Two boys come out to each other and take the plunge... almost.Two boys come out to each other and take the plunge... almost.Two boys come out to each other and take the plunge... almost.
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Great acting, odd ending
This is a terrific short film with an odd ending. But it contains some of the best acting I've seen in a long time in a short film.
Neal (a jock-like hunk) is dating Kristina, a bland cheerleader type (think Charisma Carpenter). As Kristina puts make-up on Jack while they hang out on school grounds one afternoon, Jack and his girlfriend, Erin (Ashley McNulty is a dead-ringer for a young Tori Spelling), sit nearby and laugh. I'll admit that the acting and dialogue for the first three or four minutes is stilted and uneven, but I don't think that is too much the fault of the actors. The cinematography here oddly refuses to focus on Neal's face, which is distracting.
As the four friends get silly, Neal chases Jack around and finally wrestles him to the ground. Neal plants a big, red-lipstick kiss on Jack's face -- which leaves Jack panting wetly. (He's almost dewy! One audience member in the theater quipped "drop the camera" -- because Jack must obviously be having a more erotic reaction "down below" that the camera could capture.)
Later, Jack and Neal have dumped the girlfriends and are hanging out on a hill overlooking their small town. This is perhaps the best scene in this short film. The acting is just superb. Michael Blackman is outstanding here, creating a portrait of a nervous, somewhat haunted young man whose mask of confidence and masculinity (obvious in the first scene) drops slowly over the course of a few minutes. (The shirt-chewing is a sincere, innocent touch that gives the character terrific depth.) Serge Kirasanov is just as wonderful. The audience's first impression of Jack is that he's a twinky, slightly fearful young boy who defers to Neal. But in this scene, Kirasanov transforms Jack into a confident, honest, dominant young man. It is this superb acting performance which makes the scene work. Jack senses that Neal is troubled by something, and Jack pushes him to come clean. Lesser performances by either actor would have turned the scene into a trite exercise in coming out. But the depth of emotion, the strong physical acting by both men (the body-language is dead-on perfect), and the voice inflection and tone creates a naturalness (and emotional tension) that is very moving. (My only criticism is that the smoking by both teens seems out of character.)
Of course, Neal comes out to Jack -- admitting that he likes both guys and girls. There is an awkward minute (an eternity in this short film), and Jack admits he does as well. And then the tension heightens, imperceptibly. There's a crackle of emotion between the two boys. The earth seems to move, just once.
Once more, that final silent moment between Jack and Neal is due solely to the skill of the two actors. There are subtle facial changes and eye contact that imparts a library of meaning to the scene's final seconds. It is astounding to watch. (I should also mention that the cinematography and editing are superb here as well. There is an obvious change in the way the camera angles and movement work to depict the two characters now that they are away from their "girlfriends.")
Later that night, Jack and Neal are hanging out on a footbridge over a creek. In some ways, this is the film's weakest segment. That is largely due to the inferior quality of the sound recording. The camera becomes more static as well, with an odd upward angle that seems to defuse the tension and import of what is being said. Something also seems to be missing from the scene -- some preliminary conversation, or some tie to the preceeding scene. After some few minutes, however, it is clear that Jack and Neal are trying to figure out if they want to kiss or date. In fact, they talk about jumping into the creek. Is it deep enough? Will they drown? What will happen? It's all a metaphor for what might happen if they do kiss, do date, do make love, do come out to others. They do leap into the creek. But film-goers should see the film to see if they take the emotional plunge.
I will say that the film's final seconds are rather odd. It's a strange way to depict Jack and Neal's decision, and is somewhat more confusing than explanatory. It is visually terrific, but leaves you wanting a bit clearer answer to the question "will they or won't they" that the film asks.
Director-writer Daniel Wascou has given us a tremendous film, and I am eager (dewy, even!) to see what he does next.
Neal (a jock-like hunk) is dating Kristina, a bland cheerleader type (think Charisma Carpenter). As Kristina puts make-up on Jack while they hang out on school grounds one afternoon, Jack and his girlfriend, Erin (Ashley McNulty is a dead-ringer for a young Tori Spelling), sit nearby and laugh. I'll admit that the acting and dialogue for the first three or four minutes is stilted and uneven, but I don't think that is too much the fault of the actors. The cinematography here oddly refuses to focus on Neal's face, which is distracting.
As the four friends get silly, Neal chases Jack around and finally wrestles him to the ground. Neal plants a big, red-lipstick kiss on Jack's face -- which leaves Jack panting wetly. (He's almost dewy! One audience member in the theater quipped "drop the camera" -- because Jack must obviously be having a more erotic reaction "down below" that the camera could capture.)
Later, Jack and Neal have dumped the girlfriends and are hanging out on a hill overlooking their small town. This is perhaps the best scene in this short film. The acting is just superb. Michael Blackman is outstanding here, creating a portrait of a nervous, somewhat haunted young man whose mask of confidence and masculinity (obvious in the first scene) drops slowly over the course of a few minutes. (The shirt-chewing is a sincere, innocent touch that gives the character terrific depth.) Serge Kirasanov is just as wonderful. The audience's first impression of Jack is that he's a twinky, slightly fearful young boy who defers to Neal. But in this scene, Kirasanov transforms Jack into a confident, honest, dominant young man. It is this superb acting performance which makes the scene work. Jack senses that Neal is troubled by something, and Jack pushes him to come clean. Lesser performances by either actor would have turned the scene into a trite exercise in coming out. But the depth of emotion, the strong physical acting by both men (the body-language is dead-on perfect), and the voice inflection and tone creates a naturalness (and emotional tension) that is very moving. (My only criticism is that the smoking by both teens seems out of character.)
Of course, Neal comes out to Jack -- admitting that he likes both guys and girls. There is an awkward minute (an eternity in this short film), and Jack admits he does as well. And then the tension heightens, imperceptibly. There's a crackle of emotion between the two boys. The earth seems to move, just once.
Once more, that final silent moment between Jack and Neal is due solely to the skill of the two actors. There are subtle facial changes and eye contact that imparts a library of meaning to the scene's final seconds. It is astounding to watch. (I should also mention that the cinematography and editing are superb here as well. There is an obvious change in the way the camera angles and movement work to depict the two characters now that they are away from their "girlfriends.")
Later that night, Jack and Neal are hanging out on a footbridge over a creek. In some ways, this is the film's weakest segment. That is largely due to the inferior quality of the sound recording. The camera becomes more static as well, with an odd upward angle that seems to defuse the tension and import of what is being said. Something also seems to be missing from the scene -- some preliminary conversation, or some tie to the preceeding scene. After some few minutes, however, it is clear that Jack and Neal are trying to figure out if they want to kiss or date. In fact, they talk about jumping into the creek. Is it deep enough? Will they drown? What will happen? It's all a metaphor for what might happen if they do kiss, do date, do make love, do come out to others. They do leap into the creek. But film-goers should see the film to see if they take the emotional plunge.
I will say that the film's final seconds are rather odd. It's a strange way to depict Jack and Neal's decision, and is somewhat more confusing than explanatory. It is visually terrific, but leaves you wanting a bit clearer answer to the question "will they or won't they" that the film asks.
Director-writer Daniel Wascou has given us a tremendous film, and I am eager (dewy, even!) to see what he does next.
helpful•20
- tevanson
- Oct 23, 2002
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- Runtime16 minutes
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