Identiteaze

Went into this worried to be honest, as I'm a fan of Jesse and wanted the best for her first big production. I was worried that I wouldn't like it, and I'm easily turned off from watching things due to my short attention span (thanks ADHD)...I'm typically hard to please. Although I'm a fan as mentioned before, I feel it is kindest to creators that you are honest with them and let them know upfront if you don't feel they would thrive in an endeavour, as ultimately it would lead to pain and disappointment for them down the line if you tell them white lies.

However I really enjoyed this short, of course there are parts of the dialogue that I would change as it was a tad too existential for me, but appreciated it for what it was trying to do.

I enjoyed how clean the film work was, the actors performed well and sets were pleasing to the eye.

Being as this is a start to what I hope is a long career for Jesse this is really promising and I look forward to seeing what she creates next, if she decides that this is ultimately what she wants to dedicate herself to.

I didn't really know what to expect exactly, but i thought it was well done. The performances were solid, and the dialogue worked for me. Don't want to say too much without spoiling something, but our two main characters and the actors who play them do a very good job of being distinct and yet having some essence in common. Part of that is the dialog and part of that is the actor. The sterile look works for what this is about; and that ending is eerie. The use of a turntable was particularly interesting; given how often records tend to scratch (around me anyway). And the song is a banger. I'm very glad I watched it; movies with horror undertones don't tend to appeal to me; but this one worked.

There are a couple of moments in this short film that I found to be pretty funny, or clever, but overall I think even at its best, Identiteaze is just okay. And unfortunately, for most of its runtime, it feels pretty bland, and lacking in anything to really engage the viewer; with the central characters (character?) being rather ill defined, and seeming to have different personalities each line in order to facilitate the dialogue, and the plot being mostly pretty standard sci-fi tropes, and hinting at some greater scope without really telling, I feel, a satisfying story by the end of its 40 minutes. The actors did fine (although I found something a little off about Abigail Thorn's performance, tbh), and the effects were mostly decent for the kind of budget I'm assuming this had.

I am definitely interested to see what more nebula artists make with this kind of backing.

This short film reminded me of the TV show Severance, but where Severance provided enough information to generate specific questions about the core mysteries of the story, Identiteaze gave too few clues to spark an investment in the story. The visuals were good and the actors did well with what they were given. Much of the dialogue was repetitive or frustratingly vague, including a convoluted series of musical metaphors. I appreciate that this is a sincere effort from a cast and crew comprised of people often underrepresented in media, and I generally enjoy science fiction that explores elements of the human experience, including gender. The execution just didn't work for me.

Full disclosure I've been a fan of writer director Jesse Earl known on YouTube as Jesse Gender for at least a year by now. While I don't agree with everything she says I always find her analysis of current Star Wars shows and other similar stuff to be compelling. I would love for this to lead to a series as she has expressed a hope for though it does also tell a full story. This is deeply impressive and not just for a debut. It is primarily made for members of the LGBTQ+ community especially trans and non-binary folks and I really appreciate that it doesn't feel the need to bend over backwards to accommodate us cis-het allies. But don't fret, everyone can find something to relate to in the exploration of identity, of being forced to hide part of who you are.

The technical aspects are immaculate. Impressive acting and writing getting across the ideas. No, the metaphor and allegory are not subtle but I think given how bad things have gotten with legislation(the bathroom bills etc.), we've gotten to the point where just being direct is the best approach. The editing captures the liminal space, the cinematography uses careful framing to underline, in a style somewhat reminiscent of Kubrick, the sterile, alienating set design which takes some inspiration from the masterpiece Cube. There's also some Matrix going on - it's no secret that the Wachowskis did an amazing job exploring what it's like being trapped in a system that hates you, in part for your individuality, and this takes that to a new level without ever feeling like a lazy rehash.

This is thankfully not as winky and frankly kind of gatekeepy as the Channel Awesome anniversary movies - rather, it is what it looks like when *talented* nerds(a term I use affectionately, as I myself am one) are able to make a piece of fiction that they're passionate about. This manages to put every cent of its budget on screen, similar to for example the pilot for Lost and unlike the one for Star Trek Enterprise. The special effects are great and it makes the wise indie decision to not try to depict something it can't do well. It features solid criticism of systems, corporations, the metaverse and binary choice. 8/10.