Missing Hearts is an entertaining and touching indie
by Nav Qateel
Set on the Red Planet two-hundred years in the future, and with dust storms seriously effecting practically everything, astronaut Cassie crash lands and is forced to seek shelter. After contacting the rescue ship, Cassie comes across Hiru, a humanoid robot that has been desperate for companionship and someone to talk to. With Hiru happy to share his vast knowledge of the planet and Cassie more than willing to listen and learn, the pair clearly enjoy one another’s company leading to a pleasant friendship.
Hiru has a fascinating back story that is explored just enough for the audience to grasp the depth and complexity of. It takes us into how his crew died and how he did his best to save them. Like Hiru, Cassie also has a solid back story, albeit a tad more pedestrian involving her being left alone at the alter. However there is a nice twist to her story that suddenly moves the tale in a more dramatic direction.
Written and directed by Kit Wilson, short film Missing Hearts is a wonderful example of what can be achieved with limited resources and tiny budget, but loads of passion and skill. Wilson has done a solid job of creating a futuristic yet neglected shelter on a desolate planet. The Martian sky and sand dunes are incredibly authentic looking adding to the overall effect and selling the audience on this heart-warming yarn.
While the story itself initially appears to be fairly straightforward, by the halfway point one can really appreciate just how much thought has been put into each aspect, and having it share parts of the story with The Wizard of Oz was such a delightful touch. It was done rather skillfully making us care all the more for Hiru and Cassie.
Cassie is played by Chantel Frizzell, and she puts the right amount of gravitas into her performance which gives the seriousness of the situation more power yet never overdoing it. John Grossman is given the task of bringing robot Hiru to life, which anyone will understand is no easy task.
Brent Spiner, who played Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, gave us the the baseline for this type of character and Grossman managed to pull it off convincingly. Frizzell and Grossman worked well together as though the pair were well acquainted which again, helped sell the overall tale.
Missing Hearts is an entertaining movie with a touching finally that everyone should enjoy. I know I certainly did, thanks to convincing performances, skillful directing and a story that really stood out.
Nav’s Score: 7.5/10
