Short Film Review: ‘Crying on Command’, when faced with an opportunity of a lifetime, how bad do you want it?

Director Nick Craven‘s latest short film, ‘Crying on Command,’ is one that has the actor at heart. In 13 minutes, it tells a unique story about one of the challenges that comes within the field of acting and the quest for a breakthrough for talents. What does an actor have to do to get noticed more or less?

At the centre of the film is aspiring actress Jordyn (played by Nancy Kumball), who finds herself in an audition for what she believes could be the role of a lifetime. As she gets called to enter the room, she is clearly nervous but also determined. She pours her heart into the monologue and certainly wins the approval of the one she is reading with on the panel. But just when it seems like she is much closer to her dream, she is given one last challenge. The director requests that she cry. As she tries to summon the tears, you realise even more how challenging this must be for her. Jordyn struggles, her desperation mounting, and the failure to produce tears pushes her to doubt herself, and she starts to spiral into self-doubt right in front of those who seem to hold the keys to her next breakthrough role.

Nancy Kumball brings Jordyn to life with a raw, naive intensity that captures both the hunger and the fragility of a young performer chasing her break. In this short, her performance feels heartbreakingly authentic, particularly in the small moments. You see the joy and hope she beams when it’s clear that she has almost landed the role, and then the sudden switch to fear and desperation when she is challenged with that last request. And then, when she is finally rejected, her devastation is obvious and brutal.

The short film is written and edited by Jake Fallon, who also plays the role of Bert, possibly the producer or casting director who reads with Jordyn in the audition room. We see how Bert also struggles with having to put Jordyn on the spot with the final request at the behest of the director. However, it is also in that moment that they need to see who is best suited for the role. Jake Fallon‘s performance is equally well-delivered and certainly captures the high stakes and intensity of that audition moment.

‘Crying on Command‘ is a simple story, and it purposefully keeps everything else also simple. The choice of cinematography is tight framing and side profile shots, like you would expect from an audition tape. But these choices also subtly capture the psychological state of the main character, Jordyn. The audition space is also mostly white walls that allow you to focus more on the characters and their performance with no distractions.   

I believe this film and its story are relatable for anyone who has had to audition or interview for a role or position at a job. The feelings of anxiety, fear, desperation, and vulnerability that you have to face when it comes to fighting for something that you truly believe could be an opportunity of a lifetime. It is all there within those 13 concise minutes. But, you can’t help but wish there was more, perhaps a much longer narrative that captures how this encounter affects Jordyn or shapes her immediate future in the field of acting. Is it just her limitations as an actor, or is there more to it? How bad does she want that role, and how far is she willing to push herself to get it?

I will score this short film 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a simple yet deliberate reminder that we all deserve a chance and that we can only go as far as we will let ourselves go, especially when faced with an opportunity of a lifetime.