Fan movies are a dime a dozen these days. Its such an easy to get into but an extremely competitive space that sometimes we fail to notice some true gems hidden underneath that pile of coal. Director Mahmut Akay, a newcomer in the industry, has managed to give us just that. Close Shave is a fan made X-Men short movie. Featuring Wolverine as the lead character, the typical yet layered pace of the movie would leave you stupefied. The premise may be a done and dusted template but the movie does a bang on job at making the most of what it has at its disposal.
Mahmut Akay calls it a “dark comedy reinterpretation” of the tale of a legendary mutant superhero of Marvel Comics. In the world of Close Shave, Wolverine is the sole surviving mutant, the rest of his species having been wiped out prior to the events of the movie. The entire movie is about Logan’s visit to a barber-shop. All the barbers hate mutants and they instantly recognize Wolverine.
To watch what happens next, watch the full video:
The movie begins in the heart of London. A lavish barbershop is following news on mutants. an infamous mutant has been sighted in the area in which the shop is located. Wolverine is no longer the buff and toned mutant hunter-killer with abs of steel. He is obese, overweight, and slow. The barbers joke he probably will not be able to fit into his “Yellow Spandex” anymore. The camera then pans out and shows us things from Logan’s perspective. He is listening to a motivational recording, probably trying to rehabilitate himself from a life of rage and violence.
He enters the mutant hating barbershop with the alias “James”. Things escalate sooner than later. The barbers believe Wolverine’s weight gain indicates his powers do not work anymore. They stab him repeatedly and for a moment, we too start believing the same. That is until Wolverine finally gets up, pops open his claws as his wounds start healing, unleashing hell on his attackers.
“Fuck it. I Tried.” Those would be the last words the barbers ever heard.
Close Shave is a movie with an imperfect composition. The very premise, like we said, is done and dusted territory. Then again, the entire X-Men franchise has been dragged on for so long that there’s literally nothing new left to experiment with. The short film uses its limited time to deliver a powerful allegory. The acting is brilliant and only adds on to the charm of the movie’s wonderful direction. We wish this fan-film could have taken a little more time to focus on Wolverine. But the time-frame could only give so much creative space. All in all, it is a mildly flawed but wonderful attempt.
If you liked this movie, you could watch Akay’s other directorial ventures – Day One, 30 Years, and Dominion on YouTube.
Source: Mahmut Akay
