Black Swell

A man perhaps to kill himself in a motel room, but struggles to do it with the racket of loud music coming from the room next door.

There is a very tidy simplicity to this film, but it bundles it up so well that it makes the finale work better than it may have otherwise done. We are very much with Mr. Fennimore, thanks in no small part to him being played by the very familiar Richard Kind (you may not know his name but you'll know his face instantly). By recognizing him as an actor, and by engaging with his very good performance, we are very much with him wherever this goes. This is the point of the film though, is that we cannot see beyond him any more than he can see beyond his own situation. This is partly understandable perhaps given the low, but at the same time the message is clear and it is delivered in a very restrained and effective final shot.

Kind and Rysdahl (also the writer) work well together, although Kind is never not the focal point, it is a two-hander which is more significant as it goes on. It has a nicely patience and dark tone to it throughout, and the dialogue is deliberately restrained and limited to good effect. Seems very compact and contained as a film, but is better for it.

A beautiful short film. For story. For performances. For message. A portrait of loneliness, isolation in yourself, death, appearences. As teacher, I was impressed by the meet between teacher and his ex-student, for atmosphere, dialogue and reactions. Because, in my case, each is more than familiar. But the gift remains the end. Reminding classic American theater plays about inadaptation, cry for help and the selfishness as mask and way to survive yourself. It is sketch. A real good one. And superb support of reflection for the viewer. Not the last, the touching performance of Richard Kind is a precious gift of this short film.