LINK TO FILM HERE
First, the Recap:
Strangers in the night. The song of the same name is most likely the first thing that pops into your mind when hearing those words. Classic tune. Timeless. But, there are other connotations to the concept of said phrase, and not always equaling the best of scenarios or a romantic rendezvous. Take an isolated home on the evening of a party. Bonfire burning, food and drink plentiful, as friends gather together to join with a couple, Felix (Felix Alonzo) and Cassie (Cassie Stewart), to celebrate their engagement. Having been surrounded by the group for a lengthy period of time, Felix heads into their home’s kitchen with Cassie as they arrange to get more wine for the guests, wanting to steal a few precious moments alone.
Smiling in their newly engaged bliss, the doorbell rings, and as Felix goes to answer it, Cassie’s suddenly pensive stare forecasts a potentially unwelcome surprise awaits. A gaunt man, Ron (Ron Blanton), stands on the threshold holding a gift, and Felix’s countenance markedly shifts at the sight of him. Returning outside, stories are being shared with the entire gathering by this stranger, whose tales seem to hint at a life not quite experienced on the straight and narrow. Later toasting the couple, Felix’s patience ceases, to the annoyance of his fiancé, as he questions the validity of anything Ron claims.
The night’s frivolity unraveled, Felix later on discovers an unexpected revelation in the gift brought to them by Ron, and it paints a sobering and soul-touching picture about circumstances never ultimately ruling the love of those closest, yet sometimes so distant, to us.
Next, my Mind:
The debut effort by the Austin, TX-based production team trio of Kyle Seaquist, Caleb B. Kuntz, and Rui Silva (aka: FTB), this twelve-minute short film effort was this reviewer’s first experience with a project shot according to the strict guidelines of the Dogme 95 Manifesto. Developed by well-renowned Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, the style basically strips everything down to the point of such rawness in the film’s execution, that it literally forces the viewer pay much more attention to the characters, emotions, and other nuances of the story without the interference of so many of the visual and audio elements that can hinder a film’s intended purpose or message. And the stark differences between natural light and darkness, indoor and outdoor sounds, and the very nature of the overall look the camera provides in this format is truly eye-opening.
All three primary actors deliver solidly in this medium, as every single word and facial expression shown requires that same level of reality, having no other actions occurring around them, other than what is present in that specific moment, to assist them in what is being portrayed emotionally. Everything rests on them solely. And this also allows us, as the viewer, to attempt to piece together every facet that the story is conveying based just on each scene and event viewed. In total, “A Thief In The Night” is a winning exercise in the now, making no pretense for what has occurred in the past or will occur in the future, and that is the beauty of this effort.
A taut narrative whose dialogue and humanness speaks volumes as to the character’s relationships and histories without ever saying or showing it directly, even forgoing harsh language or violence of any kind per its rules, this is frankly one format of film I hope comes about more often.
