A very nice, and impressive film 
A very nice and impressive film. And not just because of the horse. Although it was amazing that you were not only able to photograph it, but it was moving and doing stuff great! Fine job with the editing, its a nice idea. A few of the scenes were amaturish. But most of the scenes excelled beyond the amature level. Especially nice was the sound. I think you might have done a bit better on the interior locations, especially as it was an interior location which is basically free for you, but oh well. Good luck in the future. -- By InfoUp, Posted on Sunday, April 10, 2005



I Wish 
As You Wish used some nice cinematic nuances: flashbacks from black and white to color (present and past), transition shots (focus on the eye of the ailing older woman then shifting to the horse….and others. I liked the older man and thought he was believable. The woman, both as an older woman and as a younger woman, needs acting training. And the tempo of the piece seemed to drag. The ending surprised me—but I really wanted to know more: Why was she sick? Did they ever have kids? Hope you keep making films. -- By sgladis, Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004

Good film. 
I thought the idea of this film was very good. Editing was very clean throughout the entire film. From the getgo, the music captured my attention, and I really liked how it played a big part in the tone of the film throughout the story. Good job. My only complaint is the length of the film. -- By justle, Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2004


As you like it 
As you like it asks the question to what extent can one show Love? This is a moving and thought provoking piece as we watch the journey of Bill and Grace faced with the gravity of her illness.This film shows the extent to wish we show love is in ultimately letting go. -- By lane, Posted on Saturday, October 16, 2004


Moving and inspirational 
This was a pretty moving piece that I thought was structured well and had a good strong theme flowing throughout.The jumping through time was clever and cut well espicially the scene with the flute interlinking the two scenes togeather. You made this couple look more genuine and human because we saw various stages of their lives but at crucial different times, when they were happy, sad and finally the end and that allowed the story to be more moving at the end.The shots were good as well and I liked the lighting some good striking shadows in the room. The idea of black and white at first put me off but when you cut to colour at the end I think it worked and had a purpose most films I find don't but this did have.The preformances from the pair were good, particulary Rick who came across very well, certainly a good find there.The film itself though was clever, moving and I think was made well, the preperation you put in worked, good effort. -- By george23, Posted on Friday, October 8, 2004

As You Wish reminds us that less is more with filmmaker Vaidyanathan's sparse site and sound imagery. 
As you wish is successful in doing a great within the medium of digital short to tell a story that spans ( 25?-?) years or so and keeping the main points focused. The couple's love seems heartfelt and sincere, the struggle that Bill goes through in his decision comes across well with the fine nuances like the touching the flute box before he opens it. Although I think this is a strong piece that doesn't use much that is superfluous, I question the method Bill used to relieve her of her pain, and although the script lead to this conclusion even in the introduction; I think the transition to Bill's final decision is not clear. Overall it's a great piece that is well acted, scripted, and shot. Cheers dwrite -- By dwrite, Posted on Monday, October 4, 2004



AS YOU WISH... Review 
Touching and romantic. I liked the way colour was used to depict past and present (and then finally present). The story, though simple, was really well told and a lot of that is due to some good acting performances. If I had any criticism it would be that it was maybe a bit long - perhaps if it was tightened up a bit it may run better. -- By doonae, Posted on Tuesday, August 31, 2004

As You Wish 
Excellent !. Beautifully done . The aging affect is superb . I was genuinley suprised by the couples younger selves, Which shows how effective they were as older people . The music was fine but a little disconcerting in places , especially at the beginning of the bedroom scene , there is a sort of single gong sound . The doctor was also slightly incongrurent , looking into the old mans face , it seemed slightly invasive . As far as the technical issues , the short seemed well shot and edited . The scenes with the horse's was refreshing and interesting . The dialogue was good , if a little cliched in places , but then what does one say at these moments . Grace's pain and distress was well acted , and the flashback to when they first met was emotional . The Baby stuff left questions as to why wouldnt they go for help , and distracts a little from the characters belivability . An Excellent short film . A great deal of talent is displayed here . Good luck with future projects , I shall keep a look out . -- By xxDianaxx, Posted on Thursday, August 26, 2004

Very Nice! 
I must say, I was impressed with this movie! The makeup on the characters was excellent! When I was first watching, I thought it was OK, but when I saw how young they characters really were, I was shocked! Very nice job! The acting was great as well! There was no overacting, and no underacting! Very nice job! The sound was hard to hear at times, so that would be a huge help if it was amplified a little. The flute playing scene was a little "not matching the music" but, thats ok. I would give it a 6 our of 7 stars on my scale! -- By Metro City Productions, Posted on Tuesday, August 17, 2004



powerful tearful wonderful 
i am a sentimental fool but this short touched me .. the acting was a little lacking but the script was wonderful. i am sorry to say anything bad about this short. arun knows how to rip the heart out of the viewer and wrap it around a pole. the mains' acting was heartbreaking. use of color change was effective as was the music. i think if arun had access to better equipment and actors, they would produce truly marketable media, but again, i cannot really say anything bad about this short. bravo. -- By sgmicheal, Posted on Friday, July 16, 2004


