A children’s birthday-party entertainer named Russell is dressed for one of his gigs as the animated character Shrek when he receives a call from his sister, Ally, telling him that his estranged father is on his deathbed and he needs to rush over immediately or risk missing his chance to say good-bye. He looks down at his elaborate costume, complete with convoluted prosthetics and green makeup, and asks, “Do you mean like right now?â€
It’s a perfect premise for a comedy sketch, if not the most meaty. One could imagine a version of it on the now-defunct platform Vine, where it cuts off right after Russell delivers this line. But that’s not the route filmmaker Matt Kazman took with it. In his new short film, Donkey, a Vimeo staff pick, he plays out this scenario over a winding 15-minute journey, beginning with Russell driving to his gig listening to self-help affirmations, to Russell being rejected from the party he was supposed to work for not effectively capturing Shrek’s likeness, to the aforementioned phone call, to a distraught Russell arriving at the hospital to see his father but being forced to continuously field questions about his costume, which no one seems to be able to recognize. “You look like a green ogre, I just didn’t know it was specifically Shrek,†a tearful Ally says to him through sobs. “What other green ogre am I supposed to be, Ally?†Russell replies.
The key to it is the performances of Dru Johnston and Sarah Hagan, who play Russell and Ally with admirable subtlety and linger in moments for just the right amount of time. By the time Russell is standing over his unconscious father’s deathbed, apologizing for being distant, opening up about his depression, and saying his final good-bye, the film evokes genuine emotion. It lulls you into a state where you almost forget Russell is dressed like Shrek. And then comes a punch line so perfect that to spoil it would be a crime. Just watch it. You, too, will be glad it’s not a Vine.