The mass appeal about "Partners" comes from its amazing cast of character actors within a dark humored comedy involving the backstabbing
business of a law firm where being ahead doesn't necessarily being at the top of his career. And it's directed by RoboCop Peter Weller, who in
turn, received an Oscar nomination in the Best Short, Features category.
Griffin Dunne stars as Dean, a good lawyer chosen to be a potential partner at the firm commanded by Edward Hooper (Joseph Maher), a
very demanding boss. As a test to the position, they visit a powerful and lucrative client (Graham Beckel) and his wife (Marg Helgenberger).
The twist: that woman was Dean's ex-girlfriend and that sudden re-encounter resurfaces love from both parties, a series of innuendos and
mishaps where Dean's promotion is jeopardized and highly gossip about with his colleagues (the 'Grave Squad' lawyers played by Ed Begley, Jr.,
Charles Martin Smith, J. T. Walsh, Kevin Nealon, David Rasche, Alan Rosenberg, Robert Hays, and Bryan Gordon).
What will truly survive in this dog-eat-dog world? Dean's career or the alleged love he has for the girl? Let's just say that everything
is a series of bizarre situations where Dunne's character slowly decends into madness and the further he goes, the funnier (and darker) it gets.
Whenever he plays those lost characters - like in "After Hours" - he truly captivates our interest and gets us laughing and worrying all at once.
The fight at the client's house as he tries to conquer the woman back is hilarious, with him flying around with each punch he gets. And the whole
cast is comfortable in their roles, small parts or not.
But "Partners" is one of those short films that after you watch it, you get the impression that there wasn't much of a deeper meaning
to it; or as if there's something missing. It basically exists to show the absurdity of the business world, the law world and its schemes
where sometimes the ultimate result will always depend on unpredictable factors, the less examined situation. And that's where most bosses fail
to understand why they fail...for not looking at the picture as a whole and just believing in the surface. 8/10.
