Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: SHORTS BLOCK #7 [Dances With Films NY - New York, New York]
The aspect of shorts in all cases is represented in how they see the perspectives of their characters whether maintained or created. "Good Not Great" uses its protagonist in the guise of a current NY comic who sees his life in certain ways versus others bordered by his manic episodes and his newly created open relationship with his girlfriend. Unlike the recent "Is This Thing On", it uses the idea of visual comedy (through the use of a fish eye lens) to appropriate the shortcomings of its main character, eventually leading to a revelation akin to a spiral but without the trauma. Life continues despite it not being perhaps the way one hopes it would be. "Chocolate Cake" moves in the context of a fable lost in the idea of ambition wrapped in a guise of passion. The lead character seems to exist under a lisp of gloom despite his want to become something more. That focus tends to be that of a sous chef but the aim is make the best chocolate cake possible. The dreamlike realism tries to bring the ideal to the forefront but it requires giving something more which might not be possible. The resolution points to giving all of oneself despite the repercussions it might entail.
"Masclooking" is more akin to the Midnight Shorts speaking to the encounter of dating and ghosting in the gay space. It uses the comedy of errors against itself understanding the life (or the person whom is being looked for) is not necessary the one watching from the other side. "Fireflies In The Dusk" approaches this idea from another angle but it understands exactly that the comedy of errors and perspective is what is propelling everything one is actually seeing. It again involves a bit of magical realism. But the great thing about shorts is that it provides a flight of fancy without the necessary weight of having to fill the entire progression of narrative. This flight of love that doesn't really exist except in irony is made conversely showing the old with the new despite the fact that there are drawbacks to both across the board. The visual quips of both eras is what make this work (similar but in a different way to the feature "Zoe" -- also playing at DWF NYC).
The idea of resolution leaves the ending with an exceptional byte despite the fact that is the fitting end to the missed connection while another one springs up in its place. "Performance Review" uses perspective in what the director called "dark optimism" which is seeing the good in something when it is not necessarily good at all. The lead character here just wanted to get a promotion but everything she does moves against it even though she is clearly more capable than her boss gives here any kind of credit for. Life just moves at a different pace than she hoped it would. The last short in this block is more wistful in its tendencies. "The Long Reigning King Of Rollercastle Skateland" follows Michael Hitchcock playing a man spending his last days of managing a roller skating rink that is a throwback from the 70s being replaced by a target. The film is both tender but also sad but in the fact that there is no big trauma but yet a passing of time that cannot be found again which seems to be a recurring theme across the board in society right now.
By Tim Wassberg
