A Stormy Night

This movie was surprising. Sexual tension and good dialogue make for a few tense moments. Each person has their own level of morality. It's good to see this open discussion.

A threatening storm is playing havoc with flights from New York and causes "Marcos" (David Moragas) to seek shelter at his friend's apartment. She has gone alway to avoid the weather, but her friend "Alan" (Jacob Perkins) is there and the remainder of this film depicts the twenty-four hours (or so) as these two gay men learn a little about each other. It is quite intimately filmed, this - but the whole story is contrived and over-scripted. Perkins brings an intensity to his performance, but the underlying themes of love, happiness, frustration etc... are depressingly familiar. Despite the odd quip and some fairly predictable attempts at humour, this really just comes across as a rather unfulfilling story that left me indifferent to both characters and rather bored with a will they/won't they dynamic that really fails to get off the ground - and never looks like it should either. The audio of the thunder and lightening around them, along with some frequently rather dingy lighting, does lend a little to the atmosphere of the scenario, but in the end Perkins just has way, way too many lines to deliver and, well, eighty minutes seemed to take much longer.

Two strangers meet during a stormy night thanks to a mutual friend. One is a film maker from Spain on is way to a festival in California that is showing his documentary. The other works from home on a dating app, a gay dating app, and hosts the filmmaker on his unscheduled layover in NYC/Brooklyn.

An intimate film, a character study of two strangers whose brief encounter changes both their lives, not in big dramatic terms but sufficiently that one feels both have grown in small but discernible ways thanks to the encounter.

The black and white cinematography feels appropriate and reminds one of character driven European films of the 50s and 60s. There is a graduate student feel to the film (thesis project), some stilted dialogue, and wish there had been more clarity and development in the characters. But given the obvious budget restraints, the sensitivity to the subject, and the charm and ease of David Moragas as actor, I'd say it's an auspicious beginning.

If you don't need car crashes and sex but enjoy the subtle and more lyrical character study, you'll appreciate the work here.

The conversations the 2 protagonists (around 40 - 45 minutes) raise the script above an amateur level.

Plus all the actors are convincing in their characters's portrayals. 👌 Filmed in a crisp/focused B & W adds an effective atmosphere to the story.

Goodness. Yakily, Yakily, Yak and more whiny Yak Yak Yak. Drama in drama out. If I were Marcos, I would have had dashed out of that yin energy vampire black hole within 5 mins of encounter and checked into the YWCA instead for a more authentic butch environment. I felt drained just watching for 30 mins and then decided I'll FFWD this Woody Allen masterpiece to its end while I pound in this review.