WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
WATCH THE FILM HERE
First, the Recap:
The wonder of a night out on the town. You get dressed up, at least a little bit, and it’s off to the fancy, reservations-already-made eatery complete with candlelight and relative elegance. Yes, tonight is a special evening for you and your most precious treasure, the girl of your dreams. It’s that time. Time to pop the question. What could go wrong? On this particular night of anticipation and, ideally, overt joy, one young woman named Hannah (Emily Dennis) bursts into elated bliss as she uncovers a shimmering diamond ring from the plate in front of her, much to the apparent surprise of boyfriend Mike (Jacob Trussell). Indeed his shock, followed by “let’s go along with it” joy, is sincere–the ring isn’t his, just like the proposal it represents.
Meanwhile, as the pair rejoice in front of the restaurant’s denizens, another man named Ben (Bryan Manley Davis) looks on in his own state of disbelief at the proceedings unfolding in front of him, even as his beautiful beau Laura (Amelia Brain) gives him bewildered glances while attempting to enjoy their dinner. Ben, however, despite Laura’s admonitions and playful attempts to get his attention, insists on inventing a story about who Mike is in order to confront him about the snafu that has occurred in his table getting the ring instead of Ben’s, especially when asking befuddled waiter Stephan (Matthew Porter) to do something about it fails. Soon, it becomes an all-out war between the two men to find a way to settle a score that threatens both of their respective relationships in potentially disastrous ways.
Next, my Mind:
With truly deft execution, writer/director Daniel Sorochkin’s sharp, quick-witted, and wickedly clever short film absolutely takes flight on dramedy-infused wings, keeping the viewer fully immersed in a narrative about how one simple request goes terribly askew. What makes this even more effective is the mere fact that the premise delivered here addresses the already nerve-wracking state a man is in when choosing to propose to his girlfriend, waiting for that ideal moment to do it, building up the confidence to do it, and then getting the worst possible surprise himself when this very unfortunate mishap ruins the moment. Meanwhile, it all gets topped off by having to sit there and watch as another couple celebrates with that ring, at that time, when it was never a part of their planned evening to being with. The film expertly allows the two men to have their confrontations in multiple ways throughout until one final decision is made leading to a fantastically crafted finale.
David is simply excellent as Ben, the one man in the restaurant actually having found the perfect time to propose only to have the rug yanked out from under him thanks to another’s misstep. Watching as he initially figures out what’s just happened, then trying to ascertain how to handle it is both hilarious and affecting, as his intention towards Laura is so deep, but then rudely distracted by events. Brain is wonderful as Laura, a young woman just wanting to enjoy an evening with her love. Yet, as the circumstances occur, it reveals the hurt and frustrations she’s feeling when seeing and/or hearing about those around her getting married while having not had the official offer made to her. There again is that anticipation/expectation and her breaking point has almost been reached. This is dramatically well done by Brain.
Trussell excels as the very much surprised but not above just going with it cad Mike, a rather pompous individual whose learning about what mix-up has occurred from Ben only seems to give him more reasons to come up with as to why Ben should just let it go for the evening and that everything will be returned the next day. Mike’s exasperating, cavalier attitude is so grinding yet witty, and Trussell enacts it to the hilt. Dennis’ Hannah is completely entertaining in seeing the reaction she has when noticing the ring on the plate, immediately saying yes, and then taking in every possible aspect of appreciation from both patrons and the restaurant as she celebrates something she isn’t even aware wasn’t at all deliberate on Mike’s part. When the backlash finally hits, its a decidedly adjusted response from her to him.
The primary supporting turn comes from Porter as the hapless waiter caught in the middle of a firestorm he never desired, and his fumbling, helpless demeanor is quite amusing. In total, “Check Please” is a brilliantly rendered piece of indie short film genius, filled with charm, laughs, and dramatic flare more than worthy of notice. Just remember to triple check with the wait staff, guys!
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
