La leçon de guitare

This short movie was honored with the first prize in our local short-film-festival. After the first viewing I was not too thrilled with it. Since then I have watched it five times and each time I liked it better and better... and now I truly love it!

A man in his early forty doesn't know what to do with his life and decides to take guitar lessons. The "teacher" he visits is a young guy who is not too enthusiastic about teaching but passionate for the guitar. He seems to be living in some kind of a threesome shared flat, but the only other person we meet is a young attractive woman named Laetitia(who is also named Sandra!).

The key to this picture is to sense what happens underneath the guitar lessons. There is a lot going on between the lines.

All three characters are having their own issues in life and the movie is delicate at giving slight insights while not explaining anything.

For example: why is the woman's name Laetitia but she is called Sandra? What is the relation between the teacher and her? Is it really a threesome flat share? Why does she cry and whom is she in love with? Who is the guy she is lying in bed with? Is he the third person in the flat share or her lover? Like the man who steps into this strange own world to learn the guitar the viewer enters this world with him, facing questions, sensing whats going on but getting no explanations.

The movie with its laconic style won't appeal to a large audience though.

Just saw this charming short at the London Film Festival and it really shone out. Where so many shorts betray their function as directorial calling cards, with the result that style is often in greater supply than substance, Martin Rit's film is notable for its economy and simplicity.

The story is slight but somehow Rit, his co-writer and his cast make every moment compelling and create warmth and humour from a deadpan situation.

The performances never put a foot wrong, the camera is always in just the right place but never makes its presence too obvious, and the editing is particularly sharp.

If you get the chance to see this film, take it. And Mr Rit - if you're reading - keep up the good work!