Five Deep Breaths

five deep breaths makes several comments/questions..one being..what is manhood..black or otherwise..the other is how far does one go to prove that they have it. a pretty decent question for the post john wayne yet still john waynesque hip-hop generation. I believe this short film shows much promise. Seith man has such control over the pacing and performance he's reminiscent of an antoine Fuque more than a Spike lee, you can feel the sense of action that would burst from the screen if he had a studio budget. nonetheless he effectively builds suspense and the lead actor, jamie hector, gives a performance that today's audiences as well as audiences from the silent film era, it's all about the eyes.

Banny convinces his friend Mark to accompany him to help two women clear out her stuff from the house of her abusive boyfriend. All well and good but then Banny decides that the man in question has to be taught a lesson – although Mark knows the man has a gun, so it is not a good idea. Despite this Banny persists and gets a group of friends together to go and tackle the man, although there are different schools of thought about how best to do this. In support of his friend, Mark goes along.

It is with hindsight that I come to this short film and I had to make an effort to meet it on its own terms and not be influenced by this being the short film that opened the door for Hector and Mann to The Wire and subsequently many other great television shows (and Heroes). So, unlike many looking backwards over their shoulder, I shall not pontificate about how you can see the potential etc etc, because the film is not about that but is a beast in itself that deserves attention. The narrative appears to be simple since it plays out in a couple of scenes, however there is a lot going on in here. Issues of friendship, confrontation, the idea of "being a man", the reality of "being a mob", posturing and ultimately loyalty all play a part in the telling and I found this quite engaging. On top it all the film is very tense as it builds; starting off with a simple friendship the film gradually moves towards a confrontation and this is very well done so that you do feel like holding your breath through a lot of it. The resolution of this is also good and, although understated, the ending does carry weight.

The direction from Mann puts us right in the group for the whole time but it is Hector that stays in the mind in front of the camera. I was used to seeing him using his eyes and intensity as Marlo but here although he plays it very close with the same tools, he does show great range here and he is a real presence that keeps you watching because of what he does with small touches rather than large flourishes. Five Deep Breaths did mark a big turning point for director and star and it will be remembered for that by fans of shows the two then went onto, however it should not overshadow the fact that Five Deep Breaths is inherently a very strong short film – not just because of what followed, but because of what it does in the 20 minutes it is on.

It is truly wonderful to see a black man write and direct a film which deals with the topic of domestic violence. Director Seith Mann demonstrates great talent as he pulls the viewer through this suspenseful human drama.

Most good shorts have an exciting ending. This film's ending is nothing short of spectacular. The film postpones conflict between the protagonist and the main villain until the last possible moment. In fact, the villain doesn't even appear, on camera, until the final sequence in the film. Seith Mann introduces his villain, by name & word of mouth, and then displays every character's reaction to pain the villain has caused. Mann constructs a tension between the drama and the viewers expectation. He plays on the viewer's desire for closure. Seith waits and denies ones curiosity until his story's climax and then he satisfies the audience with a violent nemesis and a shocking plot twist.

"Five Deep Breathes" is a must see short film!