Impressive effort 
Beautiful photography throughout most of the film. Great lighting and camera work made the film. I wish the sound matched the quality of the images. The soundtrack with the flute was fine and appeared to help the film flow, but the other music particularly at the begining of the film was a poor choice. I also would suggest that the location shot for the doctor and husband near the stairs did not match the photography in the rest of the film. I'm not a good judge of this type of story material so I will leave that to others (was this love or cowardice for the woman to ask for this favor?). I've made a lot of suggestions here, but I must say that the camera work and overall effort here was impressive. Regards. -- By argon, Posted on Tuesday, July 13, 2004



As You Wish... 
Some interesting choices here. The usual choice is to go to black and white as a flashback, not start in black and white and go to color as a flashback, so to me that was interesting. Some of the shots were really well composed. Nice job using the horses, that was great. And all the flashback stuff in general looked really good, I bought that it was the '60s or so. I personally would have liked to have seen the consequences of the decision made. I thought the music during the smothering part was a little too over the top. Keep at it Arun, it looks like you're starting to feel comfortable as a filmmaker. -- By sethlarsen, Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2004

gooood !!! 
very good made ! i am sure it was lot of work ! Actors are playing very good, also music is nice , story is interesting and camera work is great!Bravo for all of you who made this film because you can see that you like what you do. Arun you are very talented!!!!! -- By MILANARTS, Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2004

Diamond Dan Reviews 
The movie had a very Lifetime Movie feel to it. The acting in the begining of the film was mediocre but believable. Once the film was in color, the chemistry between the two characters was great and drew you to them. The editing and transitions were very good especially when it went from black and white. That was the first time I saw something that was in present day in black in white go to the past which was shot in color. The story had a good feel to it and left you thinking in the end. -- By Diamond Dan, Posted on Sunday, June 13, 2004

Last breath.. 
Well it's a really nice piece of film, and even though it was a bit long and slow i enjoyed it. The actors played very well, giving charisma to the story. The passes from black and white to color i thought they were fantastic, little flashes of life in the mind of a dying person. Though i didn't agree with the end and find it stupid to help your wife by killing her, even if she asks. Why she didn't want to go the hospital?? What illness did she have?? How they startedas a couple?? A little bit of more flashes.These are some aspects of your film that i think it woulkd have been better to follow for the whole 10 min. Pretty good soundtrack. As for the set i think you went a little too far with the stairs from the begging of the film, it felt something like a prison or a museum, but it keeps the atmosphere. Love makes you do crazy things. Two thumbs up for spirit and will to make a 10 min film. -- By sergiu24, Posted on Saturday, June 12, 2004

Nice! 
First of all, I have to say that I found this short film to be very moving. The dialogue was very well written. This film did very well in avoiding the tired cliche romantic one-liners. The main thing I noticed was that it was blaringly obvious that Rick Pisarro was not actually playing the flute. I don't know how many people would notice this, but it was a little distracting for me since I did notice it. Also, was the sound of Grace opening and closing her car door supposed to be missing? When she walks from her car to Bill the sound track doesn't match with her steps. Other than those couple minor issues, I thought this film was very powerful and I loved the reverse effect of using black and white for the present and color for the past. Well done! -- By Arche Films, Posted on Monday, June 7, 2004


as you wish... 
As you wish is a story about a dying spouse and the other spouse's need to help in any way possible. A really nice scene when the husband plays the flute for his dying wife and a nice segue into the past. Overall, this is just a really sweet piece, some of the scenes could be shortened, so so acting from the couple...the doctor had great delivery....continued success... -- By blackgrrrl, Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2004



