Although Juno and Up In The Air are well-crafted, funny, and touching movies, Jason Reitman really did his best work in the short form. In God We Trust is as good as a comedic short film can get. Its successor Consent is almost as good, although it works on a different scale of storytelling. Showing off his talent for filmmaking and a distinct sense of humor, Consent seemed to be a perfect calling card for Reitman, who went on to make his feature film debut Thank You For Smoking after this short. One may say that Reitman only used short films to master his skills before taking on bigger projects, but it seems he was well aware of the powers the short form gave him and used those advantages to make the best he could within this art form we all love.

The story concentrates on the humorous view of the first sexual contact between a boy and a girl, and goes to absurd lengths when their lawyers discuss the legal terms of the approaching intercourse. The moody atmosphere Reitman creates, combined with the likeable acting, Consent never takes itself too seriously and feels like a well-balanced piece of filmmaking, working best, if not exclusively, in the short film medium. The clever writing is outstanding and gives the romantic/sexual comedy new and much needed alternatives. Playing off the guidelines of the romantic comedy genre, Reitman hits a comedic home run by satirizing the absurdity of the clichéd bedroom talk. I won’t give it all away, but while you may think this little story is funny enough on its own, the twist at the end will have you laughing through the closing credits.