made the film watchable and not boring.
Good story, average film
quickstopemployee-13 April 2009
First, let me start off by saying that this is simply my opinion. Art is completely subjective and what one person likes another may not. Overall, the things that "The Silence of Bees" achieves seem to be overshadowed by the things that I saw wrong with it. Starting with the positive things, the script is solid. The characters, as written, are interesting and, even in the short running time, you grow to care about them. As the audience, we get enough information about them to understand their struggle, but not get overloaded with information. The directing seems secure, but it also feels like there was a miscommunication somewhere between the making of the film and the finished product as the quality of the movie rises and falls.
This is where I start to see problems. The acting in the film seems to be unbalanced. It fluctuates from subtle and more internal in one minute to over dramatic and soap-opera like in the next. This makes it harder to care about the characters in film form because they are all over the place. The moments that feel realistic are nice, it's just unfortunate that these moments are trapped in between moments of melodrama. The cinematography is flat. I'm sorry to put it so bluntly, but to me it was true. There was nothing in it that made the film feel alive. All of the shots were simple with no variety. It was a close up of Parker, then Alex's close up, then back to Parker's close up...over and over. Nothing popped. The lighting also felt very uninspired. There was no sense of mood setting and this caused the film to feel bland. The setting also felt fake. I'm not sure if it was shot at an actual location or on a sound stage, but it felt like the latter. If this was true then this could explain the lack of interesting camera set ups, but it still doesn't solve the problem.
To sum everything up, "The Silence of Bees" is an good story, but the film execution isn't as good as I hoped. Filmmakers have to be careful with material like this. It feels personal, so the film should feel personal as well.
This is where I start to see problems. The acting in the film seems to be unbalanced. It fluctuates from subtle and more internal in one minute to over dramatic and soap-opera like in the next. This makes it harder to care about the characters in film form because they are all over the place. The moments that feel realistic are nice, it's just unfortunate that these moments are trapped in between moments of melodrama. The cinematography is flat. I'm sorry to put it so bluntly, but to me it was true. There was nothing in it that made the film feel alive. All of the shots were simple with no variety. It was a close up of Parker, then Alex's close up, then back to Parker's close up...over and over. Nothing popped. The lighting also felt very uninspired. There was no sense of mood setting and this caused the film to feel bland. The setting also felt fake. I'm not sure if it was shot at an actual location or on a sound stage, but it felt like the latter. If this was true then this could explain the lack of interesting camera set ups, but it still doesn't solve the problem.
To sum everything up, "The Silence of Bees" is an good story, but the film execution isn't as good as I hoped. Filmmakers have to be careful with material like this. It feels personal, so the film should feel personal as well.
Well Done
jinxed133 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I really felt that the acting and writing were excellent in this short film. Jim Beaver really stood out with his performance and gave this character depth. Sharon Garnier did a wonderful job portraying this strained relationship with her father. I felt the ending could have been done differently though, I didn't like the slow motion, dreamy feel of it, but overall, I really enjoyed it and wish there was more. It would be nice to dive deeper into both these characters as well as the other ones mentioned in it. It was all done on a very small budget but came out very well and has one a couple awards which are well deserved in my opinion.
The Silence of Bees
jazzyjackiedoingenglish920 November 2008
The film has a nice opening of the white sandy beach, the shimmering sun setting on the horizon and the soft spoken waves of the blue tropical waters.
In addition, I was on the edge of my seat because I wanted to obtain more information as to why the daughter refused to write. I wanted to watch more of the film so I could learn more about the dark places she was afraid of visiting.
I think the father-daughter relationsip was on the verge of reconciliation. The daughter had lots of regrets and I think that the father wanted her to put all her experiences and thoughts on paper in hopes that she would too one day become a professional writer.
In addition, I was on the edge of my seat because I wanted to obtain more information as to why the daughter refused to write. I wanted to watch more of the film so I could learn more about the dark places she was afraid of visiting.
I think the father-daughter relationsip was on the verge of reconciliation. The daughter had lots of regrets and I think that the father wanted her to put all her experiences and thoughts on paper in hopes that she would too one day become a professional writer.
