Greetings again from the darkness. The directorial debut (and loosely based on the life) of Brian Logvinsky is an usual short film probably best described as avant-garde. Harrison Ball, who recently retired as principal dancer of the New York City Ballet, stars as a dancer with anger issues so extreme, things sometimes turn violent. Logvinsky and Ball also co-wrote the script.
With a short 17-minute runtime, visuals are effectively utilized to convey the turmoil of Alex's (Ball) life. However, many of these aren't typical visuals. Instead, we see the frenzied actions and mind of Alex, and understand why he must visit bizarre psychotherapist, Dr. Leechny (Marc Geller, "Severance"). We learn Alex is grieving the death of his mother, and his current mental state has a dramatic effect on his living arrangements with his aunt Anya (Deborah Harry). Complicating the already explosive situation is Russian-born Anya's belief that the family curse is driving Alex's mental issues.
Many will know Deborah Harry as the lead singer of the band Blondie, where she goes by Debbie. Ballet fans will not be surprised that Harrison Ball has a strong screen presence, weakened only during his minimal dialogue. His extraordinary physicality is on display, especially during the final sequence from which the film's title is derived. Additional supporting roles are portrayed by Jemima Kirke (Simon's daughter in a dual role) and Sasha Pivovarova (artist, Russian model, and face of Prada).
The film will be featured on June 17 at Tribeca Festival and will most assuredly generate some interesting post-viewing discussions.
