WATCHING WALTER is playing at SBIFF (Santa Barbara International Film Festival), and I had the opportunity to see an early look. Here’s my spoiler-free take:
WATCHING WALTER is a 16-minute short film that tells the true story of watchmaker Walter Wojnas. It’s impressive how much emotional weight can be packed into a brief runtime. Led by Stephen Tobolowsky (Ned from GROUNDHOG DAY), the film adopts a muted style as it explores themes connected to WWII. Tobolowsky, who rarely gets the opportunity to play a leading man, delivers a performance that anchors the entire piece with dignity and depth.
WATCHING WALTER understands restraint, allowing Tobolowsky’s presence and the writer Mark Dylan Brown’s script to do the heavy lifting. Elsewhere, director Mitch Yapko doesn’t do anything flashy with the visual style. He keeps it straightforward and lets the drama of WWII shine.
Final Thought: WATCHING WALTER is worth your “time.”
WATCHING WALTER premieres at SBIFF on Thurs 2/12 – 6:00 PM