A tightly-wound psychological thriller that will keep you guessing even after the credits have rolled, Vesper is an above average short film that would be appealing to any cinephile that likes their films to arrive packed with ominous mood and ever-present tension.
Screening at festival's in London and Santa Monica, Vesper focuses on Agnes Godey's middle-aged woman Marge and her near blind nephew Christian (played by the film's director Keyvan Sheikhalishahi) as the two work together to put a stop to what appears to be a violent ex-partner of Marge in the form of Cloud Atlas and Tomorrow Never Dies actor Götz Otto's Walter, Vesper over the space of 23 minutes creates an at once low-key set-up that then turns into something else entirely as we become aware that not all is as it seems.
Directed by at the time 18 year old filmmaker Sheikhalishahi, Vesper ends up dealing with some rather heavy topics after Christian has an eventful encounter with Walter on a wind-swept beachfront. It's not entirely easy to follow but Sheikhalishahi shows promise with narrative construction and an eye for an atmospheric shot as we're introduced to the convoluted world of Marge and her haunting's relating to past decisions.
It's never an easy task establishing the tone of a film in such a short time but Sheikhalishahi does an admirable job of delivering some heavy topics into a short runtime with solid support from his actors that is highlighted by a fine turn from Otto who brings some serious creepiness to his brief but important role of Walter, a closing shot featuring the menacing presence will get the hairs on the back of your neck standing to attention.
Final Say –
To say much more about Vesper and its plot would ruin story set-ups and while Sheikhalishahi's film does show itself at times to be a little rough around the edges, there's enough here to suggest a bright future for the young filmmaker and Vesper is a solid short film that thriller/mystery fans should certainly endeavour to track down.
3 handwritten letters out of 5
