Pinkerton

I found this remarkable short film on a DVD on the free shelf at Vidiots or Cinefile - can't remember which (both are indie video stores in LA). I've been to a ton of festivals, seen shorts programs at Sundance and the like. I'm usually disappointed on a number of levels (concept, writing, directing, cinematography). I'm glad to report that Pinkerton is a true exception. And it didn't cost me a dime!

The concept is a wonderful blend of the familiar and striking originality. The writing is sharp. The actors well cast (and they deliver great performances). And the movie is directed with great emotion and precision. And - thank god - it's short. Why so many film schools tell kids to make 25 minute short film is beyond me. If you're calling it a short film it should be short. Pinkerton is 10 minutes. Yet it has a complete story. It shows mastery of genre by its writer/director. And, most importantly, it elicits genuine emotion from the viewer.

If you live in LA, go looking for this short film at Vidiots/Cinefile. It's on a DVD collection called Spotlight on UCLA. There's a bunch of other films on the disk - haven't watched them yet - but this one caught my eye and I was rewarded with a gem.

Okay - so I'm not sure if Aleem Hossain is a guy or a girl - so forgive me if I screw this up - I think he's a he... here it goes:

THIS GUY ROCKS. Wow. His film is only like 10 minutes long and it blew me away. To talk too much about the plot would be unfair - you have to see it for yourself. Suffice to say - if you like cop films - search this film out. If you don't like cop films - Hossain just made the cop film for you. Don't want to say more about it...

So I'll just say this. Hossain can direct. And write. And everything else it took to make this film. The film is expertly crafted and the amount of ground it covers in ten minutes is awesome. After watching this short I had a rare feeling for short films - that I wanted to see what this filmmaker was going to do next. He's clearly mastered a number of genres of film-making and has a tremendous imagination and sense of story. There's great camera work, visual design, and editing to boot.

So - if you want to see the best short film I've seen in years (and I've watched a lot of shorts) - check out Pinkerton. I'm always annoyed at the top ten "up and coming director" lists in the various industry publications - they rarely seem to get it right. And until I see Hossain's name on one of those lists I will continue to think they are flawed.