Unbecoming by Jack Daniel McNamara

Its always interesting and exciting when writing a music video review, “Unbecoming” is a well structured piece of work with a noble message about being true to ones self and making the choices that we want and not always trying to impress or be someone else that others would like to see. A matter that is only achievable when we become free from the societal chains and we truly live our life to the max, a life that is not judged by stereotypical appearances but by the true essence of oneself and by following our inner needs and wants.

Director “Helen Mc Namara” smartly knew how to deliver her intended message through the remarkable development of events and succeeded in less than 4 minutes to present a well-structured piece of work.

Acting wise, the main actor in the video clip, played a major role in the intended message, through the use of his facial expressions and body language in which he did more than an ok job but mastered the sense of conveying the emotional desire of wanting something so bad for himself that he was willing to give up everything to achieve that goal, the rest of the cast could have done a better job since at some moments they seemed to be overacting.

The mood of the music combined with the singer’s voice are a major pillar of any success that the work has since the synergy between them is pretty remarkable and noteworthy, not to mention the sincere effect  conveyed  when relating vocals to the images presented.

Technically, the work represents a mix of ups and downs and a lot of inconsistencies; be it in the choice of frames, camera movements, colors or even editing, what is meant by that tis that some parts looked really professional with a clear understanding of the language of the camera while others were nothing more than amateur like work, this is what could be called a real missed opportunity since this work had all the components of being a smashing hit but needed a bit more attention.

Finally, after everything that has been said earlier there is no denial that “unbecoming” is nothing less than a success, and the combination of all the elements (talented director, good acting, music and vocals…) proves that this type of work has a lot of potential for nothing less than a bright and vibrant future.

N.Khouri Ph.D

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