......wow...... 
First off, I was quite impressed with the story line. I also like how real time is b/w while the flashbacks were color like "johny's got his gun" showing a happier & special time. It was also clever to go back to color at the end signifying, while something bad just happened, there is relieve to the condition haunting the couple. Sound track was quite good but as a musician myself, it was obvous that the "flute" was a wavetable synth and that the actors did not know how to play. I find that somewhat disturbing and would rather you either find actors who can really play or just not show them pretending to play. Great photography. It was dramatic and non intrusive even though there was movement (particularly that jib shot). You did what you needed and nothing else. You didn't come across as a showoff like many people do. The live sound was horrid though. A production with photography & acting like this deserves somebody holding a boom. I think since you know about foley, you might also consider ADR for the outdoor shots & perhaps get better vocal clarity in those noisy situations. Great job! First Indie movie that actually got an emotional response from me besides frustration (from all the things gone wrong). -- By wado1942, Posted on Saturday, May 8, 2004

lots to like in this film 
the things I liked about this film were the sound designing, the location designing, the makeup, the characters and the overall idea of the storyhowever I got confused at what i was watching, was it his parents first and then him meeting his next wife? or was it them in the future and then them in the present? it was not clearly established for me (but thats just a personal thing, everyone else seems to have got it)....his acting was good, she was a bit wooden, but i am thinking it was more the amount of dialogue, could have done with some trimming....BUT that does not detract from this being a well done film, liking a story, dialogue, and acting are all personal prefrences and will vary from person to person...the shot i liked best was when he pulled out the flute in the beginning, that was brilliant, i was chanting to myself "knife knife knife.....oh, its a flute...this is going to be different"...would have been WAY different if he played the drums...all in all, i enjoyed your film and could see the effort you put into it....excellent work... -- By sdrogue, Posted on Friday, May 7, 2004

Ambitious attempt 
I think this is a very ambitious subject matter for a short film. To try to convey a whole life's relationship and deal with the serious subject matter (I do not want to give the ending away, so am being a bit cryptic here!) in under ten minutes is a very difficult task. I think you were more successful with the former than the latter. The black and white photography is nice and compositions are generally nice and clean - although at times the reliance on the dialogue to tell the story made this feel a bit soap opera for my persona liking. But the performances were OK, and a general sense of love between the couple is built up very nicely. However, the moral theme is explored less successfully. There is no real time to build up any weight behind the decision he has to make - and the end seems a bit rushed. Perhaps the longer version gets this across more successfully. But on the whole a reasonable attempt. And it's nice to see a film taking on a weighty subject matter. -- By neilg117, Posted on Saturday, May 1, 2004


Noble Attempt 
I thought this was a noble attempt to deal with some difficult subjects. And it took on a real challenge in having the actors portray characters at significantly different ages. Unfortunately it fell a ways short. The actors were just not up to the task of conveying the power and gravity of the situation. And the make up artists did a pretty good with Bill but not very good with Grace. I thought the script was pretty good in general, but I didn't think it prepared the viewer well enough for the dramatic ending. I think Bill needs to show more struggle and Grace needs to convey more of a sense of how much pain she's in. I think this is partly a failing of the acting, but I think the writing could have been stronger to make it easier no matter who the actors were. I admire you taking on these kinds of challenges. Good luck in taking your craft to the next level. -- By Doctor J, Posted on Saturday, April 17, 2004


Goes for the meat... 
I always like watching a short that goes straight to the heart of what makes a good movie: meaningful interaction between characters in a realistic setting. This film maker has the courage to deal head-on with this most tricky aspect of his craft. All too often directors and writers go for the clever angle or trendy subject matter and construction.'As You Wish' makes a good attempt, and I'm sure the director/writer learnt a lot in the process. But the story, whilst well-constructed, is a little weak, and the acting is hampered by the need for the actors to become much older in some scenes. It's a simple romantic tale - perhaps too simple and at the end of the day and rather inconsequential.But overall it's a good attempt - the director/writer did not cop-out and went 'for the meat' - and for that he's to be commended. -- By PeDaSp, Posted on Sunday, April 11, 2004



Interesting 
This film is without a doubt a character piece. A good one at that. However a film like this should not be a short film. Here's why, first when I saw the wife caughing and the sad look on the husband's face it didn't mean anything to me, because these weren't characters I cared about, as I was given no reason to care about them. I filmmaking was good, kudos to the d.p., but the sound wasn't too good, i.e. no sound when she shut the door gave it away to me that you were using sound effects when there was no dialogue. The lead Male was believeable, as was the doctor, good job gentlemen. The ending didn't really work, but I do somewhat understand the concept of it. Overall I think this was a well executed film. Keep working. Best of luck to you. -- By JoshNegrinFilms, Posted on Saturday, April 3, 2004


SWEET AND HEART FELT 
You are drawn in from the start, and want to know what happend next. That is always a good sign. The acting was fare, but one is not expecting too much in that department. A lot of the camera composition was well done, and cut together nicely. Letting the color come back in after she dies was choice I would have skipped. I felt it was distracting and a bit abrupt. -- By Leadfoot, Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004