Drama 70
briu1728 November 2009
Film Review: The film Silence of the Bees was very good and interesting for the amount of time it was showed in. There was so much feelings brought out in such a small amount of time in the film. I really enjoyed how this film has a lot of passion in it.This was a film that seemed to bring out a lot of feeling and passion. My only negative response I have is it was to short. I was really into it and once it ended I wanted to continue to watch more. Hopefully I will find more film like this, that really caught my attention. Other then that this was an excellent film,and was really eye catching to myself as a viewer.
A Short Film Worth Watching!
reenalumpkin4 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The Silence of the Bees captures your attention from beginning to end! The cinematography truly captured the somber mood of the film, and the actors Jim Beaver and Sharon Garnier interaction helped you understand the struggling relationship between a father and his daughter. The close up shots of the actors showing their facial expressions helped you understand what the characters were feeling. The emotions were clearly conveyed and the setting and lighting also contributed well to setting the mood and tone. This 17 minute film went by too fast, it left you wanting more. A well written screenplay was beautifully brought to life through film! I would enjoy watching more films from this writer, and director!
Excellent!
joshuaevenson8 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Joshua Evenson, 5-8-08
The opening scene was a study in natural beauty, with a tropical sunrise, spectacular ocean shots, and wildlife. The scene, filled with sunshine, starts the movie out on a high note, a hopeful tone. Indeed, this sunny/hopeful tone continues with shots of the two main characters, Parker and Alex, having their day in the tropics. However, the lighting is dimmed to a night lit by the fire of torches when the two characters finally begin to converse. The music well reflects the same kind of switch from day to night, beginning with beautiful and soft string music that is replaced by more foreboding piano tones that persist largely through the conversation between Parker and Alex. The music maintains this interesting juxtaposition of light strings and foreboding piano, perhaps as a metaphor for the dual nature of the relationship between the characters. While their relationship may seem strained on the surface, underneath there is a real and deep sense of love for one another. The camera work was both well done and tragic. Well done in the sense that the camera was able to capture much of the tropical backdrop, while maintaining enough insert shots of the characters' faces to track the full gambit of emotions that play across the characters. I also use the word tragic to describe the camera work, as the independent movie budget prevented the movie from exploring more of the beautiful tropical surroundings and placing the characters in more than one setting.
Jim Beaver does a wonderful job portraying the gruff, overly critical yet thoroughly loving father. He is as old and careworn as his typewriter, seemingly subsisting off of cigars, rum, and self-loathing over the poor choices he has made in his life. While taking a break from typing his next novel, he continually picks at Alex's life with his intelligent, prying mind; making sure to let him know with sharp sarcastic innuendoes that he is unhappy with her choice of nursing over writing as a career. Despite all of this, we still get such a sense of love for his daughter through his actions that we cannot help but like Parker. Perhaps it is that his prying into Alex's life is characterized by a desire to see her happy, and that his innuendoes are often accompanied by praise for her ability and for her intelligence. Indeed, after some time it becomes apparent that the gruff facade of Parker's is just that, a show that he puts on to cover up his fear of being hurt and his fear of alienating his daughter as he has the others in his past. Sharon Garnier, as Alex McKenzie, is no less deep a character. While she consistently rebuffs her father's attempts to force her back into writing, ostensibly because she likes nursing more but more likely because she fears the very large footsteps her talented father has left to fill, it is apparent that she would like, deep down, to do more with her life. That being said, while Jim Beaver made the deeper character of Parker shine through the facade that his dialogue sets up, Sharon Garnier does not seem to add as much to her character as he does. Indeed, the complexity of Alex could probably be attributed more to the writing and directing in the film, rather than to Sharon's adaptation of the character. That being said, these were minor issues with what is overall a film very worth watching.
