Top Hat is a movie you may want to watch again and again because it really is terribly delightful. At just over two minutes, it spins with the brilliance we have come to expect from Disney shorts. Top Hat follows a young man working in a launderette domineered by a man who is constantly having a go at him. When a client comes in and asks for his hat to be dry cleaned, a mishap leaves the hat in a bit of a disarray.
The ending here is the crux of the movie and it works like a marvellous punchline. Director Michael Middleton-Downer has tried to work short films with different genres but feels the best work in this format. Together with Sam Hutchinson and based on the latter’s story with the same name, Top Hat becomes a fascinating and marvellous short that is funny, quirky and hits the right notes. Certainly brimming with childlike wonder this short provides epic amounts of comedy. With Top Hat a mixture of influences comes through. Middleton-Downer says he is a massive fan of the magic of cinema and what better way to praise classic stars and humour such as the Marx Brothers or Charlie Chaplin. With such a short air time, it may seem impossible to fit all this into a concise and excellent short film. But the super talented team managed it, which is impressive as it was simply an experiment.
We Move Pictures has a great array of different movies under their belt, largely their Beast trilogy which is completely improvised and provides some excellent end products. Their third entry is due this year and it is highly anticipated. We Move Pictures productions is going to be a team to look out for. If Top Hat and their previous works are anything to go buy, a long and lengthy career is due.
[vimeo url=http://vimeo.com/79139724]