"Exterior Night" is a fun tribute to the film noir genre that brings back the known standards from classics of the period aligned with
the technology of HD cameras and editing tricks from the 1990's, also in a story where future, present and past are mixed all at once.
It follows a young man (Johnny Mez) living in the present time whose mysterious dreams revolving a crime for the past gets investigated by him.
His dad (Mark Arnott), a cheeky mystery writer (David Patrick Kelly, always a reliable character actor) who happens to be his grandfather, and a blonde femme fatale (Victoria Bastel, she
plays two more roles as well) are part of this scenario where the 1940's past seems to repeat in the future, and where dreams and reality confuse with each other.
What's behind the strange crime that the man wants to prevent? What's inside the briefcase he carries? And what's behind the catchy song performed
by all the female characters? Like any good old film noir out there, "Exterior Nights" immerses the viewer with its countless questions and more.
Besides the knots in the head with the twists and turns (though a little easy to follow), the short's biggest attractive comes from the editing
tricks with the actors interacting in color as countless background black-and-white images from classic noir films (and even a war piece) form
the scenario where the characters inhabit. Some are interestingly put (whenever there's movement, the scene inside the taxi is hilarious if you
pay attention to the scenery changes in one dialogue moment) and others weren't used to a great effect - the nightclub
is just a still rather than a moving picture. Yet, it works a great deal and it's fun to watch, and considering that this was an indie project
the team gathered by Mark Rappaport delivered a great entertainment that it's also a lovely homage to the thrills and settings of classic Hollywood and
the film noir genre. 9/10.