As You Wish Is a Lovable Love Story 
As You Wish is truely a lovable love story untill you get to the end. If you have not seen the film yet I will not say what happens. The beginning though seems like a real long introduction to the characters. The ending seems like the actual story. But it is still great and the characters are great. It is a love story that does not end like regular love stories, but I do not know if I can call that ending a real twist. -- By SuperFrostyMan, Posted on Wednesday, March 24, 2004




Love is in the air ... 
Until now, I've only seen (so-called) horror movies and thrillers. I was so glad to get this assignment : a romantic love story ... And I liked it. The pace was maybe a bit slow, but then again that's what you need in this kind of film. The music fitted perfectly well and your actors did a great job. I also liked the use of flashbacks. I enjoyed this film and really hoped for a miracle in the end. Therefore I was a bit surprised by the ending, but then again how else could this end ? Excellent job. -- By KVSmiley, Posted on Tuesday, March 16, 2004



remarkable 
i think that this is one of the best well done films that i have seen on trigger street. from the production, to the camera work, to the sound, to the editing, to the acting, this was truley a gem. the music also was fantastic. i thinki see the next festival winner! -- By jtreese87, Posted on Sunday, February 29, 2004

Touching 
This short tells us a touching story. The back story was cleverly done through a flasback of the couple's youth.The use of color to depict the good old days proved to be a wise choice. The planting of some kind of problem when she doesn't want to see a doctor was good too, but I think it could have been more developed.The bigest flaw of this project for me is tha lack of conflict and therefore drama. Even if we are touched by the husband's action to take her out of her misery, there's no setup for it and no hesitation wich might have demostrated his dilema. No, He just complies... An action of true love? Not for me.I still think it's really cool you make these movies and if you keep doing them and you're critical enough about your work, they'll keep getting better and better.Best of luck!!! -- By Tito, Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004



Extremely Well Done 
Acting is top-notch in this short. It is very clear when people take the time to prepare their films, as a viewer I can see the preparation in every frame and appreciate the respect that is accorded my time. That was the case here. The transition to the past was unexpected and fantastically executed. Totally not predictable and the addition of color was a wonderful contrast to the black and white signifying them reaching the end of their lives in the present. The whole mercy suicide concept is way played out though, and I saw it coming from the very first scene. Nothing wrong with that but there wasn't enough subtext in the plot to increase the drama. Scriptwise this piece was too straightforward. Maybe more complexity in the characters would have spawned more dramatic conflict around the mercy killing. Now it's just too simple: he loves her unequivocally, she wants him to play the flute, he does, she won't see a doctor, he acquiesces, she wants him to end her pain, he does - end film. Maybe the guy is stressing over her medical costs, and can't take it any more. Maybe the mercy killing is his idea, and he convinces her. Maybe she wants to see the doctor, and he says no. Something extra to add dimension. -- By Darion, Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2004


Hard to swallow ending, but nice film. 
Nice picture, great grasp on the filmmaking medium. I like the variation of shots, the camera angles and the switch from B&W to color. The story too was also very nice, with the exception of the end, which I had a hard time swallowing. It just seemed like he wouldn't have killed her that easily, maybe it was different in the 14 minute version. Lighting, camera work and editing were all good as well, although I thought the editing could have been tightened up in a few spots, just to bring the pacing along a bit. Overall a good movie, would like to see more. -- By monkeman, Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2004



great work! 
wow this was a very very good piece. Everything about it was done to cinematic perfection. even a short low budget short.. this was great. the cinematography was really good also the acting was better than what i usually see on TS. Keep up the good work! -- By PictureItFilms, Posted on Monday, February 2, 2004

seemed longer than it was 
This short seemed to last longer than it actually was. I don't know if that is good or bad. I liked the transitions between color and black and white. Overall the story was decent, the acting okay, the camera work good. I think that there were times when the actors could have been given better direction. For example the hug the couple shares in the barn seems like the timing is off, like there really was no need for a hug at that exact moment. Also the doctor starts off okay and then starts to rush to his next lines. I think that you did a good job and I would like to see more of your work. Now that I think about it though this short drags and that is why it seems so long. Maybe you could shorten it or spice it up a little. -- By jadorefilm, Posted on Sunday, January 18, 2004


This should be legal!! 
I applaud this film for making an effort to get this message out. This should be totally legal as it is in Oregon. The way terminally ill people have to suffer a horrible quality of life in most of this country is a disgrace to our dignity and rights. A person should be able to have a way out when it is time. This film carries a strong point. The actors were most charismatic. The movie could have been much shorter, but it still worked. This is a sad and touching story. The poor aging of the actors kind of took me out of the moment a bit, but I overlooked it due to the compelling story. I also could have done without that odd music before he picks up the flute. This film makes a good point and I'm glad it was made. -- By arthouse, Posted on Saturday, January 17, 2004


