Retirement Plan
Rating: 4.5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
Everyone has huge plans for when they retire. They think that when they don't have to go to work anymore, they are able to spend the remainder of their lives focusing on different things they have wanted to do or achieve to feel fulfilled as a person. That is the case for John Kelly's animated short film Retirement Plan, a short picture that focuses on middle-aged man named Ray (Domhnall Gleeson) who is focusing on all of the things he can do once he retires. This thought-provoking short film is quick and witty, with interesting animation that allows for the viewer to reflect on themselves and what they want to achieve in life.
There is honestly a lot to unpack emotionally with this movie as we watch this character of Ray start to think about everything he wants to do once he finally "has the time". This is an incredibly relatable character as I'm sure everyone has had thoughts of what they wanted to do in life when they retire. Kelly crafts this character to be multi-faceted and full of different emotions and desires, presenting the idea that he is more than meets the eye. Throughout the course of this seven-minute short film, Ray allows us into his own psyche and what he thinks will make him happy in his lifetime. The film shows that it is O.K. to make mistakes and not like certain things, but you will waste every shot you don't take. There is something incredibly beautiful about how humans have so many wants and desires, and we don't take advantage of the opportunity to go after them in our life. If anything, Kelly's film is urging his audience to make these sacrifices and make sure they live their life to the fullest.
The animation style is very simplistic, but I think it adds to the realness and the grounded reality of this middle-aged man imagining his life after he retires. The animation blends beautifully with the thoughts and wants that Ray has, and it does a great job of showing these different aspects of life that Ray wants to be apart of. From getting different pets to being ok to say no to an orgy, all these thoughts about what millions of people want to do after their retirement are beautifully shown through this animation style, adding in a sense of wonder and appreciation for life. At the same time, I think Gleeson does a fantastic job of doing the VoiceOver narration for this film, which works very well with the animation and the script.
This short film, even though it is only seven-minutes long, does a wonderful job of presenting these thoughts and ideas millions of people have about what they would be able to do with their life after they retire. This is a short film that everyone who watches can relate to, and it does a great job of uplifting and inspiring everyone who watches it. This animated short film was made with heart and soul, encouraging everyone to spend the time they have here living their life to the fullest.
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