Suicide Kale (2015) was written by Brittani Nichols and directed by Carly Usdin.
Writer Nichols also stars as Jasmine, who is in a new lesbian relationship with Penn (Lindsay Hicks). They come to lunch at the home of an established couple, Jordan (Brianna Baker) and Billie (Jasika Nicole).
It's a beautiful day, Jordan and Billie live in a lovely home, and everything should be perfect. However, Jasmine finds an unsigned suicide note in the couple's bedroom. The plot of the film revolves around what happens next. Think about it--what would you do in a situation like this? The answer isn't obvious.
The four leads are all outstanding actors. It was a pleasure to watch them act as an ensemble. A minor character, played by Hayley Huntley, is on screen near the end. Her part is underwritten, and her acting wasn't very good. If she'd been more central to the plot, the movie would have been flawed. Luckily, she was only on screen for a few minutes.
We saw this film at the excellent Little Theatre in Rochester, as part of ImageOut, the outstanding LGBT Film Festival. This was the NYS premiere for Suicide Kale. (Most people assume that independent movies will open in New York City, not Rochester. Not so.)
Writer/star Brittani Nichols came to Rochester for the screening. She introduced the film by saying, "Just so you know, this movie was made on no budget and shot in five days."
Later, during the Q&A, I told her, "I wish you'd said that with pride, rather than with apology." I said that we had just watched The Dressmaker, with Kate Winslet and Judy Davis. That movie was filmed with a huge budget and probably took months to complete. In my opinion, The Dressmaker wasn't very good, and Suicide Kale was outstanding. My compliments to director Usdin and writer/actor Nichols for completing this film with one set and "no budget." Imagine what they could do if someone funded their next project!