The opening scene was a study in natural beauty, with a tropical sunrise, spectacular ocean shots, and wildlife. The scene, filled with sunshine, starts the movie out on a high note, a hopeful tone. Indeed, this sunny/hopeful tone continues with shots of the two main characters, Parker and Alex, having their day in the tropics. However, the lighting is dimmed to a night lit by the fire of torches when the two characters finally begin to converse. The music well reflects the same kind of switch from day to night, beginning with beautiful and soft string music that is replaced by more foreboding piano tones that persist largely through the conversation between Parker and Alex. The music maintains this interesting juxtaposition of light strings and foreboding piano, perhaps as a metaphor for the dual nature of the relationship between the characters. While their relationship may seem strained on the surface, underneath there is a real and deep sense of love for one another. The camera work was both well done and tragic. Well done in the sense that the camera was able to capture much of the tropical backdrop, while maintaining enough insert shots of the characters' faces to track the full gambit of emotions that play across the characters. I also use the word tragic to describe the camera work, as the independent movie budget prevented the movie from exploring more of the beautiful tropical surroundings and placing the characters in more than one setting.
Jim Beaver does a wonderful job portraying the gruff, overly critical yet thoroughly loving father. He is as old and careworn as his typewriter, seemingly subsisting off of cigars, rum, and self-loathing over the poor choices he has made in his life. While taking a break from typing his next novel, he continually picks at Alex's life with his intelligent, prying mind; making sure to let him know with sharp sarcastic innuendoes that he is unhappy with her choice of nursing over writing as a career. Despite all of this, we still get such a sense of love for his daughter through his actions that we cannot help but like Parker. Perhaps it is that his prying into Alex's life is characterized by a desire to see her happy, and that his innuendoes are often accompanied by praise for her ability and for her intelligence. Indeed, after some time it becomes apparent that the gruff facade of Parker's is just that, a show that he puts on to cover up his fear of being hurt and his fear of alienating his daughter as he has the others in his past. Sharon Garnier, as Alex McKenzie, is no less deep a character. While she consistently rebuffs her father's attempts to force her back into writing, ostensibly because she likes nursing more but more likely because she fears the very large footsteps her talented father has left to fill, it is apparent that she would like, deep down, to do more with her life. That being said, while Jim Beaver made the deeper character of Parker shine through the facade that his dialogue sets up, Sharon Garnier does not seem to add as much to her character as he does. Indeed, the complexity of Alex could probably be attributed more to the writing and directing in the film, rather than to Sharon's adaptation of the character. That being said, these were minor issues with what is overall a film very worth watching.
Great film
nikwmcgee30 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
The Silence of Bees is a short film that discusses topics of ones true passion, their art, what they want to be remembered for and what the rest of the world would remember. Ones final last words, A fatal bee sting ends a life. A daughter torn apart, join the medical world, or write like her father wants of her. Set on the tropical island of Barbados, this short film has great directing and awesome dialog. It has a few big stars, and isn't long. It's a very powerful film, the dark night sky really sets the tone for this somber feeling that it provides. The actors do a great job in getting you interested quick with their amazing dark glances that they shoot at each other,
The Silence of Bees
shystee32513 December 2009
The Silence of Bees though a very short film is quite compelling in content dialogue. This film gives the audience a glimpse into the tattered father, daughter relationship that is revealed throughout the film. The film is compelling in such a way that it serves as a mirror to ordinary people who may play the roles of the depicted characters on a day to day basis. There can easily be a replacement of the parental or child role (father with mother and daughter with son). This is in the sense that this dialogue could take place between any parent and child. I also find this to be a film that speaks volumes to the audience because of how relative it is. These same conversations and tattered relationships, I'm sure, are shared between many parents and their children around the world. I happen to be able to relate perfectly because of the relationship I have with my mother. While watching the film I could see my mother and myself having the same type of dialog and I know that I am among many others who could see themselves and one (or both) of their parents cast in the same roles. In my opinion there are very few drawbacks in this film. The largest being the length of the film, which in essence almost enhances its quality by being the length that it is. Though the film is short it gets straight to the point and packs a mighty punch within the limits of its time frame. The other drawbacks would be the lack of variety in camera angles and shots and once again I think that had they been any more complex they may have distracted the audience from the substance of the dialog in such a brief film.
