Believe

The film drew me in, but then left me cold. The original premise was that a man was trying to drive his roommate mad, just for the hell of it. This plot fails to reach any conclusion, and the movie shifts to a character study of a disturbed young man with Christ-like delusions. The delusions may or may not be real.

The first plot line, which might lead to an eventual comeuppance, or to a final triumph in the cruel and senseless destruction of a human being, would have been much more interesting.

Believe is the story of a young man who convinces his roommate that he's a secret agent. But he takes the joke just a little too far, and a little too seriously until our main character himself becomes deluded into possibly believing his own lie.

The main character's psychological delusions underscore the filmmaker's message that reality is indeed subjective and in the "eye of the beholder".

As short films go, this one of the most narratively ambitious and still successful efforts I've ever seen. The characters are great, the acting is solid and at times quite striking, the camera work is stellar, and the overall stylization is what you wish you would see more of in most Hollywood films. Kudos also to the score and sound design.

But what's most daring about the film is the filmmaker's challenge to the viewer to decide for his/herself what is 'reality'. If the main character believes something that may not be true, isn't it still true in the character's own mind? This is a darkly hilarious movie that warrants repeat viewings!