Perhaps driven by a need to get the "dross" out first, the evening began with two gleefully campy flops, both written directed and funded by US expatriate Michael "Keyboard Money Mike" Williams. The latter, a cheap (and cheap-looking) Terminator spoof, preceded by a slightly more substantial but still shoddy story about a down-on-his-luck janitor who decides to impersonate his record company boss for kicks.
Director Rozanne Vereen (right) with her two leads from the movie "?" |
he searches for a particular address, and on the way is intercepted and assaulted, we assume by a group of men. The scene only suggests that the assault may have been sexual, a suggestion strengthened by the man's rapidly deteriorating mental state and paranoia in the aftermath. His hapless wife, unable to cope with these mysterious changes, and unable to extract any details, takes the obvious route of separation, but their troubles do not end there.
The film is full of uncertainty and has no conventional resolution. But critically, Vereen presents the story to the viewer without seeking to accommodate, a great credit to her narrative and visual skills. The audiences sees the tense exchanges between husband and wife, matched with his direct physical retreat (blocking out all light, refusing sexual advances) as the internal pressure mounts. There is the inevitable impulse to wonder why he chooses not to speak out, even to one whom he is supposed to trust. It subtly speaks volumes about the state of the relationship prior to the incident, but the director gives us no easy answers.
All in all, a very engaging effort, one we hope will be expanded into feature length.
All in all, a very engaging effort, one we hope will be expanded into feature length.
No comments:
Post a Comment