Short Film Review “Michael Solace” So, HOW much do you REALLY want it? Here, an exemplification of what it takes to exhibit the “write” stuff
WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW:
First, the Recap:
The journey to absolute success is never something that is, at least normally, a path of immediate fulfillment. Likely, it is an exercise in growing frustrations, even when initial achievement as been gained. Each time we manage to scale one mountain, another seems to rise up in its place. But, we push forward, if it is all TRULY our passion and intent to make it happen, nothing but pure drive. However, what might occur when that pinnacle is within sight, but we forgot one important element that’s in play…..the REAL COST??
Screenwriter Michale Solace (Justin Thibault) sits in a highly fractured state of mind as he converses with his agent Monica (Diana Porter) in a local L.A. restaurant filled with others trying to do what he wants….glory in “The Biz”. With a script that could BE “The One” about to be shopped to a major producer, Michael’s anxieties about what the deal entails ends up sending him on an eccentrically scary adventure of awakening that will determine the fate of ALL he has strived for.
Next, my Mind:
There are any number of films, short or feature, mainstream or indie, that have chosen to tackle a far more common subject matter than you might think….the film business itself. Let’s be frank, it’s a VERY rich topic, and takes us into a perspective that often we as the greater filmgoing public MIGHT take for granted. WE witness the final product, the polished work, in order to gain out of it sheer entertainment (mainstream) or deeper insights into the human condition (indie). But what we may STILL overlook is the absolutely present PRESSURES of “The Biz”, regardless of genre or level, and what toll it might take on any of those who are striving to find their pathway to, ideally, success within it. It is an “insider” portrait, a story of intense scrutiny, hopeful dreams, assessing one’s self AND one’s work, plus the value of logically trying to figure out what lengths you choose to consider FOR that magnitude of achievement you’ve worked SO hard to attain that’s deftly accomplished through this newest short film from director/executive producer/editor Chris Esper, writer Kris Salvi, producer Jimmy Jackson, and executive producer Deborah Del Negro.
Taking a decidedly eccentric track that intelligently and effectively blends drama, thriller, and a modicum of what one could term horror/fantasy elements, the narrative follows an adept screenwriter whose time has finally come….or so he believes….when his agent shares the news his newest script has been optioned by a high level production company….but at what cost? What immediately strikes you forcefully and purposefully here is the means by which the entire affair begins, setting up the ambiance of undeniable tension to the point of utter distraction that the lead character is encountering, manifesting that exact degree of nervous energy one might expect someone in this position to be feeling. From there, how the narrative smartly keeps building on this is clever and impactful, escalating this poor soul’s circumstances to the maximum, which then leads us further down a quite unsettling rabbit hole of a more unexpectedly supernatural aura that really DOES work for the intent the grander lessons we’re being taught require.
What is THEN so smartly executed are the subsequent sequences that exist within this uniquely strange and quirky realm this haggard man is facing that choose to fully utilize the uncanny facets as what? Fragments of a disturbed mindset? An ACTUAL reality he is contending with? It makes you as the viewer question things enough to be wholly persuaded that what remains an unequivocal FACT…this guy must make a REAL CHOICE about staying TRUE to who HE is, or otherwise get sucked into a machine that threatens to STEAL his soul, EVEN if the promises associated with doing so COULD gain him everything he’s ever desired in his work. That in itself is a concept done countless times (the “gain the world, but lose your soul” trope). BUT, somehow, I find this is portrayed with a fresh perspective here, allowing the air of decision, anxiety, confusion, even FEAR drive the narrative towards its ultimate finale, which here is ALSO presented with what this critic felt was perfectly delivered PUNCH that pushed the film’s primary theme home with focus and, in some ways, a vengeance, a cautionary tale if there ever was one.
Thematically, the guarded nature of wishing to KEEP control and ownership of your work, the cornerstone idea of not “selling out”, and the actuality of the industry dashing more dreams and filmmaker’s visions than fulfilling them are all additional steps that gain screen time. And again, it is the medium of short film that is SO overtly dynamic in making statements about such things in quick order, which Esper has always been astutely capable in accomplishing, using only fourteen minutes to convey this declaration about “The Biz”. Mind you, this isn’t meant to PREVENT or DISSUADE anyone from pursuing their own filmmaking aspirations. But, it IS an unflinching look at the difficult and potentially disheartening reality of trying TO make it. It’s a great message, one worth sharing, and like another short film I reviewed back in 2018, “The Critic“, it puts a HUMAN face to the struggle in a manner that is relevant and compelling. It is NECESSARY for it to “hit” in order to make it a viable story and illustration of elements involved that no one LIKES to talk about, which does NOT make anything showcased in this film any less certifiable.
Thibault, whom I have reviewed before (here, here, here, and here!), comes out all guns blazing in what I personally feel might be his best performance to date (based on what I have seen so far), exuding the frenzied state of mind and almost crippling uncertainty of a man on the edge whose next move will alter his life in SOME manner that is either noteworthy or completely destructive through his role here as Michael Solace, a screenwriter with quite a dilemma to quell. With his agent pushing him to take the (supposed) deal of his life, Michael soon finds himself on an emphatically unnerving, empirical adventure that will test precisely who he is…and wants to be. Faced with an exacting price, WILL Michale take a higher path? Or, will he instead bow down to the very industry he DOES want to succeed in? It’s the manner in which the character maneuvers through this plight that Thibault does such an excellent job at depicting, not overacting the volatility in emotions Michael confronts, but rather enhancing and embracing them in a credible way that truly sells the character to us, gaining our empathy while FEELING his pain.
It is a great performance through and through, and I feel the testament to an actor continually trying to improve his chosen craft. Porter likewise provides us with a controlled but energetic performance that oozes believability while eliciting a sense of acute contempt for her character’s motives being REALLY for her client’s success or more likely for her own, even AS she tries to perhaps bring him along via her role as Monica, Michael’s agent. Selling him with the kind of enthusiasm that SEEMS genuine yet still somehow makes one wonder, Monica is a source of both good AND bad news for Michael, and whether she CAN indeed make him do something he’s really resisting becomes the source of tension between them. This is sold to us with total poise and resolute intent by Porter, creating that kind of character you just WANT to root for yet STILL find the means to be wary of. Being able to enact this kind of possible duality, I felt, certainly provides Porter with plenty of opportunities to shine her, which she does.
John R. Smith Jnr arrives on scene as the enigmatic and calmly freaky Marcus Shadowman, a figure who becomes a key catalyst for Michael’s more…extraordinary…ventures, with Smith Jnr effective in being creepy, which is NEEDED for the character and well done by the actor. A primary supporting turn is made by Paul Noonan as Angel, a disgruntled individual who has some serious opinions about someone and the company Michael is about to get in the figurative bed with. Additional supporting appearances are made by Kris Salvi, Jimmy Jackson, Deborah Del Negro, Eric Carlson, James J. LaBonte, Louise Mara, Cam Sandbach, James Woodbury, Hope Bohannon, Mary A Christo, Sarah Durning, Ryan Diorio, Arkaydia Farrow, Christopher Fernandez, Zach Grossman, Ryan Maki, Steven Nguyen, Athan Phynix, Joseph Safari, Michael Saint, Bob Tourangeau, and Tanu Yarlgadda. So, in total, “Michael Solace” proficiently reminds us about the hidden nature of “The Biz” while imploring us to always strive to be the one thing that so often we might feel is LACKING behind the scenes in the grander industry in question….authenticity and integrity.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
