Multi-Facial

I was very grateful to have had the opportunity to see this short and view the director's comments. I connected with the character and his search for his identity in so many ways. I am multi-cultural by birth; I understand getting lost in the wake of many different cultures and the behavior, expectations, and biases. His exploration of being multi-cultural strikes a chord in all people of multi-cultural lineage. It was a small, revealing, poignant view into Vin Diesel, the person, and he was brave to show it. Multi-Facial, multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, any way you put it, the inner turmoil of identity is hard to escape. I connected... and I am grateful that I am not alone.

It's always interesting to see glimpses of stars before they were household names. Playing the role of casting director, I try to spot something that might indicate their massive potential, or alternatively, that they've grown a lot in their ability since then. In the case of Multifacial, Vin Diesel's self-penned and semi-autobiographical short, it is clear that this actor is going places.

There is something undeniably compelling about him. I first noticed him in the supporting role in Boiler Room, primarily for his voice. There's that deep gravelly tone that demands your attention. Couple that with his powerful physicality and you can see that this guy just needs the right role to exploit his talents. And where the Lundgrens and Rocks of Hollywood offer similar packages, Diesel brings an unquestionable intellect and vulnerability to the screen to set himself apart. Multifacial teaches 3 things:

One - a simply shot film (ie: cheap) can still make an impact, providing the story is engaging. Two - if the storyline feels "doccie", economical and imperfect shots actually help give cred to the film. Three - If an unknown actor is talented, even a tiny low budget short can garner the attention of the biggest player in Hollywood.

Evidently that's what Spielberg thought, as he contacted Diesel on the strength of this - check it out for a good chuckle, a glimpse of Diesel's comedic ability, and the star's take on the experience, looking back on it now.

The blood running through my veins is that of thirteen seperate heritages from thirteen seperate countries, and you can imagine how happy I am that this movie was made. Vin Diesel enthralled me with his amazing acting skills, I am fascinated by this astounding piece of work. As a constant victim of racial prejudice, this hit home. Really hard. And THANK YOU VIN!!! for making it.

You know, before I got the chance to see "Multi-Facial," I knew of Vin Diesel only as the big Italian guy from "Saving Private Ryan" that got killed about 30 minutes into the movie--I was never too impressed. But after seeing this short, which Diesel wrote and directed, I was overcome with a new-found respect. This is simply one of the most touching, profound, and well-produced short films in the course of American film in the last 10 years or so. The acting is superb--Diesel goes above and WAY beyond the token ethnic he portrayed in the otherwise WASPish SPR. While watching this however, we get the feeling that this is more than just an entertaining story about a lost soul, searching for an identity (which others are more than willing to give), this is in fact a piece of Diesel himself, immortalized in film. I also watched some director's commentary afterwards and was amazed at the depth and intelligence possessed by this man. Do yourself a favor, and stay away from his shallower, mainstream work like SPR and the upcoming "Boiler Room," et al. If you watch this, you will be convinced of two things: 1) Vin Diesel will always have work in Hollywood, and 2) American short film is still alive.

Vin Diesel is probably mostly known for the fast and furious franchise which is great, but doesn't really show off his acting skills, Multi-Facial really did show off how good of an actor he really is. Great short film, I'd recommend.