Fred Armisen and Sophia Takal muse on dreams and memory in this short film

By Rob Dean | January 26, 2016 | 8:30pm

Aux Features Film

It’s always impressive when a short film is able to connect on an emotional level, using its limited running time to actually impact the viewer. George And The Vacuum is such a short film. It features two people simply discussing dreams, babies, and memories—but is done so well, and is so familiar in its themes, that it has a lasting effect on audiences. Featuring Fred Armisen and Sophia Takal as the two people, the short is reminiscent of early-mid Woody Allen and Charlie Kaufman, with a flight of fancy underscored by a real sense of melancholic loss.

George And The Vacuum is expertly crafted, written by Charlyne Yi and directed by Chadd Harbold, creating a dreamlike feeling while calling back to intimate independent films of previous years. It’s only about five minutes long, but creates a whole emotional world in that short span, with viewers experiencing a familiar sensation in regard to relationships.