Short Cinema: John Wants a Cigarette

Not every story needs to be a long winded epic of dramatic twists and turns, nor even a deep dive into the complexities of profound or existential topics. Sometimes all a story needs to be is a single, simple idea expressed so divinely that it sticks to the mind like a catchy tune, slashes the heart like a bitter word, or warms the soul like a tight embrace. This is the gift Writer-Director Rajvir Singh of Day Drinkin Club gives us with his endearing short film, John wants a cigarette.

John wants a cigarette is a short film about John Price (Stuart Bassett), a humble, low level employee that craves one simple thing throughout his day, the chance to smoke a cigarette. In fact, it’s such a severe craving that throughout his entire seemingly mundane existence, it appears to be the only aspect of his life that he really looks forward to or finds any beauty in. However, the film makes a point not to drive this home with typical outbursts of anger or tingles of impatience, but rather elegant daydreams during John’s quiet moments.

Now admittedly, after my first watch, I found the film jumbled, a little dull, and needlessly erratic with its edits, resulting in a feeling of confusion more than anything. But then I watched it again, paying closer attention to the narrative rather than waiting for the film to explain itself to me. It was then I found a much more beautiful or perhaps melancholy story (depending on how you look at it) about John’s somewhat romantic relationship with his vice. And true enough, some of my original irks with the film still came up, like a few head scratcher moments included in some of the montage sequences. But these are minor gripes at best.

John wants a cigarette is not a film intent on dazzling you like many of today's showboaty blockbusters, overly quirky indies, or any shorts attempting to emulate the like. Instead it gives you a flash of an aspect within an instant of someone's life that (if considered enough) may just get its viewers to think about their own vices and how they relate to them. I know I certainly did. But even if you find yourself a little lost after a first watch, watch it again. It’ll be a well spent eight and half minutes. I promise.

Link: (John wants a cigarette) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3o3NbX-77E

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