An Emotional film with just one issue
xshadowadamx20 May 2012
This movie was interesting, the opening was really neat. The music reminded me of a game I used to play, Final Fantasy X. The close up on the bee's was really nice. The rest of the movie looked like a Soap Opera to me. I'm not a fan of those at all, they don't really grab my interest that well. This movie though had a great emotional impact on me. My dad and I don't get along that well just like Alex and her father doesn't get along. The camera angles and shots really really great, they added to the drama of the movie. The sounds were right on with the sound levels. They weren't overpowering the voice acting, same goes with the music. The only things that drove me crazy was acting of Sharon Garnier, who played Alex. It was terrible to me. She reminds me of Kristen Stewart, the actress who shows no emotions. Also on some parts she just randomly tries to act too hard. The acting of Jim Beaver, who played Parker was great though. He made you feel bad of how he is losing his daughter. He was the key of this emotional film.
Strengths - Camera views, Sounds, music, and emotional impact are all great strengths in this film.
Weaknesses - The acting of Sharon Garnier was terrible to me. She seemed dull at some moments and then others seems like she was acting too much. One camera part that I didn't like was when she was bringing the soup to her dad, where it panned with her.
Strengths - Camera views, Sounds, music, and emotional impact are all great strengths in this film.
Weaknesses - The acting of Sharon Garnier was terrible to me. She seemed dull at some moments and then others seems like she was acting too much. One camera part that I didn't like was when she was bringing the soup to her dad, where it panned with her.
The film portrays the bond between father and daughter.
carolmayorga13 May 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The Silence of Bees is a short film portraying the bond between father and daughter. One of the strengths of The Silence of Bees is the emotions delivered by the actors. Even though the film is only a few minutes long, father and daughter are able to show how they care for each other, but at the same time how difficult is to understand and cope with each other. Then, the initial setting, close to a peaceful beach, says a lot about Parker's character. He really enjoys living there even though his daughter doesn't. In my opinion, the music was just fine; soft and nostalgic as a prelude of a peaceful death.
About the weaknesses of this short film, I would say that seems to me like a soap opera lightning or resolution. Also, I didn't like the excessive use of close-ups because it takes away the power of that kind of shot.
About the weaknesses of this short film, I would say that seems to me like a soap opera lightning or resolution. Also, I didn't like the excessive use of close-ups because it takes away the power of that kind of shot.
Not as great as the screenplay
jc-jlhs11 May 2011
When reading the screenplay for The Silence of Bees, it is intense, emotional and moving. The portrayal of this screen play is lacking. These emotions were not portrayed when seeing it on screen. I feel the actors are dry, less natural that I expected them to be. The scenery was not tropical like as I expected but looked more like a back yard in a Suburban California home. Being a low budget film I understand you have to make due with certain props but I feel more could have been done to create a real island feel. One thing that made me laugh a bit was the soup. It looked like Campbell's or Progressive chunky vegetable noodle soup, not something that she made. I think there were certain things that could have been emphasized more through camera angels, close ups and long shots. The camera angles also could have made the scenes more dramatic with close ups of things such as the rum bottle, typewriter or the note card. Also, some things are not portrayed on screen that is in the screenplay which could have given more depth to the film. For example, the pacing of Parker, in the screenplay, emphasizes how he is thinking and struggling about his writing and his relationship with his daughter. The film took this away. I do think they did a good job with the scene where she reads the note from the dad. This was the best scene in the film. Other than this scene the connection was not really there between the two actors. It was a bit emotionless. Overall, I think that with better actors, more emphasis on the connection between the actors and better props and scenery this film could improve. The intro music was beautiful though, I did enjoy that.I am curious to view the extended version. I am still confused about the Bees. Why are they symbolic?
The Silence of Bees (2008)
zepolsirhc8 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
"The Silence of Bees" is a extremely emotional short film. The father-daughter relationship that was portrayed seemed very realistic in nature. The cinematography was exceptionally done with great attention to detail. Every shot was done perfectly and it fully captured every mood and element of each and every actor. I really enjoyed watching this film. The only thing I would have to say that I did not like was the way in which Sharon Garnier expressed her motions. The facial expression she used were not in accordance with how she was acting. I would definitely recommend this film for others to watch and enjoy. I give this short film a thumbs up without a doubt.
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