Boy Meets Boy

Boy Meets Boy pays tribute to 50/60's Gothic thrillers we stayed up late to watch as kids but has a classier tone and updated plot based on the perils and pleasures of internet dating. It is a visual treat, filmed in various shades of grey, with red highlighting key points in the story line almost as if the colour was it's own character.

Mike Azevedo expertly displays his acting talent as he portrays Vincent, a fragile and lonely man stepping out of his comfort zone in search of love. His skill at revealing the character's vulnerabilities through the use of silence adds to the mysterious theme of the film. Charles Zuckermann plays the perfect foil with a lusty confidence that proves once again, opposites attract.

The entire film is a roller coaster of emotion and suspense packed into ten minutes and the ending leaves the audience with a few more questions than it answers. While it stands alone as a short, it would also make an excellent trailer for a lengthier film and we certainly hope there is a sequel in the works.

The first thing that stood out to me in this film were the dark colours and Gothic cinematography. The atmospheric nature of the scenes drew you into the story and made you want to know more. The surreal feel of the film added to the overall theme of the movie and took the viewer on a journey through a man's dark reflections on his inner self.

The actor himself is mesmerising and lends an air of both vulnerability and narcissism to the role, showing a sense of self image and poignancy in the way he projects himself and sees the world around him.

The mise en scène in the film contributed to the characters aspirations to be perfect. In the end of course, he encounters someone who helps him achieve his goal to perfection.

A taut, well filmed and intelligent film.

I watched this movie 5 times wondering if I had missed something, then I realized that it was a short film. 10 minutes of intense acting, terse dialogue and atmospheric directing. Aptly timed given the surge and popularity of on-line dating. This outlines what could possibly happen when on-line dating goes awry. I want to know what happened to the characters! Another short examining more of the characters personalities or a feature length film exploring more of their backgrounds, that would be great. I know this was a labor of love for Mike Azevedo and I know this is only the beginning for him and that we will see more from this talented creator and actor. Kudos to Charles Zuckermann for his intense portrayal of the dater. Great set design, lighting and editing. Bravo to all involved.

One of the many challenges in writing a script for a short movie is to ensure that we the audience can empathise with the characters within the first minute or so. The characters must be memorable with strong personalities. In Boy Meets Boy, you immediately get the main character Vincent - beautifully portrayed by Mike Azevedo - solitary but looking for love. Mysterious dark Steven - played by sexy Charles Zuchermann - will turn Vincent's perfect live upside down.

The script is very tight with economical dialogue and the director, Jonathan MacPherson, delivers an extremely atmospheric film; the cinematography is beautiful, almost shot in monochrome with crucial splashes of red, emphasising passion and fear.

Successive emotions carry you through the film ... fear, passion, suspense and terror to name a few; a kind of raw emotional journey.

Boy Meet Boy is a beautiful powerful honest movie showcasing the skills and talent of a great ensemble. I want to see the feature length movie they will no doubt be making one day.

This little gem of a film explores the anxieties of online dating, and what happens when Boy Meets Boy...

From the very first image that appears on the screen, you the viewer are aware that you are dealing with professionals. This isn't some rag-tag group of wannabes creating a short film for a school project. These are serious craftsmen. Maybe you don't think like that. Maybe I think like that because I'm a filmmaker. Maybe you will just be drawn in. I mean it does what these films are supposed to do, from the very instant the moving images cross our eyes, from the moment the sound design hits our ear drums...it takes us away. Where we are going we still are not sure, but we get the time to focus on nothing but these characters, for the 10 minutes or so it takes to tell this story.

The actors Johnathan MacPherson, Charles Zuckerman, and Mike Azevedo (who also co-created the story) are all obviously well skilled in their craft. They each hold the screen and your attention without fail. But it's the screenplay, written by Simona Atias which really blew my mind. While admittedly there is a obvious lack of dialog, what few words are said are central to the story. And the story, written by Azevedo and Atias, frankly deserves a feature length film type expansion.

While the film stands on it's own as a creative, outstanding short. Trimmed down in half it could easily be the intro to it's own film. These are not characters you want to leave so soon. The party seems to just be getting started, and as the title credit hits and the catchy music plays after the final frame...it really does feel like the beginning of the movie! Whether this short film ever does see an expansion or not, it stands fine on it's own. From the cinematography by Rob Crone to the modern editing style of Zachary Holden, From the cold production design of Moe Curtin to the brilliant score by Joe Docherty, these guys aren't messing around. Find a way to watch this film.