The question of love and loss 
I found this movie to be quite moving even though I normally have no interest in films of a romantic nature.I thought the acting was a bit stiff but the story line and the editing of the look back over there first meeting and part of thier life together worked very well. The flute music seemd to give the film a sad but sweet air and even when the husband took his wife's life I was left feeling he did it out of love.All and all pretty good for a love and loss story. -- By slarabee, Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2004

Solid feel 
this was a nice simple tale of love. The production values were great. Lighting was good. The only thing that I would like to see is a more realistic setting. Older folks usually have more momentos of their lives. Quilts and porcelain dolls. Pictures of kids. The setting in the house was very modern. Like a young persons house. And because she was so sick, maybe some pill bottles or an old oxygen tank for props to give it a really solid feel. You did such a good job with casting and script. Dont forget about setting the feel with the right props. Like the suede jacket and old car. Those set a certain feel. And it worked well. -- By mickeytaylor, Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2004


Memories of past 'performances' that touched these lives 
A touching yet painful tale, with a decent production. There was very little strong dialogue, but the few lines expressed the points of the story, and emotional mood. I felt the power of the concept was better expressed throught technical executions than the performances. The actors were not bad, but were more convincing in the scenes of their end than in their younger years together. A minor compression roughness, otherwise nice visuals, I thought the B&W to color scenes were effective (esp the first one), and the overall edit fell into place within the storyline(s). I especially liked the edit segue from the horse's eye. The pace was somewhat slow, but fit the mood of the piece. The soundtrack had a few noticable sounds, distracting footsteps. The score was wonderful in the opening scenes, but as the mood changed in her request to him, I found the score to be awkward - almost like a horror foreboding (which was not representive of the storyline itself). The performance of the song on the woodwind was beautiful, in both scenes, especially as the strong point to the emotion of their first to final moments. The ending was a little shocking, perhaps why those scenes in the room had a more powerful performance (impact on cast). -- By Elizabeth Anne, Posted on Thursday, January 8, 2004

Touching 
A poignant reminder that this is a time that will come eventually for all of us; make the most of your life until then. Try to imagine what it will be like to watch your loved ones die of old age - for me, this film did a good job in that it brought me there for a few moments. I thought a credible job was done aging the actors, especially because of the B&W converting to color then back again. Loved that vintage T-Bird; my father had one just like it. Not totally sold on the music - I didn't feel it captured the mood perfectly. The flute playing was a good mechanism to transport us to the different time periods. Good acting by Rick - the other two were passable. Good editing, the movie flowed pretty well with some interesting transitions - the only one I wasn't crazy about was the writhing horse - It was distracting, and took me away from that moment. Above all, this short asks the question - if your spouse is in a lot of pain, will you be able to end it for him/her? Try to imagine killing the person you love most, but because you love them and want to end their pain. I found this film to be powerful and emotional in subject. -- By Spodaking, Posted on Tuesday, January 6, 2004


As You Wish... The Gift 
The beauty of this piece is not as a tale of an old couple, but of the anguish, horrible pain and tremendous heartbreak that comes from dealing with a terminal illness and the tragic gift to be able to say goodbye. Bill has been Grace's Gibraltar through her entire illness. The flute flashback imagery, juxtaposed with playing the tune for her through to the last wish creates a beautiful transitioning. Haggard and torn by the emotional and physical fatigue, Bill does the unthinkable....Observations:Grace and Bill... to become convincingly old, re-evaluate the make-up. Rick & Selena need some prothesis work in the make-up department to come across as being "old" people, particularly their hands. You could also use someone with older hands for close-up shots on Grace's hands while she's in the bed, as well as close-up shots on Bill's hands while he's playing the flute? ...Prop Note: Buckets in the flashback of the barn... Exchange bright colored modern buckets with metal buckets....I would enjoy seeing the additional 4 minutes. Sotiris Charalambous did a good job of editing to get this down to the Triggerstreet 10 minute requirement. I hope to see more of Arun Vaidyanathan's work in the future.Thank-you. -- By DogHairPrincess, Posted on Sunday, January 4, 2004

As you wish review 
I wish this was a little longer. I thought this was a well done short. I enjoyed the transitions from black & white to color. I thought the actor's did a good job. A few sequences you can hear the rattle of wind in the background and the sound was hot near the end but that is a minor gripe to a well done short from start to finish. i thought the editing and camera work was well done and I enjoyed this short. -- By marleyluvsfilms, Posted on Sunday, January 4, 2004