I do not always read about a film before I write about it myself, but in this case I did because I was not sure quite how to take it. Going to IMDb for the plot summary suggests that the central idea is that Barron is so much in a state of self-loathing and pity, that he can't stand the idea that someone would want to be with him – and that there must be something wrong with her if she does. This is taken to a violent extreme in this film where lonely, ugly Barron goes on a faked blind date, but luckily his date is so blind drunk that she goes with – although continues to the next day.
In terms of impact it is hard to fault the short film because technically it is very well made. The images, the sharpness of the sets and scenarios, all work to produce a very well feeling film which looks good and as style to it. I also basically liked the very odd tone – horror perhaps, depressant, romantic, hopeful; all of these things are well controlled and work. The central concept is also a good one, but unfortunately, for all the good delivery, the actual idea which is proposed by the film is not one that it really does much with.
I am not sure if it is the desire to have that shock ending or not, but Barron does not show much indication of feeling so much self- loathing for himself that he would behave to this extreme. Indeed the character really doesn't show much but the usual sense of self- pity. This makes the jump at the end memorable, but is not the same as saying that it works – even within the internal logic of the film I am not sure it really scans. I think the issue is the writing, for really not giving the character more – and I say this because I think that Baldo did what he was told to do and he sells the character. Likewise Calph really is good – it is not easy to act drunk while not drunk, and she carries this off as well as the other aspects (although she is so natural I did wonder if maybe they just got her loaded).
So a strange mix of a film. On one hand the delivery is really good, and the strange tone and narrative engages, but at the same time little makes sense about it, and the ideas which the film purports to be built on do not really come off – mainly because it seems reluctant to give too much away and risk the sudden ending and suggestive striking imagery. Works for what it does, but is weakest where it matters most.
