L'armadio

Closet, The (2002)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Original title: L'armadio

Italian short has a young boy, in bed alone, hearing noises from his closet and going into a state of panic because he doesn't know what it is. After a few minute he decides to walk over and open the door. I won't spoil what's in the closet for you but there's a nice twist that makes this seven-minute short worth viewing. Albanesi would go onto make the cult title THE LAST HOUSE IN THE WOODS and while I had problem with that film and this one, it's clear to see that the director wants to lead the viewers one way before pulling a rug out from them.

In this 6 minute and 42 second short (which can be found on the DVD of "Last House in the Woods") deals with a young child who can't sleep due to mysterious and spooky sounds emanating from his bedroom wardrobe. Curiosity gets the better of the still horribly frightened child and in order to avoid spoilers, I'll stop there. Suffice it to say, I found this short modestly well-crafted and it kept my interest for the scant running time even if the short doesn't really bother with loose ends or motivation. Giorgio Busi as the young boy gives a surprisingly adequate performance.

My Grade: C