Sisyphus Unbound | Average Guy Movie Review

Virgil, a college writing student, hopes to have his latest story published, but he must first get over one major hurdle before his work gets out to the world, his mercurial writing professor Richard Laymen.

Sisyphus Unbound proves to be the perfect title for this oddly relatable and rather compelling tale of student and teacher - and yes, I did have to look up who Sisyphus was (Greek mythology is definitely not my strong suit). We've all had at least one teacher who seemed to have it in for us, or at the very least we didn't like. Now this may be an extreme example, but it's a role that Timothy J. Cox seems to revel in, because there is something delightfully despicable in his portrayal of the evil professor. While - in complete contrast - Frederick J. Todd turns Virgil into a kind of hero of the downtrodden. It would have been easy for Todd to play Virgil in a way that makes him appear a little pathetic. Instead he makes it about a man finding his voice, and his courage.

With less than 8 minutes to work with, writer/director Ryan Flemming utilises every second to build this rather tense relationship in a single scene which takes the form of a student/teacher meeting. With Cox doing a brilliant 'lord of all I survey' monologue, it doesn't take long for you to start rooting for Virgil. In fact, it is surprisingly stirring, especially for a short film. Forget Sisyphus! It's Virgil who should be unbound. Unbound from this twat of a teacher with a god complex. Unfortunately while Virgil and Laymen lock horns - or at least one tries to escape the other - Emerson Adams' Gwen is for the most part on the outside looking in, before becoming a tool in this battle of wills. That said, she does deliver a wonderful performance that clearly demonstrates how different a person can be at home and at work.

A surprisingly stirring short film. Undoubtedly one we can all relate to, at least in some way. The three fantastic performances really draw you into the drama, so much so that by the end of it you will be rooting for Virgil's success... and a swift kick in the ass for Professor Laymen.

9/10

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